2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

• Reflect on this passage alone or with a small group.

I use to wonder what the point of healthcare was? Like seriously? The way Christ and his disciples went about healing people is astounding. Yet, we don’t see miraculous healing done anymore. Why did God implore us to treat others when we can hardly do what Jesus and his earliest followers did? Why does God allow such a weaker form of healing exist when we have Biblical evidence that Christ’s name alone could physically heal many ailments. It was a proverbial thorn in my side when thinking about the contrasts between God’s wonders and my role as a paramedic. Through my endeavors as an amateur theologian, I think I’ve found an answer that suits me well enough. I hope its universal truth can satisfy your questions too. 

There may be a plethora of answers out there, but the one that’s had the most impact on me is this: the biblical accounts of miraculous healing were the exceptions, not the divinely appointed standards set forth. So, where does that leave us as healthcare workers and First Responders? We know God can heal instantly, so why make people suffer the horrendous assembly line of healthcare? Our method is so much weaker than God’s. Yet, I believe that is the point!

Paul proclaims in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 that our weaknesses are made perfect through Christ’s grace, and that we should delight in our shortcomings and hardships because, with God, they become our strengths. With an omnipotent and powerful God, any human notion of healing is weak in comparison. Yet, it is through exploiting this weakness that God’s pure brilliance is shown. All roles and all occupations have a divine purpose to bring His people closer to him. Be it a nurse, therapist, doctor, EMT, patient, or the patient’s loved ones, our harrowing experiences serve as a divine compass leading us to God.

So relish in your weaknesses. Search for God in our divinely appointed run-ins with the sick, wounded, and dying. And adhere to the Biblical truth that our compassion, love, and faithfulness to God is the harbinger of real healing that God is after. Not the healing of flesh and bone, but the healing of Spirits. 

Dear Heavenly Father, whether we serve in healthcare, EMS, law, or fire, we routinely find ourselves in situations that You could handle so much better. Remind us, encourage us, and help us know that our human shortcomings are where real divine strength reigns. Strengthen our hearts to boast in our weaknesses during these times; and, more importantly, to brag about You in our positions, respectively. You are our source of compassion and love for all. Amen.