Eve sinned. Adam sinned. We sin. We live in a fallen world. And the result of our sin is death, thistles, pain, sickness, etc. (Genesis 3) We deserve it. we earned it. Even if we are saved and have chosen to receive God’s forgiveness, we still live in a fallen world.

Often people think that if they are Christians, if they give their lives to God, go to church on Sunday, read their Bible, and pray, that they will have a perfect life. That we deserve a perfect life.

But do we? Do we deserve health? Is it some sort of right? A bargain that God has promised to keep? Umm, no. It isn’t. We don’t. Maybe we think that we deserve it for what we were going to do in our lives to serve God… Maybe we think that He’s messed up our perfect plan to serve Him.

Please reread that sentence again. Our perfect plan to serve Him? That’s not how it works! We are supposed to be surrendered to Him! Our lives are about glorifying Him and obeying Him. They are not about us.

We do not have any ‘rights’. Our lives are not our own. They belong to God. First, He created us, and then He gave His life for us. We cannot earn His favor. That’s why He has given us His beautiful, amazing grace and mercy. The definition of mercy is literally ‘unmerited favor’.

Rather than promise us a glass-bubble protected life, God has promised us trials in this world. However, at the end of that promise He tells us something else… He gives up hope.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33 (NIV)

Jesus has overcome the world. He is bigger and stronger than anything you will face. He has power over all things. And in the end, He has saved you if you choose to accept it. He has taken the penalty of death for you, and promised you an inheritance in Heaven. We will get to spend forever in Heaven with Him where there will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain. (Revelations 21)

So no, we do not somehow deserve health, or prosperity, or what we want. Instead, let’s focus on praising Jesus, not losing hope for Heaven.
Health is not some sort of right of ours. Which reminds me of a really great sermon by missionary Otto Koning. It’s called the Pineapple story. He tells his experiences in Papua New Guinea, fighting for the pineapples he thought were his right in the midst of a cannibalistic and thieving tribe he was trying to evangelize. The lessons he learned and shares apply to every area of our lives. (Lol, I sound like a commercial… I promise I’m not one! 😉 It’s just a great sermon). You can find the link here.