Spiritual Healing

Last night I presented a sermon on Matthew 9:1-8. I focused on spiritual healing vs. physical healing. After the sermon, I was approached by a small handful of people telling me how significant the message was. It was then that I realized perhaps I need to address this to more than just the youth group.

An overview of the passage: it is about a paralytic who was carried by his friends to a gathering where Jesus was teaching. Their hope was to get their friend healed. But when they reached the house where the gathering was, they could not get in. So they dug a hole in the roof and lowered their buddy in. Seeing the faith of the friends, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." But of course the Pharisees were bitter in their hearts and secretly accused Jesus of blasphemy. Sensing this, Jesus called them out and said, "Which is easier to say: 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Get up, take your mat, and go home'? But so that you may know I have the authority to forgive sins - son, get up, take your mat, and go home." So the paralytic got up, took his mat, and went home. And God was glorified.

Now whenever I used to read this I always felt that it should be harder to heal a man of his physical ailments. "Isn't forgiveness of sins easy?" But I did not realize the significance God's forgiveness of our sins actually is.

You know, last fall I took a blow to my health. In such a short period of time I developed severe tendinitis in both hands/arms. It was so devastating, it was like hitting a brick wall. I had to drop out of massage therapy school, quit my job as a barista, stop playing guitar, and even everyday tasks like writing, cleaning, driving, putting on make up and doing my hair became very painful. I did not understand why I was going through such a thing. I prayed constantly that God would heal me physically. Eventually, I grew bitter and hopeless.

But during the time that my hands got worse and worse, something strange happened. I had to start dealing with the fact that I was getting bitter, that my heart was breaking, and that I was sick of being disappointed. And in the midst of dealing with it, I was forced to face sins, heartaches, disappointments, unforgiveness and resentment from the past - things which I'd been holding on to, and refused to deal with before. And though it was painful, I began to heal in a very spiritual way.

I had a break through one night a few months ago. I sat alone in my room and for hours upon hours I prayed through my sins that I'd not confessed, through hurts that I'd not yet forgiven (even forgiving myself), and disappointments that I held against God or others. As I worked through my spiritual ailments, a heavy burden began to lift. I knew God was mending significant wounds. And at the end of the night, I felt God placing a promise in my heart. As if He were saying, "Courtney, now I am not only going to heal you spiritually, but now I am also going to heal you physically. Keep praying for it."

Since, I have continued my journey of spiritual healing. I have grown significantly from my physical disease and have learned to rely on God in new and wonderful ways. But guess what? He's also been healing me physically! My tendinitis is nearly gone, to the point that my doctor said I may even be able to return to massage school soon. Praise God!

But you see, it was important that I realized that spiritual healing is far more significant than physical healing. We focus so much on the physical. Yet the physical will soon pass. Spiritual healing is eternal, while physical healing is only temporary. We are all going to die one day. We are all getting old and our bodies are deteriorating. In our youth we may have our physical health, but it will soon fade. Whereas our spiritual health will remain with us throughout our lives and we will reap a reward in heaven for our pursuit of godliness.

I want to challenge you that if the idea of your health deteriorating is actually quite a frightening thought to you, perhaps you need to give that to God. While physical health is important (I won't deny that, it certainly helps us to be capable of more), it can become an idol like anything else.

When you look back on your life, how will you have lived it? Will you have wasted your time and energy and heart and focus on the pursuit of physical things? Wealth, status, appearance? All of these things will die with you and never give you life. Or will you see that you pursued God, love, godliness? If you pursue God with your utmost diligence in your life, you will plant seeds of love and hope and goodness in the lives you touch, even if you never know it. You will live life to its fullest because you will know what life is truly about. As you strive to give over to God the junk in your life, you will have richer relationships, deeper love, and fully appreciation. Your needs will become simple and your heart grow more delighted in Him.

It all starts with prayer. Pray, pray, pray, pray to Him. Listen to Him speak to you. Tell Him anything and everything. Pour your heart out to Him. Prayer is the most amazing tool we have - it is direct communication with God. And though it is hard often, persevere. Persevere because He will guide your way through prayer.

I will end this blog with a verse:

"...Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, BUT godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:7b-8

Amen.