Balancing spiritual and physical matters
Ten years ago I was camped out at a motel somewhere in Iowa on my way to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I remember this because ten years ago the St. Louis Rams won the NFC title and a week later won their only Super Bowl.
This memory is significant to me because ten years ago I was told by the doctors at that clinic that unless I received a heart transplant I would be dead in six months. Not only did I not get a transplant, I didn't die either. In fact, six months after that dire prognosis, I felt better than I had in three years.
I certainly had my ups and downs physically over the next few years, but by 2004 my condition had stabilized and by 2006 and 2007 I was able to travel all over the country and never give a thought to my heart problems. I remember distinctly writing a blog in March of 2008 recognizing the ten year anniversary since my heart bypass operation in 1998.
Looking back, I see plainly that what I allowed to happen to me two years ago was a subtle change from trusting God to take care of me physically to trusting doctors, medicines, diet and exercise. However important all these things are, they have to remain in a subservient position in my life or I stray into the abyss of self sufficiency.
The last thing I expected one year ago was to even need another heart catheterization, let alone find out the woes of 1997-98 had returned. Looking back now, I see clearly what happened and am resolved to learn from my mistakes and share the principles with you for your edification.
Our walk with the Lord consists of innumerable fine lines. There are actually very few cut and dry absolutes when it comes to applying the Word of God daily in our lives. Most things that come up in this life demand the wisdom of God to do correctly. Most decisions we make are usually done WITHOUT asking God but rather expecting Him to just bless them after the fact. I think this is dangerous territory.
Perhaps nowhere is that fine line between trusting God and trusting man thinner than in matters dealing with our physical bodies. These tabernacles we live in are not perfect by any means. We have genetic problems coupled with diseases we are exposed to and injuries sustained during our lifetimes. As we grow older the wear and tear of our youth catches up with us and we find ourselves in pain or faced with medical conditions that many times are very serious.
Most believers who are involved with various deliverance ministries many times look at these physical problems as a sign of weakness in the person. They jump in with both barrels blazing trying to rid the person of doubts, fears, demons or secret sins. Sometimes this works wonderfully when indeed these things are the root cause. But, if the root cause is genetic or simply the body growing older many times the anticipated deliverance fails to materialize.
I spent nearly 15 years serving in a deliverance ministry and I certainly did my share of laying on of hands and seeing the sick recover. But, I also saw many instances where the person got sicker after being prayed for. I even saw some people die after numerous great men and women of God laid hands on them. Why did they not recover? Were they secretly sinning or a bad believer as many advocate?
The great Apostle Paul speaks of his thorn in the flesh in Corinthians. Whether this thorn was a physical affliction or the persecutions he endured we do not know. What we do know for sure is that Paul's thorn in the flesh kept him humble and kept him from trusting in himself or his personal physician Luke too much. Afflictions have a way of forcing us into a state where we either get back to totally trusting God or we tend to end up in very bad situations.
What the past year has taught me is that the only way I will enjoy good health in this life is if I couple the advice of doctors, medicines, diet and exercise with total and complete trust and obedience in God. Only doing one or the other will land me in a hospital or morgue. I think I can confidently say that the lessons I have learned could benefit most people.
The only way we can overcome the weakness of our bodies is not just through hitting the gym or eating bird food every day. It is not through just praying for good health and then eating pizza every night. It is not by saying we trust God and then running to the doctor every time something hurts. It is not being stupid and ignoring warning signs our bodies give us to alert of us critical medical situations.
From my experience, walking in fairly good health is a balancing act that demands we do the best we can to take care of ourselves and seek out qualified medical advice when needed. Yet, at the same time we must take our maladies to the Lord and lay claim to the promises of God that by the stripes of Jesus we were healed. Like most things in the Word of God it is not easy to find this balance, but trust me when I say; it can be found. Happy Hunting.
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Author: blessings2you
Location: Warrenton Missouri USA
Gender: Male
Age: 57
Blog Entries: 823 (archive)
Blog Comments: 1355
god called me to serve him when i was 16 years old while on a church work trip in new mexico in 1969. in the 40 years since; i attended bible school/leadership training, been ordained to the christian ministry and worked full time for a non-denominational ministry for nearly ten...
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in 1969 god stepped in and transformed my life as a sixteen year old teenager. after a couple of years of intense emotional ups and downs, i decided i needed a firm foundation in my life that went beyond emotional experiences. it was the decision to become involved with a...
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