Although this isn’t my normal how-to article, the truth I am about to share with you will change your life more than any skill I could ever teach. I believe the following story will encourage your faith and put to rest any fears that you may be struggling with in your own life.
At age 16, I went in for a routine physical before school started. After listening to my heart, the doctor concluded that I had a heart murmur and said something along the lines of, “You could drop dead at any moment.” I remember my mom being furious that the doctor would say this in front of me.
Several weeks later, I went to visit a cardiologist. He concluded that the murmur was hardly even there and in no way life-threatening. This was an answer to prayer! Although the fear of dying went away for a short while, the statement from the initial doctor would still ring through my mind on occasion “You could drop dead at any moment…”.
Every time I would experience even the slightest pain, discomfort or weird feeling in my chest, my mind would go off the deep end. So, I started combating this by trying to eliminate the fear of dying, which I accomplished. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to heaven?
But, then my wife got pregnant. The purpose of life began to become a little more clear. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely find purpose in being a husband and in what God has called me to do on this earth. I just know that Beth (my wife) could carry on without me. I also know that God would have no problem completing His plan without me. But, to think of leaving my wife behind to raise a child by herself…I just couldn’t stand it.
So, I scheduled an appointment to get a physical for the first time in over 10 years. I was ready to put the heart thing to rest, or at least catch any problems while I was still young. Blood work came back great! Actually, they said it was the best they had seen in a long time. But, it was time for the doctor to listen to my heart. I tried to remain calm…anxiously awaiting what she would say.
She heard the murmur. So, she wanted to do a quick EKG to make sure it was nothing serious. The EKG showed abnormalities. She recommended that I go see the cardiologist just to make sure nothing serious was going on.
Keep in mind, my wife is pregnant during all this. I struggle daily wondering if I am even going to make it until the baby is born. The discomfort in my chest becomes more frequent and serves as a constant reminder that there must be something wrong with my heart.
After several weeks, I finally got tired of dealing with the agony and began to seek God. Why did I not do this at first? Well, I did…somewhat. But, I was not seeking Him with all my heart. So, I began confessing scriptures about my divine health. Let me tell you, Gloria Copeland’s book - Healing Confessions - was such a God-send.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
This scripture is amazing. Although there are plenty of times I forget to live by it, I always end up coming back to remind myself of this simple truth. There really is no reason to fear…for anything. When a problem comes up, we should go to God in prayer, thank Him for all He has done and receive His peace - the peace that no man can understand.
After a few weeks of confessing this scripture and others several times a day, the fear left. My mind had been renewed and I know, without a doubt, that God has called me to live a long and prosperous life. He has called me to provide for my wife and kids. He has called me to make a difference in this world, not leave it early.
My daughter is now almost 9 weeks old. I have since seen the cardiologist and he was not impressed with the murmur. Actually, he had a hard time hearing it! God is good and His plan is for us to live a long, vibrant life.
He is willing and able to heal every part of your life. But remember, there is nothing you can do to deserve this special treatment. All it takes is faith in believing what His word says is true. So, make a commitment to build your faith by spending time studying and confessing His word on a daily basis.
This is amazing! I was born with a heart murmur known as MVP. My cardiologist claimed that I would soon grow out of it, but that has yet to occur. In the meantime, sports are a constant reminder that there is something wrong and that I should take it easy. My mind often drifts to it and I begin to worry over things that are few and far between in an MVP patient. Thank you for this. This is very well put and it is very encouraging! Thanks, Kade!
So timely my friend! Be anxious for nothing!