I’ve realized that a lot of times when I’m trying to make sense out of situations in my life writing it down helps me unscramble all the pieces. So, welcome to my therapy session! Some areas in my life that I’ve struggled to find balance and direction with are trials, tribulations, and discipline. At first glance, they may all seem the same, but I think there are some very big differences.

Trials ~ I used to look at trials and tribulations as the same thing but in the Bible, the word trial is translated as temptation or testing. 1 Peter 1:6 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,” So trials refer to the everyday things we face as a result of living in a fallen and broken world. 

Tribulation ~ Persecution is another word that goes hand in hand with this. When the Bible uses these words, it’s usually having to do with a direct response to us living our faith. For example, Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” A feel-good verse to brighten your day today.

Discipline ~ It seems like such a harsh word, but it’s translated correction or instruction. Proverbs 3:12 “For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” My pastor used to say that you can’t say you’re suffering trials or tribulations for stupid decisions, that’s just correction. For example, if you’re speeding and get a ticket, that’s not a trial, (something out of your control) or tribulation, (he didn’t stop you because you were proclaiming Christ) but discipline for a bad decision. 

I’ve been wrestling with the ideas and teachings on healing. Hang with me here for a second and I’ll try to tie this all together. If you don’t know my story, I’ve struggled with health issues my whole life. In the last decade I found out I have multiple genetic conditions. My family, friends, and I have prayed for healing for years. Over the years I’ve been confronted with lots of advice from the two main camps on suffering and healing. The first group believes that suffering and sin are directly linked. If you have pain in your life, it’s because there’s sin, if you confess then you’ll be healed. The second is if you have enough faith then you’ll be healed, lack of faith equals no healing. The issue I have with both of these is that it’s sold as the magical cure-all to assure healing, and if you don’t get healed…well that’s your fault. I agree that sin or a lack of faith can hinder healing but it’s not the pat answer to all prayers for healing. I’d like to add one reason that neither camp likes to claim. Sometimes God says “No” to the physical healing.

There are all sorts of stories of healing in the Bible, one of my favorites is found in John 9. There’s a man who was born blind and the disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned? This man or his parents that he was born blind?” Now this question intrigues me because I’d like to know how a baby in the womb can sin. Regardless Jesus replies, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” Then Jesus proceeded to spit in the dirt and make mud to put on this man’s eyes to heal him. He had lived his whole life in darkness because God had a plan for him. Not because he sinned or didn’t have enough faith. In fact, he didn’t even ask Jesus to heal him, but he was part of God’s plan to reveal Himself to us. 

Before Paul started following Christ, he persecuted and killed Christians, thinking the whole time that he was serving God. Christ blinded him and told Paul that He was in reality fighting against God, not for Him. He accepted this correction and God restored his vision. In all the letters Paul wrote, he never even discusses this event. He did however talk about a “thorn in his flesh” that God refused to heal him from. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

Paul experienced different forms of suffering. He was blinded and then healed (correction), he was persecuted for teaching the words of Christ (tribulation), and he had a thorn in his flesh (trials). 

My genetic conditions are not due to any sin in my life, or a lack of faith, it’s a result of living in this fallen and broken world and for the time being, God has decided to leave my “thorn in the flesh”. It’s the trial God has decided to use in my life and hopefully, I can use it to His glory somehow. When I thought it was discipline, it caused resentment and frustration with God because I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong. When I would read about tribulation and persecution in the Bible, I wouldn’t find any hope or comfort because I knew this wasn’t in direct response to my faith. I wasn’t in pain because I was being beaten for the sake of Christ, I was just in pain. When my answers for physical healing weren’t being answered I began to doubt God’s love for me and my faith. 

A missionary came to our church who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Some people from these same two camps had come to him stating he just needed to claim healing in faith, and he’d be healed. Others told him it was Satan attacking him for doing God’s work and he needed to search his life for the hidden sins that allowed for this attack. His answer helped change my thinking. He stated cancer was due to sin being present in the world. When Adam and Eve first sinned, it broke not just their relationship with God but all of creation. Romans 8:19-22 “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” Creation is broken along with us and therefore there is sickness and death in the world.

God can heal us physically but sometimes the most impressive healing isn’t the physical but the spiritual. All the while I’d been praying for physical healing, He had been healing me spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. He’s more concerned with our soul than our body. Thankfully all things will be set right in the end. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”