ROOM FOR JESUS – DAY 5 of 8 – Healthcare
Is there room for Jesus in your decisions about health and healthcare? Don’t worry, I’m not coming out as pro or anti vax. I’m certainly not recommending some kind of root or herb to replace going to the doctor, or vice versa.
Whatever your healthcare and wellness choices, we have one New Testament “when you are sick do this” scripture. One direct to do scripture. Go ahead and use a Bible search app and search the New Testament for the word “sick”. You will find that Jesus and the disciples healed the sick. You will find that we are told to visit the sick.
And then there is James 5:14-15 [NIV] 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
There you go. Call for the elders and have them anoint and pray over you.
The great thing about this is that it does not prevent whatever else you may need to do or feel that it is important to do. It works well when combined with seeing and MD or chiropractor or nutritionist or choosing not to.
This came to mind to me because I’ve been having trouble with my left hip as a result of an old injury and it hit me that I had not even told my husband about it, let alone asked him (he is an ordained minister) to anoint and pray over me.
Far too often, I make room for Jesus after, and not first, in my health journey. And that is just wrong – especially when I’ve got an “elder of the church” right there in my own home.
Now, to be sure, there are occasions when you’ll end up in the hospital first, like a wreck or heart attack. I get that. I encourage you not to take a risk like waiting for an anointed cloth to be mailed to you before having a broken leg mended. But most of the time there is room for Jesus first and other steps after.
Is anyone sick? I encourage you to make room for Jesus, as James instructs us, and then take the other steps you feel are best for your health and recovery.
I welcome your comments and questions along the way. You can write me in the comments/chat section or any time at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org