A couple of months ago, my pastor gave a sermon on healing that was incredibly convicting and inspiring. He started off by asking, “Do you want to be healed?” We all have our struggles and challenges in life. Whether it’s our health, relationships, addictions, or finances, we are all faced with trials that we desire to overcome. However, he posed the question, “Do you really want be healed?”. I thought to myself, of course I do! What kind of question is that? In my case, I was thinking of the years I’d spent struggling with painful digestive problems and how I’d tried everything to heal myself. Of course I wanted to be healed. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy! But then, as he proceeded, I felt like he was talking directly to me. I completely related with everything he said, and I realized how so many of us are in this position. So, I have a question for you. “Do you want to get well?” So often as we deal with a problem, such as a chronic illness, we claim that we want to rid ourselves of it. However, subconsciously it has become a part of us. We think about it all the time, we worry about it, it controls us, and it starts to define us. There are several unfortunate consequences to this. I’ll discuss three main points.

The longer you have a problem, the more discouraged you will get.

This was so true for me. My IBS was controlling my life. It was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing I worried about before bed. It controlled my actions, how social I was, and how happy I was. To be honest, it still does to an extent. I let this condition really damage me. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I was extremely discouraged and depressed. The problem with discouragement is that it typically doesn’t drive you to healing. You just fall deeper and deeper into discouragement and hopelessness.

Additionally, the longer you have a persistent problem, the more excuses you tend to make.

We start blaming other people for our situation. This really hit home for me. I found myself focusing on the past and all of the things that led me to my sickness. This made me so angry because I was blaming all of the people who I felt had caused my IBS, rather than taking responsibility and taking action to heal. I blamed my dermatologist for putting me on those antibiotics that caused my digestive system to go haywire. I blamed myself for staying on the medication and not saying anything to anyone about my digestive issues for years. I blamed other doctors for putting me on birth control and anti-depressants which further damaged my body. I blamed conventional medicine for not starting with natural approaches like probiotics and dietary changes. I blamed friends and family for assuming I had an eating disorder, when really I was just in too much pain to eat a lot. However, it was my fault for not explaining this to anyone. So, I blamed myself for letting pride and embarrassment keep me from opening up. I let these thoughts consume me, and I found myself in a dark place of anger and frustration. However, neither discouragement or excuses will get you to a place of healing. These things will just drive you crazy and make you miserable.

Finally, the longer your problem persists, the more you learn to compensate for the problem.

You will learn to work around the problem and manage the problem. So often, this is what doctors do with chronic conditions like IBS, diabetes, and depression. The root problem isn’t dealt with head on. It’s just managed with a cocktail of medications. There is a very convicting truth when we get in this situation: You can’t change what you’re willing to tolerate. If you tolerate your daily chronic pain, then you won’t try to heal it. If you tolerate those extra 20 pounds, then you won’t lose it. If you tolerate your maxed out credit card, then you won’t get out of debt. The more you compensate for your problems, the higher your tolerance level becomes. You get to the point where you learn to tolerate that which is very, very unhealthy. The greatest hinderance to wellness is familiarity. We become so familiar with something that we think it’s the norm; we think that’s how life is supposed to work. We become blinded and we fool ourselves. We settle for what is, rather than what could be.

So, how do you get out of this rut?

Healing is possible. But your desire must be become bigger than your disability. You must get to the point where your desire to heal is bigger than the condition itself. So much of it is mindset. Are you willing to settle for the condition you’re in? If so, why are you willing to tolerate that? If you’ve given up and have settled, then I challenge you to reconsider and refocus. Sometimes healing comes in a way that you aren’t expecting; a place you didn’t think it would come from. But you must have faith and hope and take action. For me, it required rebuilding my faith and my hope. My relationship with God is very special to me, and it’s a large part of who I am. During dark times, knowing that’s there’s someone watching over me who is in control, has been my saving grace. This is where I find peace and comfort. It’s the faith that there’s something bigger than me who is in control of the situation. As my pastor said, “A moment in the presence of God has the potential to change someone’s life forever.” I encourage you to find faith and hope in something bigger than you. If you have a spirituality practice, engage in it. Spending time in prayer, meditation, reading, and journaling can do wonders for your overall health and well-being. Reach out to friends and family for encouragement and support. I’m not claiming that you will be healed immediately, but it will make your difficult times a little lighter. If you’re ready to stop tolerating your digestive problems and start healing, then I would love to chat with you. Click here to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with me. You’ll be prompted to answer a couple of questions, and then you’ll be provided with a link to schedule your appointment.