Many have asked this question. Psychiatrists may say it depends on the physical function and condition of the brain. Psychologists may answer that relationships can be healed, but only if both parties are willing to change. Regular doctors may answer this question based on data, experience, and prognoses. But how does a Christian Scientist answer the question?
Christ Jesus, whose life and teachings established Christianity, answered it through his works. His healing of the blind, the sick, even the sinner, shows healing to be possible through spiritual means alone. Only once did he need to spiritually treat a patient twice (see Mark 8:25), and there is only one place—Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth—where “he did not many mighty works . . . because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). The latter account shows the importance of our thinking in relation to healing.
We have to consider our willingness to be healed. Before Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, he asked him this key question: “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6). Our first response in seeking healing is often, “Yes, I want to be healed! I want to be whole! I want to be active, mobile, healthy.” But we need to also consider: “Am I willing to change my thinking, my desires, and my acts for the better? Am I willing to give up false beliefs—even if it means changing my character?”
