Offering More Than Platitudes

This is Part 5 of a five-part series of spiritual renewal posts based on the book of James.

Reading: James 5:14–16

This past November I caught a version of the flu that had me stuck at home unable to move, or even think. I cancelled all my commitments for four days straight, and didn’t have the energy to see anyone, talk to anyone, or even think about anyone else. When I’m sick like that it is easy to reach for the Tylenol and hope that I feel better soon. Sometimes, if I’m desperate, I will ask my husband to pray for me. Why is it that we wait until we are desperate to ask for prayer? Conversely, do we only offer well-wishes of “feel better soon,” or safely-distanced prayers to those who are suffering in sickness?

Sickness of any kind can act as a limiting agent on living life to its fullest. It can rob you of your energy and the ability to do the things that you enjoy doing. It can lead to self-isolation that disconnects you from friends, co-workers, and community. There are certain kinds of sicknesses that can completely take over your whole life, altering your appearance, your priorities, your routines, and your relationships. These types of illness do not need platitudes of kindness or spiritualized offers of prayer. They need the life-renewing intervention of Jesus.

James advises those who are sick to ask for prayer for healing from mature Christ-followers (5:14), and the prayer offered in faith will make the person well (5:15). There are two important components to his advice: humility and community. Since sickness seeks to isolate sufferers, it can be incredibly humbling to choose to be in community by asking for prayer. Humility is the antithesis of the pride that isolates people into believing the lies that they don’t need help, don’t want to be a bother, or don’t matter to anyone. This kind of pride is actually an attempt to control what seems uncontrollable: sickness. Humility is the necessary posture to surrender control. In surrender and faith the petition for healing can be answered through the merciful touch of God. He invites us to ask for his help, and perhaps the reason we do not receive healing is because we do not ask (1:5; 4:2b–3).