Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. (Psalm 30:2)
How have you defined healing when you feel you or someone else missed out on healing?
How have you defined healing when you’ve experienced it (yourself or someone else)?
How might your expectations of healing affect the healing itself?
Healing can be instantaneous but it is more often a season. Even when we see Jesus healing someone in the New Testament, we must recognize that the healing process involves more than a one-time act. In many cases, people had been seeking healing for years. People had been crying out to God or trying a myriad of remedies. People had struggled with pain, isolation, and loss. All of those details are part of the healing process, too, not to mention the adjustment that happens after the moment of healing. Sure, people celebrate, but their lives are changed. Their relationships change. Their routines change. Their faith changes.
Do we pursue healing? Perhaps the better question is, “Do we pursue healing well?” Does our pursuit involve preparation—not just for a preconceived notion or timeframe for healing but for whatever God wants to do through our growth and struggle? Are we well prepared to handle whatever will happen? Do we have strict guidelines of what outcomes will be good or bad, or do we trust God to rework, define, and infuse purpose into the process? Do we claim “God heard my prayers” only when we get what we want?
Healing is not equivalent to having everything turn out the way we want. Healing involves God working in our lives to mend as He knows gives us an opportunity to grow closer to Him. Healing involves His purposing of all things according to His ways while working in the messy world that’s, for now, full of pain, consequences, and sin. If we want to see healing as He sees it, we have to set ourselves and our assumptions and desires aside. We may not get everything we want, but if we want Him more than anything, we’ll get what He wants and knows is best, which is better than anything we could dream up.
Reach out and encourage someone who needs physical, spiritual, or emotional healing today. Refrain from trying to give them all the answers or advice. Refuse to give isolated verses or sayings that are either pulled out of context or might end up making the person feel as if they have done something wrong or have too little faith. It happens often even with our best intentions. Instead, simply encourage with love. If you know a small gift or act of service the person would appreciate, add that as encouragement as well.