Silas
Beloved of All
I hear how heavy and exhausting this burden has become and how deeply you long for relief right now. The sadness, anxiety, fear, weariness and struggle to breathe, along with the distress you feel when you look at your skin and face, are real sufferings, and God sees and cares about all of it. He invites you to cast your cares on Him because He cares for you, and to come to Jesus who promised rest to those who are weary and burdened.
Scripture teaches that God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness. That points to the triune nature of God and to the spiritual capacities He gave you. One of those capacities is the power of choice. You were made with a will, able to choose and to respond to God, and He respects the choice you make to turn to Him and trust Him. Sin broke that image. What was meant to reflect His character was marred, fellowship with Him was broken, and we fell from what He intended us to be. Redemption is God restoring that image. His purpose now is not mainly to perfect outward appearance, but to restore you inwardly and to conform you more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. That work is done by the Spirit, from glory to glory, step by step. It is a daily growth, as His love, grace, forgiveness and peace are formed in you. That inner renewal is far more lasting than any change in the mirror.
It is understandable to want every mark, line, spot and blemish to be taken away instantly and permanently. God does care about your body and your health, and the Bible shows Jesus healing many kinds of sickness and infirmity, fulfilling the prophecy that He bore our sicknesses and carried our pains. At the same time, healing in Scripture is not confined to one pattern. Sometimes Jesus healed instantly with a word, sometimes with a touch, sometimes healing came gradually, and sometimes the healing God brings is first in the heart and mind, bringing peace where there was turmoil. There are things about healing we do not fully understand, and we do not always know why some receive immediate relief while others walk through a longer process. What we do know is that every true healing is from God, whether it comes suddenly or through the natural processes He built into our bodies, and that His wisdom and love can be trusted even when the answer is wait or not yet.
Part of our struggle is with the image we hold of ourselves. Scripture compares a person who hears the word and does not live it to someone who looks in a mirror, sees the truth, then walks away and forgets what he saw, holding on to a preferred picture of himself. It is easy to become consumed with the reflection, measuring worth by smoothness or color or symmetry, and to feel miserable when the reflection does not match the ideal. God looks at the heart. He is at work to remove the ugliness of the self life and to make you more like Christ, which brings a deeper and more enduring beauty and peace than any outward perfection could give. That does not mean your concerns about health and appearance do not matter to Him. It means He wants to meet the deeper need first, giving you His presence, comfort and strength while you walk through these outward trials.
I pray for you now in the name of Jesus, that God would lift the weight of depression, anxiety and fear, and give you His peace that passes understanding. I pray He would grant rest from exhaustion and fatigue, ease your breathing and guide you to wise and helpful care for your body, including trusted medical help for the asthma symptoms and for the weariness you describe. I pray He would help you to see yourself as He sees you, loved, valued and being renewed day by day, and that His Spirit would continue His transforming work in you, making you more like Jesus in love, patience and hope. May you be able to choose again today to trust His goodness, to rest in His will, and to know that you are not forgotten. He is near, He hears your cry, and He will walk with you through each step forward.
Scripture teaches that God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness. That points to the triune nature of God and to the spiritual capacities He gave you. One of those capacities is the power of choice. You were made with a will, able to choose and to respond to God, and He respects the choice you make to turn to Him and trust Him. Sin broke that image. What was meant to reflect His character was marred, fellowship with Him was broken, and we fell from what He intended us to be. Redemption is God restoring that image. His purpose now is not mainly to perfect outward appearance, but to restore you inwardly and to conform you more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. That work is done by the Spirit, from glory to glory, step by step. It is a daily growth, as His love, grace, forgiveness and peace are formed in you. That inner renewal is far more lasting than any change in the mirror.
It is understandable to want every mark, line, spot and blemish to be taken away instantly and permanently. God does care about your body and your health, and the Bible shows Jesus healing many kinds of sickness and infirmity, fulfilling the prophecy that He bore our sicknesses and carried our pains. At the same time, healing in Scripture is not confined to one pattern. Sometimes Jesus healed instantly with a word, sometimes with a touch, sometimes healing came gradually, and sometimes the healing God brings is first in the heart and mind, bringing peace where there was turmoil. There are things about healing we do not fully understand, and we do not always know why some receive immediate relief while others walk through a longer process. What we do know is that every true healing is from God, whether it comes suddenly or through the natural processes He built into our bodies, and that His wisdom and love can be trusted even when the answer is wait or not yet.
Part of our struggle is with the image we hold of ourselves. Scripture compares a person who hears the word and does not live it to someone who looks in a mirror, sees the truth, then walks away and forgets what he saw, holding on to a preferred picture of himself. It is easy to become consumed with the reflection, measuring worth by smoothness or color or symmetry, and to feel miserable when the reflection does not match the ideal. God looks at the heart. He is at work to remove the ugliness of the self life and to make you more like Christ, which brings a deeper and more enduring beauty and peace than any outward perfection could give. That does not mean your concerns about health and appearance do not matter to Him. It means He wants to meet the deeper need first, giving you His presence, comfort and strength while you walk through these outward trials.
I pray for you now in the name of Jesus, that God would lift the weight of depression, anxiety and fear, and give you His peace that passes understanding. I pray He would grant rest from exhaustion and fatigue, ease your breathing and guide you to wise and helpful care for your body, including trusted medical help for the asthma symptoms and for the weariness you describe. I pray He would help you to see yourself as He sees you, loved, valued and being renewed day by day, and that His Spirit would continue His transforming work in you, making you more like Jesus in love, patience and hope. May you be able to choose again today to trust His goodness, to rest in His will, and to know that you are not forgotten. He is near, He hears your cry, and He will walk with you through each step forward.
