Scriptural Comfort for 5 Things That Will Never Be Perfect in This Life: Part 4
Read Part 1: Imperfect People
Read Part 2: Imperfect World
Read Part 3: Imperfect Past
Though outwardly our bodies are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
-2 Corinthians 4:16
Our Bodies were Perfectly Designed
“Your daughter has been connected to a heart and lung machine,” the nurse updated us. “Things are progressing smoothly.”
I squeezed my husband’s hand and reminded myself to breathe as I pictured our tiny baby girl relying solely on a machine to keep her heart beating and her lungs breathing. She was just six months old and undergoing heart surgery to repair an atrioventricular septal defect discovered at birth.
We prayed through those first six months of her life for a miraculous healing, but here we were, in the waiting room, trusting God to use this surgeon and his team to repair what wasn’t meant to be broken.
Our bodies are amazing creations, perfectly designed with purpose, the ability to heal itself and reproduce. God gave us brains with unimaginable capabilities that allow us to experience pleasure, beauty, pain, and a whole cornucopia of emotions. Our magnificent minds can discover, take in information, learn from it, and hold special memories.
Even in our fallen world, every day we witness the impossible functions of our body as our heart pumps blood, our lungs allow us to breathe, and our arms, legs, hands, and feet move with barely a conscious thought. The human body is incredible and clearly designed with intelligent intention.
Our Bodies are Cursed
That may sound overdramatic, but it’s true. The fall of Adam and Eve in the garden meant that our bodies, designed to live eternally in perfection, were now assigned to eventual decay and death because of their disobedience. The curse of sin included pain in childbirth, sweat and anxiety in our daily toil, and our return to the dust from which we were created (Genesis 3:16-19). We also see effects such as disease, mental illness, deformities, and disabilities.
Today we may find ourselves frustrated with a body that tires easily, holds weight closely, and aches when we wake up in the morning. We may wrestle daily with an autoimmune disorder, chronic pain, or a physical disability. Our hearts break as we watch a loved one struggle with health problems or a fading memory, and it can be difficult to find the strength to live life joyfully with our own.
Our bodies bear other consequences of sin, like stress, addiction, and trauma. Technology and medical science have provided the ability to fight some of the effects of the curse, but the expiration of our physical bodies is inevitable.
Though we may (or may not) do everything in our power to keep ourselves healthy, we may receive devastating diagnoses that lay claim to us or our loved ones. We might struggle with feeling contempt for these temporary tents as they slowly lose the strength, agility, energy, and mental capacity of our younger years.
Renewal is the Answer for Temporary Bodies
The truth is, God didn’t want this for us either. But He allowed it so that we could understand how weak we truly are, and how strong He always will be. In Christ, we are promised grace that is sufficient to carry us through difficult health issues
(2 Cor. 12:9).
When we are in Christ, we are given fresh eyes to see the temporal nature of our physical bodies and the opportunities to make the most of our days (Psalm 90:12). God has much to teach us here, to bless us with; there is much beauty and joy found in the world He has given us.
But one day it will end; the Bible tells us that the answer to these imperfect bodies is complete renewal in heaven. Only then will we be fully, physically restored to a new body, in a new heaven and a new earth, where the Lord will make all things new (Revelation 21:1-5).
In 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Paul reminds us of a “wonderful secret: we will not all die, but we will be transformed!” (v.51). And “when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’” (v. 54-55).
We Can Honor God with Our Bodies While We Wait
So how do we cope with these imperfect bodies while we live out our designated days on earth? Our bodies belong to God, so we must care for them as an act of worship, regardless of what they can or can’t do (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Romans 12:1).
Some of us have perfectly healthy bodies yet still struggle to be content in our skin. We diligently try to eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, and keep a positive attitude, but find ourselves unhappy with how we look or feel.
We must realize that when we are consumed with our physical health, our gaze is often shifted away from the One who created our bodies. Whether it is a serious diagnosis or an obsession with how we look, our body can become an idol if we’re not careful.
Like the earth, it is a temporary dwelling, and it’s tempting to use this truth as an excuse not to take care of ourselves. But the fact that we are here, alive, and breathing means that God has work for us to do; sometimes that may be to simply remain faithful to Him as we wrestle with physical frailty.
God has done some of His best work through people who have lived within the walls of a handicapped body or debilitating illness, revealing His character through theirs as they trust Him for every daily step, every provision, every grace.
If you’re not familiar with Joni Eareckson Tada, Amy Carmichael, Annie Johnson Flint, Nick Vujicic, or Fanny Crosby, to name a few, I encourage you to look them up; you will be inspired by their stories.
With their sights set on the promise of physical renewal in heaven, they clung (or continue to cling) tightly to God’s strength for the difficult daily journey here on earth. When Christ is our focus despite bodily challenges, He is glorified in both our suffering and perseverance.
Our little girl’s heart was indeed healed by God through humans who used the wisdom and tools He gave them. However, she was eventually diagnosed with a genetic disability that would affect all aspects of her life and health.
Even so, we have held on to the truth that her earthly body, like ours, is temporary. We trust God to continue to carry her (and us) one day at a time. And together we anticipate that day of complete transformation with great joy.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
-Psalm 73:25-26 NIV
The Bible's Answer for our Imperfect Bodies: Renewal
Questions for deeper reflection or journaling (find a printable version here).
Do you have a physical limitation? Has it hindered or strengthened your relationship with Christ?
Are you generally healthy yet fear growing old or becoming disabled?
Do you know anyone personally who has lived a life of faith despite disease, disability, or other limitations? What have you learned from their example?
Read the following passages: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 and John 9:1-3. What do these two stories have in common?
Look up 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. In the New International Version, our troubles are referred to as “light and momentary.” Do you believe this is an accurate description?
Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-5. What will our mortal bodies be swallowed up by? What has God given to believers as a deposit that guarantees what is to come?
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