Strange things are said about physical affliction. People are always trying to run away from pain. However, God has a bigger plan with affliction in which we should not be afraid. He speaks of it all throughout the Bible. A reading in context will show you that you do not need to run from it. Let us be slow to speak about these things unless it is for encouragement or love through listening and caring for the weak.
As I have suffered over the past fourteen years with my own personal health affliction, these are some common things I have heard.
1-But you are such a good person, why would this happen to you?
First, I am not good. There is no one good except Jesus Christ.
Mark 10:18 states it this way, "So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. "
Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
2-You do so much for God, why is He allowing suffering?
Suffering should be no surprise for the believer. If you are a Bible reading Christian you know this is not true. No one is immune to suffering, just follow the life of Christ or Paul as two examples.
First Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
1 Peter 4:12-13 states, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
3-You must have some hidden sin in your life you need to confess.
Honestly this one just makes my blood boil. We all have sin we need to confess. We all sin, all the time, the harshness I had in tone toward my children, yep that is sin. The choice I made for me-time over listening to my husband venting about his day, yep that is sin. Any thought word or deed that is not loving is sin. We all sin, all the time, yet we try to justify "little sins." But no sin is little, Jesus had to die for them all! That should be enough for us to worship. And we cannot look down on those who suffer as if it is their fault. God is in control and we must trust His plan even in affliction.
Romans 3:10 states, "There is no one righteous, not even one."
4-You just don't have enough faith to be healed.
This again, is a crazy statement because I do not believe many would chose pain or sickness. This statement is a slap in their face. First, you are denying God's work in their life through suffering. Second, if I could just wish or believe myself well, don't you think I would? But God has a bigger plan through suffering which is to make us more and more like Him as we die more and more to our selves. And the heroes of faith from Hebrews 11 did not even get to see what they hoped for. Healing is not always health. Christ has bigger things in store. The only way that Jesus can increase is for us to decrease and only trial can cause us to decrease.
Hebrews 11:39, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."
John 12:24, "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
One lady told me she is waiting for her healing to come when a healer visits her church. Her entire hope is in this visitor. Oh that we would not be deceived by this. If God sees it fit for us to suffer the rest of our lives may we cherish His beauty over anything He could give. May our hope be in Him not what He can do or give. May the end of our joy be in relationship with Him not in healing. Now, He can heal and does heal but that is not the focus. The focus is Him and being more like Him.
This life, this story we are living, is not about you! You are guaranteed nothing but given everything in Christ! This should make us become the most thankful people no matter our circumstances.
God is sovereign. God is good. God is in control. Jesus took it all. Our home is Heaven. We are only on pilgrimage toward home, this is not the place to be most comfortable. Jesus is the end of all things.
The supreme goal is Christ glorified and magnified. Stop living for comfort, and prosperity Christian. Live to die for it is only in dying that you can truly live.
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