Does this sound familiar? There’s something wrong with your child. Nothing you do seems to help. As their misery increases, so does your anxiety. You worry, “Just how serious is this?” We only want our child to be OK. We want their pain and suffering to stop. So, we call the doctor, he or she will know what to do…
Whether you’re taking your child to the doctor because of a high fever, a broken arm, or because “something” is just not right, there’s a temptation to hand your child’s health completely over to a fellow human. There are steps you can take to keep Christ the Center and squarely in charge – and not hand our Father’s role over to a man.
First, why is it so important that Christ is the center of your doctor’s appointment? Well, to put it bluntly, God wants to be.
Have you ever heard someone say that since doctors receive their skills from God, God must be working through them? (Wait a minute! It was me who said that years ago, sure my newborn’s heart surgeon, a wonderful man, was a messenger of God, and I could trust his words completely.) Yes, God certainly is the giver of skills and talents. He is also always in control. But if we hold a doctor too high up and follow their guidance without consulting God first for ourselves we’re really grasping at straws instead of grasping onto Him. He doesn’t want any person to come between us because He knows that even those who love Him will fail. Doctors are human. God wants us to seek His advice because He loves us and wants to be Lord over every aspect of our lives. He wants to be the head doctor for your child.
Sometimes, as Christians, we will use God to support the doctor’s plans instead of letting God Himself call the shots. We go to God after we have gone to the doctor and pray that He will bless all that the doctor wants to do. I think that Scripture explains it best.
Listen to how 1 Chronicles describes King Saul, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD;” (1 Chronicles 10: 13-14a, New King James Version). Did you hear that? King Saul turned to another human instead of turning to God.
King Saul wasn’t the only one to do this. King Asa, who once removed his own mother from the throne because of her idol worship, turned away from God and towards “experts” instead, “And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians,” (2 Chronicles 16:12, New King James Version).
Both of these men began by loving God passionately. Both also gradually walked away from that love and focused it on someone else. King Saul turned to his many wives and their idols. King Asa lost his trust in God and gave it to others – first the Syrians and then a doctor. If it could happen to them, Dear One, couldn’t it happen to us? If we are frightened for our child, it is very easy to grab on to a knowledgeable human and put our hopes in them.
So, how do we do it? How do we put Christ at the center in the doctor’s office? Don’t worry! It’s really not too hard! All it takes is prayer and relying on His promises. First, before the appointment pray, “Father, in the name of Jesus, I give you _____ (your child’s name). Protect us, bring him/her your healing, and give me your wisdom. Guide the doctor and me both.” Also pray the armor of God on yourself and your child. Found in Ephesians 5: 14-17, Paul describes the armor that will not only protect you from the lies of the enemy and fear, but empower you with faith and truth. Ask God to set His belt of truth around your waist, cover you with His breastplate of righteousness (which also protects your feelings), set His helmet of salvation upon your head (guarding your thoughts), place his shoes of peace on your feet, put His mighty shield of faith in one hand, and the sword of His word in the other. Pray the same for your child. We are dependent on His protection. Make sure your family is covered in His impenetrable armor!
Not only do you need God’s protection, but if you are afraid for your child’s well-being, you also need to cling to the promises of His Word. I would like to share with you a couple of verses that are powerful reminders that you are not alone and just who this awesome God is that we serve. (You may want to cut these out and stick them in your purse!)
2 Kings 6: 16-17 (New King James Version) – “So, he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them’. And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Beloved, do not fear, that same army is with you in your battle! (Please read 2 Kings 6: 1–18 to get a better understanding of these verses.) Let this verse remind you of who is for you and thank God for His protection.
Luke 4: 40 (New King James Version) – “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.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg of what God wants to give to us IF we take Him with us to the doctor’s office. (Want more prayers and powerful verses? You’ll love “The Faith Challenge”!)
So, my friend, are you ready to learn with me from King Saul’s and King Asa’s mistakes? Let’s make sure that the next time we take our child to the doctor that we take a deep breath, seek God first, and then keep Him at the center of our visit.
In His Love,
Kimberly
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