From Disability to Ministry: Serving God While Living with Terminal Illness
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Meet Christopher
Christopher Davison has faced many difficulties because of his Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive, terminal illness that has led to quadriplegia. Diagnosed at age 6 and in a wheelchair by 8, Christopher didn’t expect to live past his 20s.
Now in his 30s, he lives to serve God and help others to find hope and truth in their difficulties.
He joins the podcast to talk about how trusting the Lord has led to a life of joy, and how God’s strength shines through brightest in our own weakness.
Do you trust God with your life?
For Christopher, living with a fatal disease has produced a clear understanding of God’s sovereignty. In his 30s, Christopher has already reached—or even surpassed—the life expectancy for people with his condition.
He says: “This just shows that man doesn’t know everything. And God is sovereign. He is the one in control, not the doctors. Doctors have a general idea of what certain conditions mean for your life, but only God has determined my life… My life is in his hands.”
Despite the weakness of his body, and uncertainty about how much longer he will live, Christopher takes joy in living each day for Christ, taking heart from verses like Philippians 1:20–21:
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
“When I look at verses like that, it shows me that even though my body is weak, Christ can still be honored by what I do with my body and by still being here… I’m here to live for Christ… And it’s an honor and joy for me to be able to be used by the Lord,” says Christopher.
How have you seen God’s strength shine through your weakness?
Christopher has chosen 2 Corinthians 12:7–9 as his life verses:
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Having experienced firsthand how God’s power shows up despite—and even through—weakness, Christopher often tells people that, “If God can use me, he can use anyone… And God can still use you no matter what situations or weaknesses you face.”
Serving as a pastor for 10 years, Christopher got to encourage people in powerful ways, often using his disability and condition to highlight the power of God. He recalls having the opportunity to share a teaching rotation for a senior adult ministry:
“Because of my disability, even though I’m a lot younger than the seniors, I could identify with a lot of things they were going through with aging bodies. Even though I’m a lot younger, my body’s in worse shape than theirs. So I could use that to encourage them that God can use them, even in their advanced years.”
Across generations and life experiences, Christopher found that his story had the power to lift people’s spirits—and eyes—to Christ.
As he says: “People see the things I had gone through, things that I had faced… it really does give a good platform to say, ‘Hey, this is what God can do.’… God opens up those opportunities. It’s amazing to me that my disability can change the dynamic of ministry such that I can make an even bigger impact and speak into the lives of people with the truth.”
Christopher’s Ministry and Words of Encouragement
Determined to live every day for Christ and help other believers to live out and share the Gospel, Christopher founded Wheel Truth Media, an online ministry, to help Christians grow in their faith. Through his testimony and biblical teaching, Christopher aims to help fellow believers live for God and share the Gospel with others.
He also has a message for you—especially if you find yourself struggling with the difficulties in your life:
“Don’t give up… because God is with you. The Bible says that he will never leave you nor forsake you. And I believe that with my whole heart. I can trust him because I know I can depend on him. And I’d say that to anybody else. Trust him and depend on him because he’s trustworthy…
Finally, whenever you’re weak, that’s when God can use you the most, because that’s when his strength can be revealed. That’s when it can be seen.”
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