|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Healed or Not?Dear Gabby, There have been questions lately regarding healing, how we know when we are healed, and whether or not we should take (or continue taking) medicine. Although I can’t answer those questions for each person, I can offer my own life experience and hope it helps someone. In 1998 I was diagnosed with an incurable and not very treatable illness. It’s nothing like cancer, or AIDS, but it is debilitating, and before I even knew what was "officially" wrong, we had people all over the country praying for me. As people would pray, they would call me and say, "I’ve been praying for you and the Lord wants you to know that you will be healed". As time went on I still struggled with the illness. I found myself running into walls, and I developed a nice patchwork of black, yellow, and blue on my skin from falling. I broke my toes because I couldn’t judge distances from things. I dropped into coma-like sleep, but woke without being refreshed, or conversely, stayed up for many days with very little sleep. And, of course, I battled pain every day. I began to wonder when and if healing would come. I also struggled with many questions: · What would my future be like? · Would I be able to care for myself? · Would I have any quality of life? I even wondered if something was spiritually wrong with me because, although I had been told I would be healed, healing was not evident in my life. Exacerbating my self-doubt was the hoard of well-meaning people who promised me that "if I only had more faith, I would be well." Once I was officially diagnosed, I was put on medicine to regulate some of the numerous out-of-balance chemicals in my body. To some extent they helped. However, there were many side effects. In 2000, I finally told the doctor that I would not be taking any more of the medication. I have only taken over-the-counter remedies since. (Let me stress that none of what I was taking was imperative to staying alive, and thus, stopping the meds was not life-threatening. Only the quality of my life would be threatened. Even then, it was a very tough decision, including many factors, and I weighed them carefully with prayer.) It is now 2002 and I still deal with the same illness. To date, I have not seen fingers in the sky, have not felt "heat course through my body,” have not even had a mystical moment where I felt as if I was “one with all.” In other words, in medical terms, I have not been healed. And yet, I have been. Here’s why I make that statement. The dictionary defines the word heal as “to make sound or whole.” The Bible says: · “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). · "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3). · “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). After numerous prayer sessions where I asked the Lord what my problem was, I finally learned to ask Him to show me what He wanted me to learn through this. Here’s what I have and am learning: 1. What is faith?—Faith is a marvelous thing. It comes in many forms. All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed, and things can be done. However, we are quick to categorize what faith is, and when we don’t see what we think is faith, we say there is no faith. Faith can look very different in different circumstances. Faith is obvious in a miraculous healing. An example of that is when someone is instantly cured of cancer. Yet faith is also evident in the day-to-day existence of dealing with a difficulty without seeing the evidence we believe for, and yet we still believe. It’s a lot easier to have faith when our expectation of something is miraculously met. It’s harder for me to exist day-to-day in pain, and yet still believe that I am healed. The constancy of my faith is a hard lesson I’ve been learning, and yet isn’t that what faith is? Isn’t it believing without seeing the end result, and holding on to the substance of something that cannot be touched? 2. Changing my focus—I’ve also found that my focus has changed. In wanting an instant healing, I ignored the doors the Lord was opening to me that would not have been open if I were well. I have made many contacts with people that I would not have made otherwise. So in that sense, I was asking amiss. I was not asking what the Lord wanted from me through this illness. I was telling the Lord what I wanted of Him. 3. My outlook determines my attitude—When I was praying prayers of self-pity (Lord, why me? Why now? Heal me!), I was focusing on myself and thus had a negative attitude. When I learned to change my outlook, I could be more positive because He was working through me to help others. That brought about a greater good. I can tell people about God being wonderful in spite of life’s circumstances, and they know I speak from experience. In turn, they can draw closer to Him because I can show them that He loves us no matter what we face. It has also freed me to pray that His work is done in me, and I can mean it, instead of it just being a platitude. People have asked me how I can be so positive, and my answer is simple—Jesus, and my faith in Him. 4. The Lord desires good things for His children—The best thing for any of us is to be saved. I’ve seen those who’ve experienced an instant healing, yet they’ve forgotten the One who gave them the miracle and walked away from His blessings. I would rather be in pain, and yet still rely on His hand every day and be saved, than be healed and walk away from Him. And, who are we to decide what God will use in us to make us more like Him? We can ask for healing, but if He chooses not to heal us at that time, our faith should not be weakened, and we should not doubt His love for us. Who is to say what He can make of our lives when we can no longer rely on ourselves? 5.
The Lord has given mankind wisdom—Included in the God-given wisdom is how
to eat better, live better, and have a healthier life. Whether that means we use
medicine or simply adjust our eating habits to be healthier, we are using
God’s wisdom. There is no shame in getting help when help is needed. Too often
we treat people who need medical assistance as though they have a lack of faith.
If someone chooses to stop taking a life-giving medicine and they die, how close
to suicide does that go? And what about our accountability to God for taking
care of the 6.
What is God’s plan?—The prayer of faith shall deliver, protect,
preserve, or heal those who are faint, sick, or weary.
And yet, at the same time, Paul wrote, “My
(His) grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9), and “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for
a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”
(2 Corinthians In the example of the thyroid condition, the person who is so strongly convinced that she is healed should discuss her treatment with a good physician. She should talk over the option of weaning herself, under the doctor’s supervision, away from her medication. As her body adjusts to the lowered level of medication, the doctor will note how she’s doing. If not healed, she can still safely resume her treatment. I still believe that one day my own body will be well. Actually, I believe that I am healed already; my body just hasn’t shown it yet. But whether that healing happens here on Earth or not, I am still accountable for His temple. I still have to use wisdom and sound judgment. Using medical assistance (if I need it) doesn’t mean I am faithless. Finally, I can believe that no matter what I face, whether my body gets better or not, He knows what is best for my life and will adjust me as needed. If my being ill will be used for His glory, then I hope my faith is strong enough to ask that His will is done, so He can do what He wants to through me. Wiser in Wisconsin ninetyandnine.com © 2002, ninetyandnine.com --------- |
|
|
