Spiritual Value

Friday, December 4, 2009

Carrying the burden of a disabling illness is not easy. A chronic illness is one of the most difficult challenges in life. Not only can disease cause physical suffering, but it also can generate many deep personal losses. The loss of friends, family, financial stability, and the joy of participating in cherished activities that may be lost to an illness. Of the troubles that are associated with human experience, perhaps no one challenge can steal so many valued components of life as the struggle with a disabling disease.

There is another more obscure challenge of battling a disease that is rarely discussed. We live in a society that often sees those who suffer from disease of any kind as having less value than those who are healthy. This perspective is not limited to views on concrete personal value. It is also common for the spiritual health and value of those who are ill to be called into question. Is there something they may have done or thought that perhaps makes them ill? Could there be an unresolved spiritual problem at the root of their physical weakness? Do people who are ill lack faith, have an unresolved imbalance of spiritual energy, or possess a "spirit of fear"? Do they have unconfused sin in their lives that has left the door for illness open? Or are they being processed by a demon of infirmity ?

Is Health a Reward for Living the Good Life?

Many people with in the church today, feel that health is the just reward of living a good life, and illness is the punishment for one’s spiritual shortcomings. According to these views, health is a reward from God for good moral standing and spiritual achievement. A quick look at physical health in a person is often assumed to be a sufficient barometer for evaluating spiritual health as well. In other word, if a person is healthy and strong they are walking in in true spiritual health. If they are ill, they have low moral standards and are walking in sin and spiritual weakness.

This view has been around since mankind first began to seek the answers to why some people become ill or suffer misfortune, while others walk in health all their lives. Despite the fact that this conception has and still does open the door for spiritual abuse and neglect from those with in the church. The church still continues to preach the philosophy that clearly states; "Good Relationship with God, self and others is vital in living free from disease." ;"We are not going to get ill as long as we think right. "

As I battled with the reality of my own chronic illness, I found myself either accused and condemned of some of the most horrendous acts against the church, such as praying against the leadership, of being a Jezebel, or a caldron stirring witch. Or I was if the ministry was real nice, I was simple pushed to the side and treated as if I was caring some plague that might rub off. I lost count of the number of churches I was asked to either asked to leave or simple pushed out.

If this attitude was unique to one specific church or denomination, I could have shaken off the abuse and neglect that I experienced first hand. But these abusive conceptions all most destroyed me. For some where along the line, I two had come to believe that if I was more righteous , I would be health and strong. As my illness began to control my daily life, I know longer saw myself as a person of value. But more destructive than simply having low self -esteem, I began to believe that my illness was a sign that I was being punished for my evil ways.

Looking with in our own belief systems

We are often guilty of making surface judgments, even concerning ourselves whither we are ill or not. If a person is not battling chronic illness, they may find themselves unconsciously choosing to keep their distance and making blind spiritual assessments of the person in question who is battling a chronic illness. They may even find themselves coming to believe that reason they are healthy is based on their own right standing with God. In other words, they proclaim to themselves; ‘I am healthy and I did it’, instead of, ‘I am healthy, and I am blessed’.

On the other hand, should the same person become chronically ill, they might find themselves coming to believe that they have some how failed. They have failed to live up to walk in right standing with the Lord. And in doing so come to believe that ; " I am not healthy because I did something wrong." , I am not healthy because I am cursed." But is it possible that true spiritual growth can be stunted when we make such self-confident spiritual assessments?

In truth, I found my own value despite battling a chronic illness and pain. By opening up the word of God and finding what God has to say about my illness and about me as a person. Which began once I came to realize the simplicity of my faith in the Lord.