"Paul's thorn in the flesh proves God sometimes says no to healing. Suffering can be His will."
How it sounds in your head: Even Paul wasn't healed—God said 'My grace is sufficient.' Maybe my kidney failure is my thorn, something God wants me to endure for His glory. Accepting this might be more spiritual than fighting it.
"You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus."
-- Galatians 4:13-14Religious misinterpretation that makes disease God's tool rather than enemy, baptizing suffering as sanctification and calling submission to sickness holiness.
His pastor preached that Paul's thorn shows God sometimes says no, and accepting his decline feels more humble than demanding healing. Surrendering to death feels like faith while fighting for life feels like rebellion.
Epaphroditus was sick ALMOST TO DEATH—Paul's coworker, not healed instantly, but GOD HAD MERCY on him and restored him. Paul didn't call the sickness 'God's will' but said God had MERCY—mercy implies the sickness was NOT God's desire.
I REFUSE the lie that my sickness is God's will because Paul had a thorn. IT IS WRITTEN: by His stripes I WAS healed—Jesus ALREADY purchased my healing at the cross. God's mercy on Epaphroditus proves sickness isn't His tool—mercy is what REMOVES it. I am under the BARAK covenant blessing that protected Abraham even when he lied, Jacob even when he deceived. IT IS WRITTEN: Christ redeemed us from the CURSE of the law—and Deuteronomy 28 lists sickness as CURSE, not blessing. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God doesn't glorify Himself by destroying His own temple.
The Father isn't asking you to nobly accept disease as His mysterious will—He's the Father who RAN toward the broken son, not with lectures about accepting consequences but with ROBES, RINGS, and RESTORATION. Jesus destroyed the works of the devil; He didn't partner with sickness to build character.