God or the Doctor?

Are physicians a blessing from God? Yes, and no. Through the gospel we have learned how to examine the world God gave us, and in doing so we have learned much about our own physical health, and how to maintain it. We have also learned how to fix some of the things that go wrong with our physical health. Now, let me ask it again. Is that a blessing or not? It might seem easy to say that any advancement in health is a blessing, but that is not exactly true.

Any scientific advancement can be a blessing in some way, but many today are more of a curse. The fact that we are learning new things on a daily basis, makes us think that we can learn anything if we just try hard enough (which is not true--some things in creation are left in mystery). This prideful attitude about our own abilities causes us to forget the God Who is truly the Great Physician above all others. It even makes us put more confidence in the knowledge of a physician than in the Almighty power of the Lord God.

If these things that we have learned become a hindrance to our faith, then they are no longer a blessing. For example, if I choose to seek the help of a medical doctor for an ailment that I am suffering with, but that causes me to neglect to pray about the same ailment, then that knowledge of medical science is no longer a blessing and has actually become a curse to me.

Some today (especially some physicians) might take offense at the idea that the field of medical science might be causing us harm. I do know a couple doctors who are not typical in this way, and I am thankful for them and their level-headed view of physical health. Yet, the vast majority of people are quick to laud medical professionals as all "heroes" above and beyond other careers.

In the Old Testament book of Chronicles we are told about something that might shock us:

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe; yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians (2 Chron 16:12).

Do not try to claim that this was 2800 years ago, so it does not apply to us today; "that dog won't hunt". The point is clear: the author is not saying that physicians are always evil. He is saying that to seek the help of a physician while ignoring the One Who created the physician and gave him all of his skill is gravely wrong. Just ask yourself the simple question: when you get sick, which do you first--call the doctor for an appointment, or the Creator for His grace?