Faith Not To Be Healed

[Vanguard]

I just listened to Elder Bednar’s CES Devotional talk. He asked the question “Do you have the faith not to be healed.” What a great question because I’ve had instances of receiving immediate healing and not.

I realized I do understand that faith is needed to not to be healed because that is when many begin to question whether Christ really cares, the church is true and the Priesthood has power. I have seen families break up and people leave the church over this. I have found through experience, however, that if my faith remains intact even after not being healed, it expands into other areas and can help not only overcome the challenge I am currently facing but future challenges.

I know there are others who have experienced this. What is it that keeps us hanging on when something we dearly want and/or feel like we need isn’t granted. For myself I guess it’s all the prior miracles I’ve seen and other answered prayers, even at the most insignificant times. I do believe it is those “tender mercies” that the Apostles have recently spoken of that have kept me going through the significant times.

Any other thoughts?

I think I've given up on the notion that my faith can "get me something" I want. I now believe the only thing my faith can help me with is, paradoxically, the ability to hold onto my faith. I believe my conviction about my God is the only thing that cannot be taken from me. When confronted with challenges, my prayers are now about simply keeping my convictions in tact while I go through whatever the Lord has in store for me - you know, "not my will but thine be done". This has thus far helped out quite a bit. Blessings I give others focus on their retaining their convictions - despite whatever travails they may or may not go through - and not as much about whether their faith will heal them.