I’m anxious to share what’s on my heart this week!
Last week, I offered a few questions regarding health-care for the purpose of “getting your juices flowing.” As we begin to gather our thoughts about and responses to these questions, I believe it is important that those of us who are professing Christians evaluate our typical reactions to health concerns. I have found that one or a combination of the following is our most common first response:
1) Medication / professional health-care
2) prayer / anointing oil for physical healing
I find it interesting that most Christians will take steps toward quick relief from illness before they even consider asking God to show them why they are experiencing it. I wonder why? Do we assume God desires for us to be quickly relieved of the distress regardless of whether or not our life-style and/or spiritual condition might be responsible for the illness in the first place?
Perhaps our first response to illness should not be:
“This requires medical attention” or
“this requires divine healing”: but rather ,
"this requires the wisdom and guidance of God!”
Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. As the Great Physician, God can and sometimes does use the caring hands of physicians, the amazing properties of health remedies or even an instantaneous, miraculous answer to prayer to bring healing. However, just because God is capable of and sometimes does use these methods this does not mean that we should expect them to be His answers in all circumstances.
For example, have you ever considered that God may have life-saving insights which He desires to reveal if only we would reach toward Him for wisdom instead of quick relief? If we were to ask Him for insight, it is very possible He would reveal that our illness is related to such things as:
· poor diet
· stress
· chemicals in our home
· spiritual weakness (i.e. unforgiveness or unrepentance)
A few years ago, I experienced health problems which became so severe that I had difficulty raising my arms above my head. Ongoing general discomfort prevented adequate sleep. Doing the simplest task for a few brief moments resulted in exhaustion and reading even average sized print required a magnifying glass. Most alarming was that my memory became so foggy that I was unable to keep even the simple steps of a recipe organized in my mind. I was frightened and knew I needed help.
I could seek “professional health-care.” I could request prayer and anointing for physical healing. I could request God’s presence in the suffering, recognizing that it may be only here that the necessary physical and spiritual changes will transpire. What should I choose?
Could it be that God’s response to our illness is based on a panoramic view which we do not have? Could it be that offering physical healing is not His greatest concern for us, but spiritual healing is? Could it be that in His wisdom, He uses that which we suffer to lead us into the spiritual fullness which He so desires for us? If so, isn’t it essential to seek His wisdom and guidance prior to pursuing any particular course of action?
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
Last week, I offered a few questions regarding health-care for the purpose of “getting your juices flowing.” As we begin to gather our thoughts about and responses to these questions, I believe it is important that those of us who are professing Christians evaluate our typical reactions to health concerns. I have found that one or a combination of the following is our most common first response:
1) Medication / professional health-care
2) prayer / anointing oil for physical healing
I find it interesting that most Christians will take steps toward quick relief from illness before they even consider asking God to show them why they are experiencing it. I wonder why? Do we assume God desires for us to be quickly relieved of the distress regardless of whether or not our life-style and/or spiritual condition might be responsible for the illness in the first place?
Perhaps our first response to illness should not be:
“This requires medical attention” or
“this requires divine healing”: but rather ,
"this requires the wisdom and guidance of God!”
Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. As the Great Physician, God can and sometimes does use the caring hands of physicians, the amazing properties of health remedies or even an instantaneous, miraculous answer to prayer to bring healing. However, just because God is capable of and sometimes does use these methods this does not mean that we should expect them to be His answers in all circumstances.
For example, have you ever considered that God may have life-saving insights which He desires to reveal if only we would reach toward Him for wisdom instead of quick relief? If we were to ask Him for insight, it is very possible He would reveal that our illness is related to such things as:
· poor diet
· stress
· chemicals in our home
· spiritual weakness (i.e. unforgiveness or unrepentance)
A few years ago, I experienced health problems which became so severe that I had difficulty raising my arms above my head. Ongoing general discomfort prevented adequate sleep. Doing the simplest task for a few brief moments resulted in exhaustion and reading even average sized print required a magnifying glass. Most alarming was that my memory became so foggy that I was unable to keep even the simple steps of a recipe organized in my mind. I was frightened and knew I needed help.
I could seek “professional health-care.” I could request prayer and anointing for physical healing. I could request God’s presence in the suffering, recognizing that it may be only here that the necessary physical and spiritual changes will transpire. What should I choose?
Could it be that God’s response to our illness is based on a panoramic view which we do not have? Could it be that offering physical healing is not His greatest concern for us, but spiritual healing is? Could it be that in His wisdom, He uses that which we suffer to lead us into the spiritual fullness which He so desires for us? If so, isn’t it essential to seek His wisdom and guidance prior to pursuing any particular course of action?
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
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This is an interesting topic. My initial response when I read this consisted of a few questions:
ReplyDelete1) Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? If you're in physical distress/severe pain, should you stop and first seek His wisdom and guidance before pursuing a course of action? In some cases, this could be dangerous, i.e. appendicitis. I would think for a medical professional there is a bit more insight into illnesses that would provide guidance as to whether or not immediate action needs taken for the sake of a persons life. How does that fit for the average individual?
2) Do you also apply this to mental illness?
3) In asking if it is possible that offering physical healing is not His greatest concern for us, do you believe that He chooses for some of us to live with physical suffering indefinitely? Or, do you believe that once He takes us to the next spiritual level, that we will find healing or rather just learn to live with the physical suffering as part of His plan?
4) If we do not seek Him and allow Him to lead us into the spiritual fulfillment He desires for us, will He then continue to let us suffer or isn't it possible that God of mercy and love will, by His grace, relieve the suffering of his children?
5) Does this suffering come from God or is it of satan and God merely uses it for His plan?
I know I have posted a lot of questions, but there is a lot to think about.
Speaking from my vantage point of working in healthcare for over 30 years, I have seen many, many people suffering with both acute and chronic disease. The most interesting thing I have seen is the response of different people to the same disease. I have worked with many cancer patients suffering from chronic pain and horrible side effects to their treatment. Some have been bitter, depressed and angry. Others have used their disease to grow and become a new being.
ReplyDeleteSo much of the disease we see is produced from a sinnful world. So when you ask if suffering comes from Satan, I would say suffering comes from the sinnful world in which we live. Does God use this suffering for his plan and glory - absolutely. It has been an honor to be able to walk side by side with these suffering people and extend compassion for the pain which only they can understand. I agree our "healthcare system" is broken. Please know though, that there are dedicated healthcare providers out there though that have given their lives to relieve as much suffering as possible and sometimes just to be able to be there when no one else can be. I could go on and on, but I would probably ramble.