Beauty from Infirmity

Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread Ministries

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.6 • 955 Ratings

🗓️ 30 March 2025

⏱️ 4 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The artist Degas suffered retina disease for the last fifty years of his life, switching from paint to pastel because the chalk lines were easier to see. Renoir had to have brushes placed between his fingers when arthritis made them clench like claws; and when surgery left Matisse immobile, he turned to collage, directing assistants to attach colored pieces of paper to a larger sheet on the wall. What followed in each case was a creative breakthrough: Degas’s Blue Dancers, Renoir’s Girls at the Piano, Matisse’s The Sorrows of the King, and other masterpieces. By adapting to their trial, beauty emerged from their infirmity.

In a similar way, Paul wasn’t planning to visit Galatia during his early missionary journeys. An illness forced him there (Galatians 4:13). Whether it was the illness he mentions in 2 Corinthians 12:7, an eye problem (Galatians 4:15), or something else, we don’t know. But Paul sought a different climate, wound up in Galatia and, even though he was ill, started preaching. Ironically, the Holy Spirit performed miracles through him (3:2–5) and the Galatian church was born. This surprising outcome may never have happened without Paul’s illness.

What trial have you faced, and how did it change the direction of your life? By refocusing your gifts, you too may see God bring beauty out of your infirmity.

Transcript

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0:00.0	As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
0:05.0	Galatians 4 verse 13
0:08.0	Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.
0:14.0	Beauty from infirmity was written and read by Sheridan Voisey.
0:20.0	Galatians chapter 4 verses 13 to 15. was written and read by Sheridan Voise.
0:24.6	Galatians chapter 4 verses 13 to 15.
0:30.9	As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,
0:36.1	and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn.
0:42.3	Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
0:45.5	Where then is your blessing of me now?
0:51.6	I can testify that if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
0:55.0	Beauty from infirmity.
0:59.0	The artist Degas suffered retina disease for the last 50 years of his life, switching from
1:04.8	paint to pastel because the chalk lines were easier to see.
1:09.5	Renoir had to have brushes placed between his fingers when arthritis made
1:13.1	them clench-like claws, and when surgery left Matisse immobile, he turned to collage, directing
1:19.6	assistants to attach coloured pieces of paper to a larger sheet on the wall. What followed
1:25.1	in each case was a creative breakthrough.
1:28.7	Degas Blue Dancers, Renoir's girls at the piano, Métis's The Sorrows of the King,
1:35.0	and other masterpieces.
1:37.0	By adapting to their trial, beauty emerged from their infirmity.
1:42.2	In a similar way, Paul wasn't planning to visit Galatia during his early missionary journeys.
	...

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