I’m in a perpetual cycle to care for self. I awoke this morning with that “you’re about to be sick” feeling. And I immediately began to pound down the immune-building herbs. I directly went about fixing, caring for and supporting my OWN body. It’s quite instinctual and habitual by nature. Rolling down that well-worn path of caring for/parenting myself. “I’ll do it, don’t worry.” “It’s the temple which God gave me, I’m supposed to care for it, right?” God HELP ME!
On a recent podcast we did, I received this comment:
Hello Mr. Enslow,
I was intrigued by your comments on trusting the Lord with your health. I was wondering if you would consider communicating some of what you are hearing from the Lord in regards to this. Whatever comes to your spirit?
About 2 years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes, a family illness, and the Lord spoke to me that health is a gift from Him not something we are in control of . . . which I realized that I arrogantly believed I was responsible for. So He has been dealing with me in this area. So just wondering if you would be willing to share . . . If not, that’s okay too . . .
Thanks,
Rebecca
I’m so grateful for any interaction that allows us to launch into further discussion of a topic. And this is one such time. I just briefly touched on an issue related to health in the podcast, but I didn’t delve deeply into the subject. Thank you, Rebecca, for giving me an additional opportunity.
In the podcast, I brought up the very thing I experienced this morning. I often attempt to maintain my body and care for it in my own strength. Basically it’s my care over trusting God’s nurture. Now I am not saying that caring for your body is wrong. This is one of those heart-issues that must be inspected by the Spirit. Yet for me, I know very specifically that I am acting out of fear rather than faith. That I’m handling it rather than relying on God, and for me this is sin!
I hate what this says of my faith! It essentially says, “I don’t trust You, God, because You’re not God, I am.” OUCH! We are to resolve every fear that feeds the belief which states that God is not God.
Here is the truth; my flesh cannot abide God being God. I’m resistant to the very fact! I might not say it, but my actions obviously reveal my inward heart in this area. At the core of all humanity, we resist His Lordship and Ownership. At my core, I am resisting Him in my health.
I’ve always been a fearful being regarding my health. “I’ll handle it” has been my motto. But as the Lord firmly puts His Fatherly hands on this issue, I’m not only seeing I cannot, but also that I MUST not. As my Lord, He is Lord of my body and He owns it—as well as my life. He has all rights to direct its care, but old habits die hard.
Just to speak to you in my lesson, God is pressing for His rights to be my caretaker. He’s looking for me to release my grip of handling it, and to rely on Him to manage it. It pushes every hot button of my fear of death. And though I’m being pressed by the Lord, I am about to be set free.
The man who doesn’t fear death is the enemy’s worst nightmare, for he’s freed from the trappings that so easily hinder us all. A man free of death, in the finished work of the cross, is truly free indeed!
[…] have two posts brewing in me: one on Obamacare, as it relates to my post “Habitual Care for Self,” and the other is a clarification on my last post, “Why Love Grows Cold.” I think the Lord […]
“…and the Lord spoke to me that health is a gift from Him not something we are in control of.”
That’s a quote that I really appreciate.
Then there are the truly ill. I knew a young lady in her thirties. She was morbid obese, had a fasting Cholesterol over 900 and a blood sugar over 400. She went to a meeting where the leader layed hands on her, prayed healing and told her she was healed. She stopped all her meds and refused to take ther ever again. She went to bed and died leaving her husband with two childred under five years old. We always need God’s wisdom of the Spirit in everything.
I hope you’ll not be offended by my bluntness, Jack, but your comment is clearly at odds with what John is saying here. God was no less sovereign over the woman you told about, and your inference seems to be that she died of stupidity. Well, maybe, but it’s completely irrelevant. God alone knew the number of her days. You assume that if she had stayed on the medicine that she’d still be alive. That’s the leap that defies God’s sovereignty – and the point of John’s post. Maybe this woman isn’t a cautionary tale, as you tell it. Maybe… Read more »
I agree with Jack that “we always need God’s wisdom in everything.” That’s so true. But you are also right, Jen. My point of view in the issue Jack brought up (which is VERY human, and we deal with that kind of challenges, at least I do), is this: THAT WOMAN should have looked for the Voice of God over her life regarding her illness. Probably deep repentance and looking for His Health for her. That could mean following medicine prescriptions… or not. Fact with his cases is we do not know the little details, and we do not know… Read more »
“The man who doesn’t fear death is the enemy’s worst nightmare, for he’s freed from the trappings that so easily hinder us all. A man free of death, in the finished work of the cross, is truly free indeed!”
Amazingly true.
So John, are you saying that I am to trust The Lord with all my heart (and health) and not lean on my own understanding? Are you saying I need to acknowledge Him in all my ways and trust that He will direct me? This sounds like Proverbs 3:5-6 to me. Hmmm.