We will all require healing at various points in our lives. Whether it's the physical pain of an injury or illness or the emotional pain of a heartbreak or loss, healing is a possibility for each and every one of us. However, we must note that it's a conditional possibility in the sense that we have to meet certain criteria before we can experience it.
When we suffer from a physical or emotional injury, we seek out medicine to ease the pain, cure the ailment and restore our health. But in many cases it's not just what we put inside our body that leads to our recovery. What we bottle up inside also contributes heavily as to whether we overcome or succumb to an illness.
Have you been praying for healing but noticed that your health has not improved, perhaps even got worse? It might be that you have some underlying issues that need addressing.
Here are three questions to ask yourself:
Do you need to forgive someone?
As Christians, we should all be aware of the detrimental effects that unforgiveness can have on our spiritual and physical well-being. God's forgiveness is life-giving, while our unforgiveness is the opposite – it's life-draining. The failure to forgive others is always going to be a barrier to our healing because of this reason. Even if the physical side to our ailment subsides, we'll never have access to being fully healed until we let go of the grudge that we're holding onto.
You might have pushed the names of those you have to reconcile with to the back of your mind, but God knows they're still there. Have a think about who you could be withholding forgiveness from.
Do you believe in your heart that you can be healed?
Sometimes we proclaim things with the words we speak but deep down we have so many doubts. While voicing something can give it life, for us to honestly and wholeheartedly believe that the Lord can heal us we need to have a solid foundation of faith.
Are there gaps in your faith? If so, spending some time meditating specifically over examples when Jesus healed those who everyone else had written off and even reading or listening to testimonies of modern Christians who have been healed against the odds can help boost your belief. Don't count yourself out when it comes to healing. Remember, Jesus gave his life for you. He cares about your life here and in the hereafter.
Have you made yourself available to healing?
While it's vital that we have faith that God will bring us through, we should avoid trying to dictate what that means. For example, we need to come to a place where we can be accepting of whatever the outcome. We shut ourselves off from experiencing his restorative powers if we have a narrow-minded view of what that means.
Maybe you're viewing a physical cure as a necessary and central component to healing. Expand your understanding of what healing means so that it aligns with biblical teaching and incorporates the peace and regeneration that only God can bring.
