The purpose of this article is to probe a little further into the following assumption(s):
- “It is wrong to infer that godly men and women may have a disease due to personal sin, fear, or unbelief.
- To suggest that such godly people are sick because of fear, anxiety, unbelief, or sin is grossly insensitive, ungracious, unloving, and condemning.
- We can’t say that fear or sin can be behind a person’s sickness, for some of the most dedicated, holy, surrendered, faithful, sincere, sacrificial, righteous, and godly men and women are sick with disease [or some other infirmity, illness, weakness, handicap, injury, etc.]
- (We live in a broken world. We’ll never know why a certain person has a disease, and that’s not for us to understand such mysteries until we die and get to heaven.)”
Of a fact, there are incredible heroes of the faith and godly men and women today who have a disease. For biblical examples of past heroes of the faith who had sickness, just look at Job, Hezekiah (2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38), David (Psalm 38), Elisha (2 Kings 13:14), Lazarus (John 11), another Lazarus (Luke 16:19ff), Tabitha (Acts 9:36ff), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:26-27), Timothy (1 Timothy 5:22-23), etc.
Is it possible that even the most godly people still have moments of doubt or struggle with unbelief, fear, or some sin that so easily entangles (see Ephesians 6:12; Hebrews 12:1; 1 John 2:1-2)? Yes, certainly.
But, come on. Doesn’t everybody struggle with just a little fear or unbelief at some point in some area of their lives? Isn’t it a bit insensitive or extreme to believe that fear, anxiety, stress, timidity, or doubt could compromise a person’s immune system and/or produce a disease? What an insult to these very godly men and women to suggest something like that! (I am making a human argument and shall address such claims and strong feelings).
If we may circle back to the original assumption(s)…
Assumption: “I know some very godly people who trust God like no other, but they still have a disease and God has not healed them. Therefore healing is not for today and/or it is not part of the atonement (the provisions made available to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection). To suggest that they are sick because of sin is false, wrong, accusatory, insensitive, guilt-heaping, unloving, and improper. [It could be that they don’t need to change a thing in the way they view God, think, or live.]”
Let us examine those assumptions. Are they valid? How about the premise of the first sentence that that many godly people still get sick? As was previously established, certainly this is true, for even the most godly and righteous people in the Bible also got sick with disease or illness, just as they do today.
What are some other considerations for this matter?
- Even the most godly and righteous people still need to be made whole in some area of their lives.
- Even the most godly people still experience trauma and brokenness that needs to be “worked through,” addressed, and/or healed.
- Even the most godly people still need to grow up into Christ and to become more like Him.
- For which of us can say that we’ve already “arrived spiritually” and have no more brokenness?
- Which of us can say that we have no more need to repent (to change the way we think or live in any area of our lives or in our relationships with God, self, and others)?
- Even the most godly people are sometimes still affected by sin, struggle with sin, and/or face pockets of unbelief, pride, self-pity, guilt, shame, anxiety, and/or fear.
- Fear, guilt, shame, anxiety, accusation, bitterness, chronic grief or sadness, unforgiveness, envy, slander, and other such thoughts and emotions will still compromise the human immune system, no matter how godly the person is otherwise.
- A broken spirit dries up the bone marrow, no matter how godly that person may be. (See Proverbs 17:22)
- We never outgrow our need for the gospel (the good news of God that refreshes the bone marrow, see Proverbs 15:30).
- We never outgrow our need for God’s love to continually perfect (mature or complete) us and to make us whole, no matter how godly we might be.
Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. 23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
–1 Timothy 5:22-23 NASB1995
Even a very godly man like Timothy had to be admonished by Paul to keep himself pure and to not take part in the sins of others. The very next verse infers that Timothy had digestive issues and/or “frequent ailments” that required “a little wine.”
Just as even the most godly people are not immune to temptation, pride, unbelief, fear, anxiety, timidity, or sin, so also even the most godly people are not immune to sickness or disease if that temptation to fear, guilt, or shame gets a foothold. See 1 Corinthians 10:6-20; Ephesians 4:20-32; Mark 7:20-23.
This all begs the question, how then do we respond to the godly people who struggle with disease or sickness? How can we experience the gospel (good news of God) today in the way that we need to?
How do we overcome fear, guilt, shame, despondency, unbelief, and/or the sin that so easily entangles and that can even wear down our bodies physically?
The following is a suggested prayer for wisdom as one continues their walk with God on this healing journey:
Father,
I thank You for saving me from my sins and for giving me eternal life through the gift of Your Son [see John 3:16; Psalm 100:4]. Thank You for being the God who forgives all my iniquity and who heals all my diseases [see Psalms 103:3]. Your very great and precious promises will come to pass in my life as I learn to trust and obey You [see 2 Peter 1:2-4; Hebrews 6:9-12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6].
You said that if I will ask You for wisdom, then You will give it to me generously without reproach; You simply require that I believe that You are who You say You are without doubting Your character [see James 1:5-8]. So I ask You to help my unbelief; thank You for giving me the wisdom to know what You are telling me to do [see Mark 9:24; Romans 4:19-21; Colossians 1:9].
I praise you that as I remain connected to the promises of Your Word, then I shall know the truth, and the truth shall make me free [see John 8:31-32]. As I believe the good news about who You are and what You have done, then the joy that fills my heart will work wonders in my bone marrow, immune system, and physical body. [see Proverbs 15:30; 16:24; 17:22].
I praise You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made [see Psalm 139:14]. You created my immune system to destroy every disease and sickness when I learn to receive your perfect love that casts out all fear, worry, and anxiety [see 1 John 4:18].
I thank You that as You teach me through Your Word what it means to fear You and to turn away from evil, then Your gracious words will be healing to my body and marrow to my bones [see Proverbs 3:7-8; 4:20-22].
I humble myself before You and thank You in advance for teaching me what it looks like to cast all my anxieties upon You, for You care for me [see 1 Peter 5:6-11]. I praise You for being my perfect Father and trust You to reveal Yourself to me, dispelling all the lies and false ways that have kept me from living with You as my Source.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” [Psalm 139:23-24 NASB1995]
Amen!
For more presentations of the “good news” that we need to change us from the inside-out, see “Four Spiritual Laws for Healing a Broken Heart.”