Why Am I Sick? (Part 4)

Why Am I Sick? (Part 4) – October 24, 2014

We’ve been talking about a new way of thinking and looking at why you may be sick. If God’s Word is true—and it is—then you can expect to walk through this valley of sickness and back into health if you learn and follow His truths.

Let’s talk principles. Does God raise your children for you? No, yet He created the miracle of conception and birth. And when your children are grown don’t you want them to take responsibility to clean up after themselves, feed themselves, pay their own bills and manage their relationships?

God doesn’t change. God’s principles don’t change. Truth doesn’t change. The only reason you want God to bail you out of your situation is because you don’t know what to do. I get that. Not knowing what to do is scary and leaves us feeling vulnerable. But God wants you to know His truth so that you can grow up and take more responsibility. This blog and my book “Life, Cancer and God” are great stepping stones toward walking out of paralyzing fear into faith and health.

Maybe no one has ever explained how your body works. Maybe no one has ever told you that you can fix your health. But you CAN FIX your health and you CAN LEARN how your body works. Isn’t a long healthy life worth some effort?

God created you and gave you a body designed to stay healthy. Now it’s up to you to manage that body so it keeps working. If you haven’t been managing your health or don’t know how, and are now sick, then you need to realize that you can make yourself healthy again. Isn’t that great news! I think so. Now keep going on your new journey of discovery.

Why Am I Sick? (Part 3)

Why Am I Sick? (Part 3) – September 12, 2014

God made you with a perfect “corrector” built into your body—your miraculous immune system. He gave you an amazing body—now it’s up to you to manage it correctly.

I’m certainly not saying that He can’t rescue you… supernaturally heal you, if you are standing in faith and doing things according to His Word—I’ve experienced that personally. But more often, I’ve seen God NOT rescue, but encourage growth and understanding His ways—in order to bring a permanent solution.

I believe that if God had miraculously healed me of cancer 17 years ago, I would not have learned what I needed to learn or changed what I needed to change to stay cancer-free. In time I would have gotten cancer all over again because I would not have changed the behavior that caused cancer in my body in the first place. And the next time I would have probably died waiting for God to zap me again. Praise God He was faithful to lead me into truth and provide me with a solution, and I was faithful enough to search and find it.

The majority of times I have faced a health trial, God has held me responsible to change things that were in error. He wanted me to grow in my understanding in order to receive my health back. It’s true I may not have gone through what you’re going through, but at different times I have battled: severe migraines, advanced cancer, three strokes, and crippling sciatica. Each of these battles have pushed me to pray and believe for healing (because I absolutely believe in healing) and then I learn… learn… learn.

God is faithful. He has always been faithful if I use the body—soul—spirit approach. I shore up these three parts of me—and my health always eventually returns and my battle is successfully won. (Just so it’s clear… I don’t deal with any of these health issues any longer—praise the Lord! And I was healed without surgery or drugs.)

When I learn the truth and walk in it, I am set free. But I have to partner with God and fulfill my responsibility. That’s generally how God works!

Yes, there are always healing testimonies to point to. I believe most of them are genuine, but they are still the minority. Why not join the majority? I always pray for God to heal me… and I believe that God will always bring healing if I do all I can and trust Him with whatever I cannot do.

I’m hoping to help you change some possible false beliefs. Hopefully you have already renewed your mind with the Word of God but in case you need a refresher, or in case this is the first time you’ve heard this type of teaching, please open your heart and mind to this new direction. It could make the difference between your life or death.

(To be continued in Part 4)

Why Am I Sick? (Part 2)

Why Am I Sick? (Part 2) – August 13, 2014

Let’s continue our talk about where God fits into your health issue. This is a long one—but very important in understanding how to get well.

First, let me lay some ground work: God is good. He wants you well. He heals. He answers prayer. He leads you into truth. His word is truth.

Do you agree with these statements? I believe all these things. But often there is still a lack of understanding about God and His word that leaves you vulnerable to not receiving healing. I see it over and over. Good people praying… good people standing in faith… good people letting the doctor tell them what they should and shouldn’t do… good people dying. I’m sure you’ve seen the same thing and that has you concerned… maybe even panicked. But, do not fear… there are answers. 

I’d like to focus on some scriptures for a moment that play into the scenario of healing. They are foundational so that we have something to build upon. Remember we deal with the body, soul and spirit. It is required that we address each of these areas to truly walk in health. This blog is primarily dealing with the spirit and the body. 

First, a scripture that is seldom discussed, is found in Psalms 119:160. This is a pivotal principle to understanding God and His Word accurately. It states, “The sum of Your Word is truth [the total of the full meaning of all Your individual precepts]...” (AMP)

In John 17:17 it says, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”  AMP

Okay, if we know that God’s Word is the truth, and that we need to take all (or the sum total) of His Word into account—not just the verses that we like and that tell us what we want to hear—but all of them in order to have the truth, now we have a strong scriptural starting place.

Let’s use an analogy of two guys sitting in a boat on a lake—John and Jack. It’s a lovely day and they are happily fishing while enjoying the sunshine. John just came from playing a game of golf and Jack just came from playing baseball. How could life get much better? Unfortunately, both men have on shoes with cleats on the bottom which keep punching little holes in the bottom of the boat every time one of them stands up. They don’t realize the damage they are doing but water begins to seep through the little holes into the bottom of the boat. At first it’s just a nuisance but eventually John begins to wonder where the water is coming from. He quits looking at the sunshine and starts investigating the boat.

But then he hooks a fish and is back to laughing and focused on how to land this nice catch. He stands up and moves around the boat to get into a better position making more holes in the bottom of the boat. Jack moves over to balance out the weight and with each step makes more holes in the boat. By the time the fish is landed both men are wondering why and how the water is getting so deep. They now realize something is wrong but don’t know what’s allowing all the water into the boat.

Not to belabor this story…. In summary, these men were enjoying their lives, not realizing they were the ones causing their boat to fill with water. Now that the problem can’t be ignored, they desperately started bailing water. But the water is getting higher and the boat is beginning to sink… they begin to pray, asking God to stop the water from sinking the boat.

By not understanding what was causing the problem and not fixing the root issue, with every step they took, they made their situation worse until the boat eventually sank.

That rough and inadequate analogy describes what we often do when we become sick. We ignore it as long as possible—busy with life, then when it cannot be ignored any longer we run to the doctor and find out what’s wrong. If we’re diagnosed with a disease like cancer, then we run to church to have people pray. In panicked desperation, we may even drop to our knees and ask God to heal us. While all the while we continue eating the same way, living the same way, doing the same things, hoping the doctor will fix us or that God will heal us. Does that sound familiar?

What we have failed to realize is that we are the one making our self sick—by what we eat, drink, how we deal with stress and our lifestyle. If we don’t change what’s causing the problem in the first place, why would we expect God to rescue us? If you are violating His design and His guidelines for living… if He zaps you well… in time you’ll just get sick all over again. Because you never discovered what is really making you well. And all the doctors do is treat symptoms of disease—they don’t deal with the root cause.

God is urging you to change the way you live so that you come into harmony with the body as He designed it to function. If you do that you will get well. You made yourself sick over time, one day after another. Now you can make yourself well over time, day by day. It is a process.

Why Am I Sick? (Part 1)

Why Am I Sick? (Part 1) – July 30, 2014

Is this a question you’re asking yourself… or maybe asking God? I realize how frustrating it can be to find yourself sick, depressed, overwhelmed and not knowing what to do. It can wear you out!

If you don’t understand the basics of how your body works, it’s easy to feel like you’ve been hijacked when disease is discovered. When your body turns against you, threatening your well-being—maybe even your life—you’re left feeling out of control.

Understanding your body and your health is a lot like understanding what makes your car go. If no one ever teaches you about your car’s need for fuel in the gas tank, oil in the oil reservoir, water in the radiator, and a battery that has a charge… it’s likely your car will break down and you will be unable to make it run.

Back to your body. Our bodies are wondrously made—but it is still possible to understand them. Yes, it takes time and focus… and some truthful education, but you can bring your body back to health—much like an auto mechanic can bring a broken down car back to life.

Many people don’t realize that they not only have the ability to manage their own health but it’s their responsibility. You actually control your health… at least you should. Not your doctor, not the pharmacist… you!

Ignorance is not a valid excuse. God is more than willing to help you learn what you need to learn. I am willing to help you too. If you really want to get well, start by accepting all responsibility for your health. If you won’t do that then there’s not much chance of you getting well… and there’s NO chance of you staying well!

We live in a society where we have been trained to shift accountability to someone else… even to God—especially in the area of health.  Just because you’ve been taught some things doesn’t mean you’ve been taught all the things that you need to know in order to overcome your current difficulty. God wants you to seek and understand Him and His ways. As you allow Him to lead you into truth, you will find the answers you need, in order to experience the benefits He has provided for you… healing being one of those benefits.

(Part 2 next week)