When a Family Member Is Sick

HOW TO VIEW MEDICAL TREATMENT

Balanced Christians do not object to medical treatment as long as it does not go against God's law.   When a member of their family becomes ill, they are eager to seek help to relieve the suffering of the afflicted one.  Still, there may be conflicting professional opinions that must be weighed. Additionally, in  recent years new diseases and disorders have been cropping, and for many of these, there is no generally accepted method of treatment. Even accurate diagnoses are sometimes difficult to obtain.  What, then, should a Christian do?

Although one Bible writer was a physician and the apostle Paul offered helpful medical advice to his friend Timothy,the Scriptures are a moral and spiritual guide, not a medical textbook.   (Colossians 4:14; 1 Timothy 5:23)  Hence, in matters of medical treatment, Christian family heads have to make their own balanced decisions. Perhaps they may feel that they need to obtain more than one professional opinion.  (Compare Proverbs 18:17)  They will certainly  want the best available help for their sick family member, and most seek this among regular medical doctors.  Some feel more comfortable  with alternative health therapies. This too is a personal decision.  Still, when handling health problems, Christians do not cease to let "God's word be a lamp to their foot and a light to their roadway.'  (Psalm 119:105)  They continue to follow the guidelines set out in the Bible.  (Isaiah 55:8, 9)  Thus, they shun diagnostic techniques that smack of spiritism, and they avoid treatments that violate Bible principles. -Psalm 36:9; Acts 15:28,29; Revelation 21:8. 

Consider the case of a young Asian woman.  A little while after she began to learn about the Bible as a result of studying with the Jehovah's  Witnesses, she gave birth prematurely to a baby girl who weighed only three and a quarter pounds.  The woman was heartbroken when a doctor told her that the baby would be severely retarded and would never be able to walk. He advised her to surrender the baby to an institution.  Her husband was uncertain about the matter.  To whom could she turn?

She says:  "I remember learning from the Bible that 'sons are an inheritance from Jehovah; the fruitage of the belly is a reward.' " (Psalm 127:3) She decided to take this inheritance home and to care for her.  Things were difficult at first, but with the help of Christian friends in the local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, the woman was able to manage and to  provide the child with the special support needed. Twelve years later, the child was going to meeting at the Kingdom Hall and enjoying the company of the youngsters there.  The mother comments: "I am so grateful that Bible principles moved me to maintain a clear conscience before Jehovah God and not to have regrets that would have been with me for the rest of my life." 

Sickness will not be with us forever.  The prophet Isaiah pointed forward to the time when "no resident will say:  'I am sick.' " (Isaiah 33:24) That promised will be fulfilled in the rapidly approaching new world.  Until then, however, we have to live with sickness and death. Happily, God's Word give us guidance and help.  The basic rules of conduct that the Bible provides are lasting, and they transcend the every-changing opinions of imperfect humans.  Hence, a wise person agrees with the psalmist who wrote:  "The law of Jehovah is perfect, bringing back the soul.  The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexperienced one wise. . . . The judicial decisions of Jehovah are true; they have proved altogether righteous. . . . In the keeping of them there is a large reward." -Psalm 19:7, 9, 11. 

Next time:CHAPTER ELEVEN: Maintain Peace in Your Household

From the book: The Secret of FAMILY HAPPINESS