The Faith to Behealed

By Ken Johnson, M.A., LPC Founder & CEO, East West Psychotherapy Associates Marietta, GA

“I’m praying that you will be healed.” “If you had greater faith, God would heal you.” “ ere must be some sin in your life that prevents God from healing you.”

These are some of the comments I’ve heard as friends, family and strangers try to understand my paralysis nine years ago. I became paralyzed from the waist down due to a medial emergency. e emergency medical team at Emory Hospital in Atlanta were able to save my life but unfortunately, I was left paralyzed. I now use a wheelchair to maneuver around my house, cook, drive a car, and work—to do everything I want to do during the day.

Being a seminary graduate and a Christian Marriage and Family counselor, I understand the importance of faith in my personal salvation story. I also see how healing can work in a person’s life. However, faith and healing are not simple or automatic.

“I’m praying you will be healed.” I get that comment a lot. People want to pray over me that I would be able to walk again. I never pass up the opportunity to have someone pray for me. It is a blessing and honor to join with someone in prayer to our heavenly Father. But don’t you think I have prayed for my own healing? Many times? I believe from the bottom of my heart that God can heal my paralysis at any time. He has not chosen to do it yet. I have accepted that. I have asked those who want to pray for my healing, “How do you know I’m not healed already?” ey stare at me for a moment before saying, “Well, you’re still paralyzed and sitting in a wheelchair.” grappling with the fact that I would never walk again. ey would ask me where my positive outlook came from, even though I was experiencing the profound loss of mobility. What an open-door God provided for me to share the love of Christ with others! I could share that my strength comes from the Lord, and I choose to trust Him. I have faith that God has a better plan in my paralysis. I was able to share that a day would come when I could walk again. Maybe not in this lifetime, but in eternity I will walk again.

What they have missed is that I have been healed, just not in the physical sense of healing my paralyzed legs. e healing is present in what God has done in my heart, my spirit. I may not walk on two legs, but God healed my heart from anger, resentment and sel shness. He continues to heal me in these things daily. He has given me a new perspective on grace and trusting Him fully in my brokenness. I have found joy during deep sorrow, strength in God to overcome my weaknesses, and a greater appreciation for the little things in life. e most important healing is in the heart.

“ ere must be some sin in your life that prevents you from being healed.” We all have sin in our lives; every one of us. We are born into sin. is is the whole reason God provided the way out of sin through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ere is no greater degree of sin that prevents physical healing. Healing comes through the grace of God. When I ask God for anything, I must trust that God will answer my prayer in the best way He sees t. I trust that God knows better than I what is best for me and His kingdom. My faith in God gives me the ability to accept my circumstances with joy amid sorrow. My life in a wheelchair is not an easy one. It is not a life that I searched for. It is the life God has given me so that I need to rely on Him for everything—both large and small. It is the power of God working through this broken body that I can truly nd joy in my circumstances.

“If you had greater faith, God would heal you.” I know most people mean well when I hear this comment. But I believe they can miss the bigger picture of what God has in mind. I have great faith that God can cause me to walk again, but I must be open to the idea that God may have a better plan for me in the short term. If I were able to walk now, and as people see me walking down a street, they may or may not notice me because I look like every other person. But when I roll down the street in my wheelchair, it catches peoples’ attention. When I am con dent and happy in my circumstances, people notice. I remember talking with hospital personnel when I was recovering from surgery. We were all

Byline:

It is through God that I have found true healing. For more information visit eastwestpsych.com or contact Ken at kjohnson@eastwestpsych.com.