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Sickness
December 1, 2012

December is here and soon in the northern hemisphere, winter will officially arrive. For many this means the next few months will be filled with much colder weather, shorter days and longer nights punctuated with snow showers. Some who read this will have already experienced this as a normal part of their autumn season. During colder months, it can be easier for some to become sick, and sickness is one of the challenges faced in life as it is a normal part of the human condition. I suppose if we had bodies of perfect health that never aged we would have no need for God, so even though sickness is a challenge we face, it is a challenge that can help us see the need for God in our life. Some see sickness as a sign of sin and spiritual weakness. There are those who see reliance on medicine as a sign of weak faith toward God. Some seem to be sick all the time, while others seem to rarely be sick. I don't know how you feel when you are sick; for me I would prefer not to be sick. What does the Bible say about sickness?

Luke 5:30-32
But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Through a parable that shows he came to call sinners to repentance, Jesus showed that those who are sick might be in need of a doctor, and in doing so, sickness is acknowledged as a normal part of the human condition. This parable also suggests that just like a healthy person has no need of a doctor, a righteous person has no need to be called to repentance. What can also be learned from this passage is that using a doctor does not diminish one's faith in God, because Jesus would not have used the example of a sick person needing a doctor. The Bible also shows that sickness can direct a person to seek spiritual intervention as a cure.

James 5:14-16
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The passage from James shows that one may seek spiritual intervention in sickness, and that effectual, faithful prayers can be useful in leading to healing. Some confuse what the word effectual means confusing effect with affect. When the Bible speaks of effectual prayers, the Bible is referencing praying for a desired result. Our minds seem to work better when we focus on a result, and in ways we might not fully understand, God is able to work through us when we are focused on a result. We know sickness is a normal part of the human condition and that we can seek the assistance of doctors and the spiritual intervention of God. Doctors have received specialized education in the treatment of illness. Among Christians, there are those who have a spiritual gift of healing.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Among Christians are those who have sickness and those who through the Holy Spirit work miracles and heal. God has given us a body that can become ill as part of the human condition, and when we have sickness, we can seek out prayers of faith and healing as well as medical intervention from doctors. If you are sick while reading this, I hope you feel better soon and am willing to pray for your speedy recovery, and remember to see your doctor as needed, because when our body is healthy, it is easier to celebrate what is good, embrace what is good, and do what is good.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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