If I aim my faith at the character of God— his goodness, wisdom, and lovingness— I’ll receive whatever I need to get well or be able to suffer well.
When I’m not sure if I should be contending for a healing miracle or pleading for grace to endure my malady, it helps me when I focus my attention on how good God is, how wise are his judgments, and how reliable is his track record. That way my confidence is in him instead of in a certain outcome. Then it’s more about trust in his Person than working a formula in order to get what I want. Faith isn’t a tool to help me get what I want, but a story about our friendship.
I don’t know what God is going to do, but I do know that he knows what he’s doing. My faith in him isn’t so utilitarian; it’s how I relate to him. Whether or not I get healed, I trust him in a way that I didn’t before. I enjoy him immensely and feel closer to him than ever.
– Originally published in The Other End of the Dark: A Memoir About Divorce, Cancer, and Things God Does Anyway (the profits of which go to Freedom House).
barney wiget 