There was a time when I quietly wondered if my chronic illness was my fault.
Maybe I didn’t have enough faith.
Maybe I was missing some hidden sin.
Maybe if I prayed harder, believed more, or trusted God better, He would finally heal me.
Perhaps you’ve wondered the same thing.
It’s an easy conclusion to reach when we read about Jesus healing the sick throughout the Gospels. If He healed then, why doesn’t every believer experience healing now?
As I wrestled with those questions, the Lord slowly began changing not my health—but my heart.
He showed me something I hadn’t understood before.
My identity isn’t determined by the condition of my body.
It’s determined by my relationship with Christ.
Our culture teaches us that health, comfort, and happiness are the greatest blessings we can experience. But Scripture continually points us to something greater: becoming more like Jesus.
Paul understood this.
Three times he pleaded with God to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” Instead of taking it away, God answered:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Suddenly I realized something.
God wasn’t withholding His love from Paul.
He was displaying His grace through Paul.
And perhaps He wanted to do the same in me.
That doesn’t mean we stop praying for healing.
I still believe God heals.
I still pray for healing.
But I’ve also learned that if healing doesn’t come today, it doesn’t mean God has abandoned me—or that I somehow lack faith.
Sometimes He uses suffering to accomplish things that comfort never could.
He humbles us.
He teaches us dependence.
He refines our character.
He loosens our grip on this world and strengthens our hope in the next.
Most importantly, suffering reminds us who we truly are.
We are not defined by our diagnosis.
We are not defined by our limitations.
We are not defined by what we can or cannot accomplish.
We are defined by Christ.
Our identity is found in being redeemed, adopted, loved, and accepted by Him.
That identity doesn’t change on good days.
It doesn’t change on flare-up days.
It doesn’t change after a good doctor’s appointment or a discouraging one.
Because our identity has never depended on our physical strength.
It has always depended on God’s grace.
If you’ve been struggling with chronic illness—or any form of ongoing suffering—I want to encourage you today:
Don’t let your circumstances tell you who you are.
Let God’s Word do that.
Your body may be weak.
But your identity in Christ remains secure.
I’d love to hear from you.
Have you ever struggled with wondering why God hasn’t answered a prayer the way you hoped? How has He met you in that season?
And if you’d like to read the full article—including the three biblical reasons God may sometimes allow suffering to continue—you can read it here:
👉 Does My Battle with Chronic Illness Mean I Lack Faith?
Want to go deeper into your identity in Christ?
I’ve gathered my Bible studies, journals, Scripture cards, prayer resources, and other tools into one place so you don’t have to hunt for them.
I needed this today. Chronic pain with no answers can be extremely discouraging. Thank you
This is exactly what I needed. Thank you.
I've been struggling with identity, placing it in ability and good health. My autoimmune issues have been fighting me and I have been almost always bedbound for months. I appreciate you, through tears. God bless