Good health is something we all value. Everyone wants to be healed when they’re sick, yet understanding how to receive healing from God depends on our knowledge of His Word concerning this area. Newly born-again Christians have received God’s promise of wholeness and restoration but may not yet know how to lay hold of these blessings. Progressing in our Christian walk gradually teaches us what we need to know for the blessings to be manifested in our lives.

For spiritual growth to occur, baby Christians must constantly study the Bible and then apply what they’ve learned. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). Simply reading the Word won’t do; we need to put it into practice. We learn to do that by regularly associating with other believers so that the Holy Spirit can work through them to mature us.

We live in a world hostile to Christ, one in which we’re continually fighting a spiritual fight against our enemy the devil. He wants to destroy everything we value, including our health. Our external environment is full sickness and disease that people accept as a way of life because they don’t know any better. Spending time with other believers keeps us spiritually strong so that we can resist this way of thinking. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Surrounding ourselves with the right people increases our chances of success. Letting spiritually mature Christians speak into our lives and influence us keeps us moving in the right direction. These kinds of people are gifts from God, and they help us develop. “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children…”  (Ephesians 4:11-14, NLT). It is a sign of spiritual maturity is to focus on becoming more like Christ, rather than like others in the world.

As we grow as Christians, the truth about the healing God made available will become increasingly clear. Our faith in what He has said will increase and our understanding will deepen. We’ll come to realize that suffering will happen, but it won’t overcome us; it will instead provide us with an opportunity to lean on Him more. “When they are sick, lying upon their bed of suffering, God will restore them. He will raise them up again and restore them back to health. So in my sickness I say to you, ‘Lord, be my kind healer. Heal my body and soul; heal me, God!’” (Psalm 41:3, 4, TPT).

There’s nothing wrong with doctors, but their healing gifts don’t originate with them. God has a thousand different ways to work through both doctors and our situation to restore us to a point better than where we were before. God doesn’t want His people to struggle with health issues; strength and vitality are His will for us. Sickness will never be able to invade our bodies when we reach the point of fully believing in God’s will concerning our health.