Paralyzed people are lazy. They just sit around all day; some hardly even move a muscle. I saw one that was so lazy she had a motorized car that she controlled by breathing into a straw. How bad is that, too lazy to even push a button?
That is what it sounds like to me when people equate personal healing with personal faith. I cannot remember a time when someone asked me if I believed enough that felt like a gift, but always an accusation.
The following are my answers to the person who says “if you had more faith, God would heal (or bless, give a job to, find a spouse for, etc) you”
1. It is your fault
According to scripture (perhaps my least favorite way to begin a dialogue, but I will make an exception in this case) in Mark 2, it was the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends that caused Jesus to heal. So actually if YOU had more faith I would fine.
2. I don’t want to be healed
This one works best with personal healing and jobs. Simply say “No thanks, I like things this way,” and the conversation will end abruptly.
3. My faith is growing, not shrinking
No one likes to think about this one, but it seems the scriptures often equate faith with endurance, the ability to love and believe God in the midst of hard times. The problem is this gift, as it is called in James, is given only to those who suffer. Thus, if I were healed I would lose the training that suffering provides.
4. It takes more faith to not be healed
Which is harder, to believe I am loved by and special to God when He gives me what I want when I want it, or to not have what I want and still believe? The ones with the strongest faith believe in the relentless love of God in the midst of evidence to do otherwise.
5. I don’t believe this time
This may sound strange, but I don’t think God always does want to heal and I do not want to pester Him. When my children were little and asked why their sibling got something they did not, I would always say “because I love them more”. It was an mplication, and since I was never able to give a satisfactory answer I just gave up and owned the accusation.
Nothing will adequately soothe the wound, often by well-intentioned friends, of the accusation of lack of faith. It stings, but if it is especially painful feel free to reply, “yea, and paralyzed folks are lazy.”
I suppose inversely that would also mean wealthy folks are the hardest working folks around as well, right? Wrong… :0)
And so the Most faithful are the most blessed…. LOL, and I have at least one very good friend who is the most faithful person anyone will find, and yet his life is plagued with physical pain, financial strain, and suffering not of his own making.
Karl, this was just plain good thinking… Thanks for bringing this up– good reminder not to be believing everything I think when some of my good-intentioned friends begin giving me the “gotta have more faith” shame talk…
Thanks.
did you read my mind? thanks for sharing, really, really good. the best line: “I cannot remember a time when someone asked me if I believed enough that felt like a gift, but always an accusation.” the feeling that i’m always left with in that moment is never a good one.
Karl, what a great way to approach this issue. I appreciate the way you have helped me to have some excellent responses to people lacking His perspective. Thanks for sharing these insights.
Wow, Karl. Wow. Thanks.
Richard
I forgot to make the Refuge Blog a priority, and in so doing have missed the chance to sit across the room from you and hear the word pictures you so easily draw. I hear your voice in this, Karl, the simple way you serve up truth and help us to see others, and too often, ourselves. I love and miss you my brother. XO ~Deb