Love Never Fails: The Action And Diligent Work Involved In Healing And Wholeness

Love Never Fails: The Action And Diligent Work Involved In Healing And Wholeness

Deep Ties Of Love

John 13:34-35 (NKJV) says:

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

We often speak about the great love of Christ demonstrated for us. Jesus is the head, and we are the body. The Bible says that we are one body with many members, we are members one of another, and we belong to one another. God intends that the members of the body should have great care for one another (1 Corinthians 12). Our interconnectedness should be deeper than many of us may understand.

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NKJV) says:

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Colossians 2:2 emphasizes the importance of our hearts being knit together in love. In multiple places, God’s Word encourages us to put on love above all things.

Colossians 3:14 (NKJV) says:

But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Someone Believed And Put In Some Hard Work

A saying widely attributed to Helen Keller states, “It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.” Helen Keller was born in the 1800s. She was both deaf and blind. Helen Keller’s life and achievements have been documented in numerous accounts, including her autobiography, The Story of My Life. Her parents hired a teacher for her, and Helen was taught to read and write. She learned to communicate through finger spelling into the hand. She was also taught to speak using the method of touch. Learning to speak was a process of tireless work, repeated practice, and ongoing correction for years! She obtained a college degree,  became a lecturer and author, and advocated for disability rights!

I have often thought about Helen’s life and how much progress was made with what was available at that time. Helen did not have access to iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, or Uber! She was willing to learn and practice, and she also had people in her life who were willing to work with her persistently, even through many repeated attempts! I see Helen and her companions as examples of people who saw possibilities and potential, and who did not remain stuck in a given difficult situation with no way forward. Although we can determine that she was an intelligent person, her parents did not necessarily know what the outcomes would be when they hired the teacher. What stands out to me is that they had enough faith to take certain steps without knowing how the process would unfold. They likely believed that she was capable of learning and making progress. I believe it’s often so much easier to focus on what hasn’t worked or improved for many years prior,  rather than on asking God to show us a way forward now and today!

Taking Concrete Steps Of Action

An important expression of God’s love involves taking concrete steps of action if we want a loved one to be made whole. There may be a great danger when we do not take responsibility for seeking and finding God’s wisdom to help a loved one, and instead, remain passive and uninvolved. There may also be a great danger when we believe that we’ve prayed and done our part, God will sort everything out, and there is no need to step outside the “I’m uncomfortable” or “this isn’t my responsibility” mentality. Although God has given us various abilities, I believe it’s His will for the body of Christ to take active roles in loving, walking with, supporting, and working with those facing unique challenges, such as combined deafness and blindness.

Consider the difference between two scenarios. Person A experiences various challenges, such as deafness and blindness, feels helpless, cannot imagine a future outside her current situation, and remains in that situation for the rest of her life. Person B experiences unique challenges such as deafness and blindness, she is taught to believe God, she and her companions seek wisdom about how to move forward, they receive God’s wisdom and take steps forward, and she makes significant progress and her life is not the same as it was in the beginning. What and how we are taught is crucial, and what we choose to do from God’s Word, not just hear, can permanently change someone’s life. In addition to praying for healing as we often think of it, it may be wise to ask for God’s wisdom about what concrete, actionable steps we can take to love, empower, support, or even comfort the person dealing with unique challenges. Asking the person (or, depending on the situation, the persons providing care), may even be a more direct course of action! Truly loving a person means: your life is important to us; God did not intend for you to carry all this yourself; we will get to know one another on a much deeper level than our culture may be used to; we will seek God’s wisdom together; we will walk together even when our faith and patience are tested.

Where am I missing it? This can’t be right!

I’ve often asked the question: “where am I missing it? My eyes should be seeing!” I believe I have missed it, and perhaps, I’m not the only one! God definitely wills for, and enables, physically blind people to physically see in Jesus’ Name, even in this day and age. I see that in the Bible, and I refuse to argue with people about this. In the meantime, if we do not (yet) see a miraculous turnaround, I believe God deeply cares for a person who is challenged with things such as blindness, deafness, or a combination of the two. Jesus is our ultimate example and we are to follow in His steps. A large part of His ministry involved healing the sick and disabled. There is an example of when Jesus walked with a blind man out of the town, taking him by the hand, and ultimately, restored his sight (Mark 8:22-26).

When we do not (yet) see a miraculous turnaround, I believe this poses a great challenge and opportunity to the body of Christ. How will we engage/interact with the person who is in our midst? Will we care about the person and get to know the person more than just on a surface level, or will we neglect to care for, engage with, and support the person? When the situation calls for it, will we use available tools and methods to effectively and enthusiastically communicate with the person? Will we consider how we can provide companionship to the person day to day? Will we choose to see the potential that God has placed in the person, and be involved in taking steps so that we see improvement? Our response, or lack of response, can play a role in a person’s future, particularly when a person is vulnerable and requires care and support from others due to very real limitations.

We will conclude with one of my favourite passages in the whole Bible! Let us believe God to give us wisdom about what action steps we can take to express His love which never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV) says:

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.