Christian Living

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I am going to try to bring this topic into proper perspective. There are right and wrong teachings regarding this important subject. When I talk about healing, I am including both physical and emotional.

1) It is not God's plan to heal everyone. Consider Lazarus. Jesus let him die. Why? He had plans to demonstrate His power in an even more dramatic way by raising Lazarus from the dead. So, we must remember that God's agenda is not always the same as ours.

2) God can and still does perform miracles but often times, not in the way we expect. Even though healing sometimes takes place in a supernatural way that overrides medicine and medical procedures, we must not expect that to happen to the neglect of the medical profession. We have probably all heard stories of people, even children, who have died because of this belief.

Points 1 and 2 can lead to disappointment, bittterness and anger directed toward God. Instead, one must let God, be God.

3) There is a direct connection between the physical and the emotional/spiritual. The medical profession has come to recognize this. The Bible gives reference to it: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed." (James 5:16) This does not mean, however, that all physical illness has this link to emotional issues, but there are many cases where this is true.

4) Acknowledge your desire to be healed. Don't try to sound so spiritual that you tell people you "just want God to be glorified." I have heard this in churches. Sure, a committed Christian wants God to be glorified, but on one occassion in the Gospel accounts Jesus asked a man, "Do you want to be healed?"

Now, let's talk about forgiveness.

1) Sure, it takes time for healing to occur and there is a process which may involve many things leading up to forgiveness, but it must not be solely based upon an attitude of "I now feel like forgiving you." Ephesians 4:32 commands us to forgive, and commands are not based upon feeling but rather on an act of will that says, "I choose to forgive you." This can be very difficult. That is why it requires God's grace and strength.

2) What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness is for the benefit of the one offended so that individual does not acquire a bitter attitude.

Forgiveness is not necessarily forgetting.

Forgiveness does not mean you have to have a continued relationship with the other person.

Forgiveness is behaving like you have nothing against another person.

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