Bible is replete with passages related to healing and encouragement during times of stress. Major surgery is certainly a cause for stress, anxiety, and fear. Reading scripture and internalizing the Word of God is the best way to assuage fears. Faith conquers fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear," (1 John 4:18). The Old and New Testaments contain a wealth of wisdom that can inspire, uplift, and heal. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you,"
(Deuteronomy 31:6).
One of the best ways to remain strong, positive, and open hearted before, during, and after a major medical operation is by recalling the life of Jesus. Jesus' mission was to transform the human condition. Part of what Jesus did to enlighten, inspire, and encourage was to perform miracles. A good number of Jesus's miracles were miracles of healing.
For example, Matthew 9:35 reads, "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." In Luke 4:40, Jesus performs another miraculous act of healing: "When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them." In another passage in the gospel of Luke, Jesus entered a village full of lepers and Jesus had them all spiritually and physically cleansed. Thus, Jesus performs acts of healing in order to reveal the power of God over the human body. Even afflictions like blindness and paralysis can be overcome through faith in Christ: "So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly," (Mark 8:23-25). Anyone today who is experiencing ill health in any way can readily call upon the power of Christ for healing and inspiration.
The Bible can give guidance in all areas of life. When faced with a major medical challenge, a person might also need help to overcome crises of faith. One of Jesus's most famous quotes is in Romans 1:17: "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you." Ultimately, it is faith that will get a person through troubled times. Keeping the faith is a crucial step towards recovery. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 16:13, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
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