Hey everyone, my name is Austin and welcome back
to another episode of the Unfiltered Faith Podcast.
If this is your first time tuning in, I'm so
glad you're here. And if you've been here before,
welcome back. Today we're going to be talking
about a subject that many of us, myself included,
wrestle with quietly and often alone. Why won't
God heal me? And then we're going to shift our
focus to my own personal testimony of acceptance.
So if you'd like to take notes, I encourage it.
And while you're at it, have your Bibles out.
because we're going to be looking through several
passages of scripture that'll help us with our
discussion today. So we serve a God who heals.
That's biblical. That's true. And for many of
us, we have seen healing with our own eyes. For
so many of us, healing is something we long for,
whether it's healing from a mental health struggle,
an emotional wound, or even a physical condition.
We all wish for that moment when the pain, the
hurt, the brokenness is simply gone. Maybe it's
not just a question. Maybe it's your reality.
Maybe you've prayed, cried, fasted, believed,
and still the pain remains. The illness lingers,
and the breakthrough hasn't come. But what happens
when that healing doesn't come in the way that
we want it? What if instead of healing, we are
called to embrace acceptance and our brokenness?
James 5, 14 -15 says, Is any among you sick?
Let them call the elders of the church to pray
over them and anoint them in the name of the
Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make
the sick person well. Isaiah 53, 5 says, By his
wounds we are healed. The problem is, we often
read these passages as guarantees rather than
expressions of God's will when he chooses to
act miraculously. We create a culture where faith
equals outcome. And when the outcome doesn't
change, we question our faith. I want to talk
about something that hits close to home for a
lot of people, especially those who've wrestled
with disappointment, chronic pain, unanswered
prayers, or just flat -out silence from heaven.
We're talking about the myth of transactional
faith. This idea that if we do something for
God, then God owes us something in return. The
belief that if we go to church, stay pure, pray
hard enough, or have enough faith, Then God is
obligated to bless us, heal us, or give us the
life we envisioned. But what happens when that
transaction doesn't happen? When the healing
doesn't come? A lot of people approach God like
they would a vending machine or a genie. If I
press the right buttons, or pray the right way,
or fast long enough, then I'll get what I want.
And to be fair, this is sometimes how we're taught
to relate to God, especially in Western Christianity.
We hear phrases like, sew a seed and you'll reap
a blessing. If you just have enough faith, you'll
be healed. Speak it and you'll receive it. But
when things don't happen the way we planned,
that transactional lens cracks and some people
walk away entirely not necessarily because they
don't believe in God, but because the version
of God they believed in didn't deliver. I've
heard a lot of stories about people claiming
to be Christian, but they're now agnostic or
something because they suffered some kind of
church hurt or they had transactional faith and
they claimed that God didn't hold up his end
of the deal. I'm about to say something and I
know some of you aren't gonna like it. If you're
living in a transactional faith, then it's time
to seriously re -evaluate your walk with God.
Because something crucial isn't lining up. If
your relationship with God is based on what you
can get out of Him, blessings, breakthroughs,
protection, provision, and not rooted in who
He is, then you're not walking in faith. You're
walking in a contract. That's not covenant. That's
not love. That's not surrender. That's not the
gospel. Transactional faith says, if I pray hard
enough, God will bless me. It says, if I give
enough, then God owes me a breakthrough. It says,
if I behave well, God will reward me with ease
and success. But that's not how God works. God
is not a vending machine. He's not a genie. He's
not a business partner. He's a father. And he
desires a relationship, not a religious exchange.
Truth says, even if He doesn't, I will still
worship. It says, even in the valley, He is worthy.
It says, even if the door doesn't open, He is
still good. That's the kind of faith that pleases
God, not the kind that praises Him only when
life is going our way. So if you're in a place
where your faith feels dry, conditional, or disillusioned,
maybe it's not because God failed you. Maybe
it's because the version of faith you were taught
was more about performance than presence, more
about results than relationship. Check your heart.
Re -evaluate your motives. Strip away the formulas
and rituals and go back to the simplicity that
knowing Him and for who He is, not for what He
can do for you. Because if the cross teaches
us anything, it's this. God already gave us everything.
He owes us nothing, and yet He still gives us
grace upon grace. Let's stop settling for transactional
faith. Let's start walking in transformational
faith. Here's the hard truth. God isn't our genie.
He's our God. He's not a cosmic vending machine.
He's a holy, sovereign, all -knowing Father.
And His love isn't based on our performance.
His plans don't revolve around our preferences.
And thank God for that. Because if He gave us
everything we asked for, when we asked for it,
we'd probably self -destruct. Let me ask you
this. Who made the deal? Who wrote the terms
and conditions? See, God never promised a pain
-free life. He promised his presence in the pain.
He didn't say we wouldn't walk through fire.
He said he'd walk through it with us. Jesus said
himself, in this world you will have trouble.
But take heart, I have overcome the world. John
16 .33 God's love is a covenant, not a contract.
Here's the difference. A contract says, I do
this, you do that. A covenant says, I'm with
you, no matter what. God's love is covenantal.
He didn't wait for us to get it together before
He gave us His Son. Romans 5 -8 says, But God
demonstrated His love for us in this while we
were still sinners Christ died for us. He loved
us at our worst. He pursued us when we were running.
He forgave us before we even asked. This isn't
the love of a genie. This is the love of God.
So how do we rebuild faith when the deal we thought
we had with God falls apart? Well, for starters,
number one, we need to reframe our theology.
Stop basing God's goodness on your current circumstances.
He was good before you were born. He'll be good
long after your situation changes or doesn't.
Number two, be honest with your disappointment.
God is not intimidated by your grief, your anger,
or your doubt. Look at David in the Psalms. He
was constantly raw and real, but he kept returning
to the truth. Number three, worship without the
why. Worship isn't about thanking God because
life is perfect. It's about declaring who He
is even when life is far from it. I want to share
a story on my own journey of acceptance. I was
born with multiple abnormalities. I was born
with spina bifida, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation,
and epilepsy. I was counted out before I even
uttered my first cry. Because of such abnormalities,
the doctors told my parents that I wouldn't be
able to walk, talk, or even think for myself.
High school is going to be extremely difficult,
and college? Forget about it, it's a distant
dream. I lived my life pretty normal, or as normal
as my disability would allow, but you're only
limited in the abilities if you allow yourself
to be. However, even though I was doing everything,
or pretty much everything an able -bodied person
was doing, I always felt different among my peers.
I was severely bullied because I wasn't what
the world deems normal. I often cried out to
God wondering why he made me the way that he
did. I've been battling mental health struggles
since a young age because of it. I came across
this verse in junior high when I was reading
the book of John. It says in John 9 -3, neither
this man nor his parents sin, but that the works
of God can be displayed in him. That verse really
resonated with me. It's the story of the man
born blind. Jesus and his disciples were walking
through Jerusalem, and they saw this blind beggar
on the street. God spat on the ground, in the
dirt, covered his eyes with it, and told him
to wash up in the river. Years later, I would
get that verse tattooed on my wrist. My story
is still being written, but what I know for sure
is that my life, with all its challenges, is
a living display of God's work. Reading that
verse in John 9 during junior high changed something
inside of me. It wasn't an instant fix to all
my pain, but it was like a small seed of hope
was planted deep in my heart. A reminder that
life wasn't the result of some random accident
or some punishment for wrongdoing. It was intentional,
designed, purposeful. My challenges weren't meant
to break me. They were meant to reveal God's
glory through me. But if I'm being honest, even
that powerful truth echoing in my mind, living
it out was a whole different battle. There were
still so many days where the sense of being different
weighed heavily on me, to make me normal like
everyone else. I'd find myself crying so hard
that no words would come out of my lips, only
sounds. And yet often nothing seemed to happen,
at least not in the way I wanted or expected.
The world around me stayed the same. My challenges
remained. The healing I had prayed for didn't
look like what I had imagined. And in those moments,
disappointment crept in quietly and heavily.
I began to wrestle with deep questions, ones
I didn't always have the courage to say out loud.
God, did you forget about me? Did you hear me
at all? Is this really the life you meant for
me? Is this what healing is supposed to look
like? Have you ever felt like that? Like you're
standing at the edge of a breakthrough, waiting
for God to move, waiting for some sign that the
tide is about to turn, and everything else just
stays still. If you have, just know you're not
alone. I've been there too. My whole life, well
maybe not my whole life, that's a bit dramatic.
But as long as I can remember, a lot of the time
when I'm out in public, I'm being approached
by someone asking to pray for healing for me
because of my disability. And although I understand
the sentiment and I admire their bravery for
going up to a complete stranger and ministering
to them, I always find it kind of strange that
people automatically assume I want healing. I've
been asked by several people, do you want God
to heal your situation? And I look at them and
I tell them no. Because God revealed to me a
long time ago that he has big plans for me, and
he's gonna use my situation for his glory. It
says so in that verse. I've been watching The
Chosen, and if you haven't seen it, I highly
recommend you watch it. But in this one scene,
James approaches Jesus and asks him why he hasn't
healed him. Jesus explains to James that not
healing him is not a sign of rejection or a lack
of love, but serves a greater purpose for his
life and faith. Jesus emphasizes that James'
faith in the strength it will provide in his
future ministry is more valuable than a physical
healing. Jesus highlights that James' story as
someone who knew his faith without physical healing
will be a powerful one, demonstrating the strength
of his trust in God. Nick Vojchich is one of
my favorite motivational speakers. You've probably
heard of him, and if you haven't, look him up
on YouTube and I promise you he will change your
perspective on the way you look at things. He
was born without arms or legs. but he says he
keeps a pair of shoes in his closet for the day
that God gives him arms and legs. But what if
the point of all of this isn't to get what we
want from God, but to stay with him even when
we don't? One of the most powerful passages on
this topic comes from Paul in 2 Corinthians 12,
7 -9. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming
conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh. Three
times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away
from me, but he said to me, My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect in your
weakness. So, let's unpack this passage for a
moment. Paul pleaded, not just as casually, he
begged. God didn't remove the affliction, but
he responded, he didn't say no, he said, you
already have what you need. Could it be that
sometimes God leaves certain things unhealed,
not because he's absent, but because he's doing
something deeper? What might God be doing when
healing doesn't come? Well, number one, he might
be building dependence on him. When healing doesn't
come, we learn that God's presence is more valuable
than his presence. Our relationship with Him
deepens because we're not just chasing relief,
we're clinging to the Father. This kind of dependence
transforms our prayer life from transactional
to relational. It echoes the prayer of David
in Psalm 63, 1. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh
faints for you. 2. He might be shaping compassion
in our hearts. Pain humbles us. It removes judgment
and replaces it with empathy. We begin to see
others through eyes softened by the suffering.
When we walk through the valley and become guides
for others navigating similar terrain. We understand
them, cry with them, and become the very comfort
of Christ to them. 3. He is revealing his strength.
God's power doesn't always show up in fireworks.
It often shines brightest in fragile people.
When we are weak, we become transparent vessels
for his strength. People see God's sustaining
grace in us. We become living testimonies that
grace is not just a theological idea, but a real
daily power that holds us up. Number four. He's
producing endurance. When we're in a place of
waiting, when healing doesn't come as quickly
or as completely as we hope, it can feel like
we're stuck in a never -ending trial. And that's
when we start asking, what is God doing? What's
the purpose behind this ongoing struggle? Endurance
doesn't just happen overnight. It's just like
building muscle. You can't expect to lift heavy
weights the first time you try. You have to keep
showing up, even when it's hard. And as we endure,
we grow in character. We become more rooted in
faith, more dependent on God, and more compassionate
towards others who are suffering. This growth
leads us to hope. The hope that, even in the
pain, God is working in us and through us for
his glory. Romans 5, 3 -4 says, not only so,
but Also, glory in our suffering, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance
character, and character hope. There is a progression
here. Suffering is not a detour in our spiritual
journey. It is a part of the path. God uses it
to refine us, strengthen our resilience, deepen
our maturity, and anchor our hope. Not in circumstances,
but in his character. This isn't the shallow
hope that things will get better. It's the steady
hope that even if they don't, God is still good.
The Bible gives us a profound answer. God often
uses seasons of waiting, pain, or suffering to
build endurance within us. Endurance is the ability
to keep going, even when the road is rough. It's
not about pretending everything is okay. It's
about finding the strength to continue moving
forward, trusting that God is with us in the
struggle. The suffering we experience, whether
physical, emotional, or spiritual, isn't wasted.
In fact, it's used by God to produce something
deeper in us, perseverance or endurance. Endurance
is the ability to keep going, even when we don't
feel like we can. It's easy to think that suffering
means we've done something wrong or that God
is distant, but the Bible teaches something different.
God doesn't abandon us in our suffering. He uses
it to shape us. James 1, 2 through 4 says, Consider
it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
God uses these moments of trials to develop maturity
and completeness in us. The pain we experience
doesn't define us, but it refines us. It's a
process of being stretched, refined, and ultimately
strengthened in our faith. So, if you're walking
through a season where healing doesn't seem to
be coming, remember this. God is producing endurance
in you. He's building a kind of strength that
can withstand the hardest storms. He's developing
your character and deepening your hope. Not just
for the day of healing, but for the eternal promise
of His presence, even in the pain. It doesn't
make the waiting easy, but it does give us perspective.
In the midst of our struggles, we can trust that
God is with us, and when we endure, we don't
just survive, we thrive, growing in a way that
we never would have if everything came easily.
Think about it. When has a difficult time in
your life led you to develop strength or resilience
you didn't have before? When you look back, can
you see how God used the strength to refine you
and build endurance in you? God is often more
committed to our growth than our comfort. That's
not easy, but it's love. A love that doesn't
just want us healed. It wants us whole. And sometimes
that wholeness comes not through what God takes
away, but through what He teaches us to carry
with Him. By focusing on how God can be producing
endurance in our lives during periods of waiting,
we can shift our perspective on suffering. We
may not understand why healing doesn't come immediately,
but we can trust that God is at work with us,
using the time of waiting to shape us for His
purpose. We know that God can heal. In the Gospels,
we read about Jesus healing the sick, giving
sight to the blind, and raising the dead. God
is certainly capable of healing, and he has demonstrated
his power and compassion through these miracles.
But does that mean that healing is always guaranteed,
or that it will come in the way we expect? Paul
doesn't receive the healing he desires, but he
receives something far greater, God's presence,
his grace, and his power. And through that, Paul
learns to rely not on his own strength, but on
God's. In this way, we can see that sometimes
God answers our prayers for healing is not no,
but not yet, or not in the way we expect. Healing
may come, but it may come in the form of grace,
strength, and peace in the midst of our pain.
This doesn't mean the suffering is easy, but
it does mean that God doesn't leave us to face
it alone. In the Bible, we see many stories of
people who experience suffering, unanswered prayers,
and waiting on God. One of the most famous examples
comes from the book of Job. Job, a righteous
man, lost everything, his health, his wealth,
and his family. He was in agony, and for much
of the book, he pleads with God, asking why this
suffering has come upon him. His friends offer
him advice, but it's not until the final chapters
that God speaks and his answer isn't what Job
expects. In Job 38, God doesn't explain why Job
is suffering. Instead, he speaks to the vastness
of his creation, the complexity of his purpose,
and the mystery of his ways. It's a humbling
reminder that God's understanding is beyond ours.
Job doesn't get the answer he wants, but he does
get a deeper understanding of who God is, and
he responds by trusting God even in his pain.
In a similar way, many of us find ourselves asking
why in times of suffering, only to discover that
the answer might not be what we expect or even
want. But that doesn't mean that God isn't listening.
It doesn't mean that our pain is unnoticed or
unimportant. God sees us in our suffering. I
think it's important for us to allow ourselves
to feel the full weight of those unanswered prayers.
It's okay to feel frustrated. It's okay to feel
disappointed. You don't need to rush to a place
of easy prayers. Sometimes just sitting with
the pain and being honest with God about it is
an act of faith itself. One of the hardest parts
of this journey is the mystery of God's will.
We know that God is good and that he has power
to heal. So why does he sometimes choose not
to? The truth is, we don't always know why God
allowed suffering. We can't fully understand
his ways, but there are a few things we can hold
onto when we don't have all the answers. First,
God's ultimate goal is not just to make us comfortable,
but to make us more like Christ. As Romans 8
.28 says, we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him and who have
called according to his purpose, even in the
pain. God is working to shape us, to draw us
closer to Him, and to make us more like Jesus.
That's a truth we can trust, even when it's hard
to see in the moment. Second, suffering connects
us to others. There's a mysterious way that our
pain can lead us to greater compassion for others
who are suffering. In 2 Corinthians 1 -3 -4,
Paul writes that God comforts us in our troubles
so that we can comfort others with the same comfort
we've received. Sometimes our experiences of
pain make us more empathetic. more aware of the
needs of others around us. God may allow us to
suffer, not because He is indifferent, but because
He knows how our pain can help us minister to
others. And finally, we trust that God's ways
are higher than ours. Isaiah 55, 8 -9 reminds
us, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts higher
than yours. This is a humbling truth, but it's
also a comforting one. Even when we don't understand,
we can trust that God is good and that he is
working all things for his glory and ultimately
our good. So if you're listening today and you
find yourself in the midst of a season where
healing hasn't come, what can you do? How can
you keep going? Here are a few practical steps.
Number one, rest in God's presence. It's tempting
to feel like God is distant when our prayers
go unanswered. But the truth is, God is with
us, even in silence. He promises to never leave
us or forsake us. Spend time in His presence,
whether through prayer, worship, or reading scripture.
Even when you don't feel healed, you can find
peace in His nearness. 2. Allow yourself to grieve.
Healing isn't just physical. It's emotional,
mental, and spiritual. If you're grieving over
unmet expectations, over unanswered prayers,
Give yourself permission to mourn. God is near
to the brokenhearted. You don't need to rush
through grief. It's part of the process. Number
three, lean on the community. Suffering can be
isolating, but you don't have to go through it
alone. Share your pain with trusted friends,
family, or a church community. Let others pray
with you or for you. There's power in walking
through pain together. Number four, look for
God's purpose in the pain. It's not easy. but
ask God to show you what he is teaching you through
this season. Are there areas of growth he's working
on in your heart? Is he drawing you closer to
himself in a way that wouldn't happen without
the suffering? Number five, hold on to hope.
While healing may not come in the way you expect
it in this life, remember hope of eternal life.
In Revelations 21 -4, we are promised that God
will one day wipe away every tear and end all
pain. and make everything new. That is the ultimate
healing we can look forward to. High school was
pretty challenging, but I graduated. College
is a dream. Well, someone better wake me up because
I'm in college right now. You guys are probably
wondering, Austin, what's the point of telling
us all this? Well, because 26 years ago, my parents
prayed that they didn't care how I looked, but
all they cared about was that I had a sharp mind.
So even though my prayer to take away my abnormalities
haven't been answered, theirs was. And you know
what? I'm okay with that. If you're struggling
today, I want to remind you of something. You
were not forgotten. God sees your pain. He understands
your heartache, and He is with you, even in the
waiting. Healing may not come in the way you
expect, but God's grace is sufficient for today.
His love for you is unwavering, and He is working
all things for your good. So keep going, keep
trusting, and keep believing God's story for
you is not finished yet. Before we wrap up today's
episode, I just want to leave you with this.
If you're in a season of waiting, a season of
pain, or a season where healing feels far away,
know this, your story isn't over. God's love
for you is steadfast, and even when healing doesn't
come in the way we hope, His presence is always
near. I know it's not easy, and the path may
feel uncertain, but there is grace for today.
There is strength for the journey, and there
is hope beyond what we can see right now. If
you're listening right now, and you feel let
down by God, can I just say, He sees you. He
knows what you're carrying, and you're not alone.
But don't trade away your faith just because
the genie didn't show up. Because maybe what
you needed wasn't a genie, but it was God. Maybe
the greater miracle isn't that the pain went
away, but that you're still here, still breathing,
and still reaching. God's love isn't a transaction,
it's transformational, and he's not finished
with your story yet. Thank you for tuning in
today on the Unfiltered Faith Podcast. If this
episode resonated with you, I encourage you to
reach out to someone you trust, whether it's
a friend, a mentor, or a faith community, and
share what's on your heart. You don't have to
walk this road alone. If you found something
in today's episode that encouraged you, please
share it with others who might need it in this
reminder. Let's continue walking through life
with faith, hope, and a deep trust, even in the
waiting God is at work. I'd love to connect with
you. Follow me on Instagram at the Unfiltered
Faith Podcast. I'm also on Discord. I created
the Unfiltered Faith Podcast Discord server because
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They needed a community, a place to go beyond
listening and actually connect. A space where
faith doesn't have to be polished or perfect,
but real raw and honest. I wanted to build a
supportive environment where people could grow
together, ask hard questions, share their struggles.
and walk in faith without filters. This server
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person that they're not alone and that their
unfiltered faith is still deeply seen and loved
by God. Until next time, keep seeking those fresh
perspectives and keep having those unfiltered
conversations with someone to better understand
the world around us.