I was recently having a discussion with a friend about certain churches teaching very poor doctrine. We talked about Word of Faith teachers, faith healers, and the root of why the modern church is so enamored by it.
If you’re here reading this, and you’re involved in a church (or listen to a preacher) who teaches that it’s God’s will that everyone be healed, and that you just have to receive it- please understand that I desperately want this to be true, but it’s not biblical.
There will always be people who defend these preachers, mostly because they accept their word over the Bible and sound doctrine. (People who do this, by definition, belong to a cult.) People want insta-faith healing and prosperity to be true. But God’s will isn’t a toy that we can manipulate.
There are plenty of websites out there that can rip apart the Prosperity Gospel with scripture all day long. Just do a search. One of my favorite teachers who calls out these charlatans is Mike Winger. You can check out his Youtube channel here.
But really, if we expose Prosperity (aka “Health and Wealth”) preachers, there will be a dozen more that pop up in their place. To fix the problem, you need to expose the root of the sickness- because it’s obvious people who want to believe it will flock to it.
The root of the problem is that we are Earthly minded creatures. We live in our physical bodies every day. We face our worldly circumstances every day. We hurt. We suffer. We are witnesses to injustice.
The truth is: we want healing now because we’re not focused on where we’re going later. However, we are (to quote Paul) not citizens of this world. Even Jesus himself said “My kingdom is not of this world.” And when we believe that God wants us to be filthy rich and healthy here and now, we’re missing the point. Jesus never promised us that. I even remember him saying something about “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” – Matt 26:11
This Earth is not my home. I’m only here temporarily. I’m not going to settle in and fight for a cushy comfortable life here, when it won’t be long before I’m moving on to a better place.
In comparison to Heaven, where we are now is just a cardboard box of a dwelling place. These sick bodies? Made from the dust. They are not glorified bodies yet. I am not looking for living “Your Better Life Now.”
Does that mean I shouldn’t pray for healing? Of course not. We should always pray for healing, in faith, and according to God’s will.
But God’s will sometimes is that we suffer through it to bring us closer to Him. See Paul’s struggle with this in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. How does Paul justify God not healing him?
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
I am living God’s will for my life now, in preparation of my final home. I’m trying not to focus on my temporary living arrangements here on Earth.
I will boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ himself will rest on me.
When God’s power moves through someone who is weak, it glorifies God, not that person.
His power is made perfect in weakness.
God’s grace is sufficient for you.