When I first got sick, nearly four years ago now, I prayed and prayed for healing. I could not allow myself to believe that God would allow me to be chronically sick, so I just kept praying for Him to take it all away and restore my health. And yet, healing never came.
Jesus has all power and authority to fully heal and restore our health, but what happens when He decides not to? What happens when years, decades, or even a lifetime go by and we’re still sick?
“What happens when years, decades, or even a lifetime go by and we’re still sick? ”
I can still remember the way my heart sank the first time someone told me I needed to have more faith for God to heal me. It was so disheartening to have someone evaluate my faith simply because I was battling chronic health conditions. But here’s the truth - if we look at the lack of God’s healing in our lives as a lack of faith on our part, we will live in a constant state of disappointment and discontentment. Not to mention the whole idea of needing more faith in order to be healed isn't even Biblical. Physical healing is not a given, and we were never promised a life free from pain and sickness just because we believe in Jesus.
“The only way we can survive this life with chronic illness and still cling to our faith is to look to the truth in God’s Word and trust that God still has good plans for us no matter what our physical circumstances are.”
The only way we can survive this life with chronic illness and still cling to our faith is to look to the truth in God’s Word and trust that God still has good plans for us no matter what our physical circumstances are. One story in the Bible that proves this truth is found in the story of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-8, “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.”
While we can’t be certain that Paul was dealing with chronic illness, we know that he was desperate enough to beg God to take his “thorn” away on three separate occasions. He was weary from battling the same thing over and over again. God responded to his desperation by saying, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a).
God didn’t give the answer I’m sure Paul was hoping for. There was no immediate gratification or answer to his pleas for God to rid him of his “thorn” and restore him. Instead, God told Paul that his weakness wasn’t something to be hopeless or frustrated about at all, because He was using Paul’s weakness for good. What a comfort that is for the rest of us!
In the next few verses, we see that Paul’s entire perspective changed in light of God’s truth, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10).
If you’re anything like me, you might be thinking, how am I supposed to be glad about the pain I’m in and the symptoms I experience?
It’s not about enjoying the suffering itself, but about finding joy through it. I know that’s a heck of a lot easier said than done. In a life with so many unknowns and challenges, it can be so easy to lose sight of hope. And I certainly don’t want to negate all the hard stuff you’ve had to walk through. The fears, the symptoms, the experiences you’ve walked through, they’re all valid, friend.
“The fears, the symptoms, the experiences you’ve walked through, they’re all valid, friend. ”
I want you to know that you never have to lose faith in your full restoration. Even if you and I never experience it here on earth, heaven is our ultimate destination, and there, we have the promise of healing from all of our pain and suffering. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Ultimately, our sickness will not have the final say. God will. With that truth in mind, we can declare like David did, “My health may fail and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever” (Psalm 73:26). And we can know that the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 still holds true, “‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Written by: Dallas Bryce
Don't let her name fool you, our gal Dallas is most definitely NOT from Texas. But while she may not be a Southern belle, Dallas is one of our favorite chronically ill pals! Her food of choice is, of course, tacos. Make that tacos by the beach or lakeside, and she’s as happy as a clam! And the love of her life is a very strong tie between her husband, Jesse, and her basset hound, Buster Bluey. Dallas is one of the most genuine gals you'll ever meet, filled with a passion for her faith, family, and the people God places in her life. She's always wanted to be a writer, and man oh man, are we blessed to have her on our volunteer Writing Team!
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