Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT
The core of the Gospel is 100% true 100% of the time. Jesus is the King. He saves us when we put our faith in Him and follow Him, making our full allegiance to Him as our forever King.
But there are some principles of wisdom in the Bible that are not universal promises of God. We have to trust God with our individual situations. For instance, the entire book of Proverbs has principles that are guidance for living life wisely but are not guarantees. For instance, “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1) doesn’t always “work.” You can be gentle and kind, and an angry person may get angrier. Proverbs 10:27 says, “Fear of the LORD lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.” We all know that a relationship with God profoundly helps us, but we also know people who are very saintly and close to God who have died young while some who are the epitome of evil seem to live forever.
That is also true of some of the things connected to health. I have a rare autoimmune disease which has varying degrees of disability, depending on my environment and diverse circumstances. When I was diagnosed, I received an anonymous, very ugly letter, quoting Scriptures, telling me my illness was God’s punishment for my many sins (including being a woman pastor). The author said my “agonized prayers to God for healing” (which there was never a single one – I trust Him with my life) would not be heard, and my incurable illness would stand as testimony to God’s displeasure.
Now, I hope no one has been that harsh with you if you are not able to be “healthy” in the ideal description. But perhaps you have felt angst over the fact that there is no way for you to reach the standard as it was before sin came into the world. Here’s good news! Our God takes special notice of people like you and me, AND the apostle Paul. Paul tells us from his own experience with his “thorn in the flesh” that God pays special attention to us and even directs His grace to us with special power that works best in weakness. We are especially loved and noticed.
God treasures you. Your “perfect health status” comes from you doing the best you can with what you have, and trusting Jesus with the rest. He loves you and sees your effort as more than enough.
- Trust Jesus. Lean on His grace. Do all you can and then leave the results to Him.