Earlier this week, a friend told me a story of a situation she encountered in one of her classes while talking to a group of people who are all members of the same church here in Waco. One of the girls in the group had been sick for about a week or so, but, instead of going to a doctor to have her symptoms diagnosed and treated, she and some other members of her church community were praying for her healing. During this class, she told the others, including my friend, that her symptoms had not improved and that she was most likely going to make an appointment to see the doctor. My friend, somewhat jokingly, made a comment that maybe through her prayers God was providing her with more faith in modern medicine. The entire group was stunned and offended by this comment and reprimanded her, asserting, "Prayer is a very powerful thing."
I find this story very interesting because it perfectly illustrates one Christian perspective regarding modern medicine, although not necessarily one that is relatively common, that I wish to address. Modern medicine is an issue that raises debate among some Christians who feel that faith in modern medicine contributes to a lack of faith in the power of God and his healing. Like the people mentioned in the story above, many Christians believe that prayer and scripture are effective in bringing about healing of disease and sickness, including mental illness. Although I fully believe that God has the power to heal any person of any disease or illness, I believe that God has blessed us with the success and progressivism of modern medicine as a means of healing, which we should fully utilize.
The use of modern medicine in contrast with God's divine healing power raises controversy due to a fundemental disconnect in perspective. One perspective argues that God's divine and omnipotent power is sufficient for healing and that embracing modern medicine undermines faith in God's healing power. According to these premises, faith in modern medicine and faith in God's healing power are mutually exclusive beliefs. The antithetical perspective, however, argues that, while God is fully capable of healing by his power alone, more often than not, modern medicine is also needed. This position, however, places characteristics of absolute necessity on modern medicine. In other words, modern medicine is needed despite God's true sovereignty.
What these contrasting perspectives lack is some sort of middle ground. God's healing power is indeed fully sufficient under any circumstance. Therefore, we do not necessarily need modern medicine. God has gifted us with life; furthermore, he has blessed us with technology that is intended to improve our quality of life. James assures us that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be akin of firstfruits of all he created" (NIV James 5:17-18). Because God has blessed us with the success and benefit of modern medicine for healing, a person of faith can both pray for healing and embrace modern medicine as a means by which God gifts his people with an improved quality of life. Simply put, faith, prayer, and modern medicine are not mutually exclusive from one another: they work in tandem.
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