We live in an imperfect world. Most of us have become accustomed to lack and insufficiency at every level, and simply accepting it as the norm has become the standard way of thinking. This mindset has even extended to our physical and mental health; we tolerate sickness and disease as if it’s a part of life. However, illness of any kind is against God’s will for us.

When we realize that God wants us healthy, we’ll refuse to tolerate sickness of any kind. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 1:2). What He wants for us is wholeness and soundness, with nothing missing and nothing broken in our lives. Prosperity in our bodies is good health; prosperity in our emotions is a sound mind. God wants this for us not just in small amounts, but in great abundance.

Jesus demonstrated this over and over again during His ministry when He healed people wherever He went. God’s definition of life far exceeds our expectations. He loves us, and wants us to be able to have joyful, abundant lives free of any health issues. “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). When we have faith in this, He will bless us with abundant health on all levels to the point where the blessings continually overflow.

Jesus actually went to the cross to defeat sickness. “This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‘He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases’” (Matthew 8:17, NLT). This type of curse has been permanently taken from us. Despite what we may hear from the doctor or what the medical reports might say, what Jesus did for us carries much more authority. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). Jesus’ name is above every other name—including sickness.

Illness has a way of not only sapping our physical strength, but also weighing down our hearts with depressing, discouraging thoughts. The cure for this is found in the Word of God. “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad” (Proverbs 12:25, NKJV). The “good word” of what God says to us lightens our hearts and gives us back our joy.

No matter how bleak the situation may look, God already made healing available to us two thousand years ago. He has done His part; we must now do our part and receive it by faith. We demonstrate this faith by exercising biblically-based common sense, which we get through constantly studying the Scriptures and putting into practice what we learn. The more we understand about God’s Word, the more our spirits are lifted. “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

There’s a definite link between our emotions and our physical bodies, and we can see the results of broken spirits all around us. When we accept what Jesus did and make Him our Lord and Savior, we allow Him to begin putting our broken pieces back together again. The Great Physician has provided physical and emotional healing. It’s up to us to agree with Him and accept it for ourselves.