Take your medicine

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Selfcare”

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” 1 Timothy 5:23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Take your medicine”

In the days of the Apostle Paul and Timothy, wine was used for medicinal purposes. Timothy was a young pastor in a difficult ministry position leading a dysfunctional church filled with argumentative, immoral, and downright difficult people. The poor kid probably had ulcers. Evidently Paul felt that a little wine would be helpful (on some days Timothy probably felt like it would require a lot of wine, but you see the point. Paul was telling him to take his medicine.)

We are fortunate and blessed to live in the age of medical science. I believe God uses modern medicine, therapies, surgeries, and medical professionals as His healing miracles in our day. But if we don’t avail ourselves of those medical resources that He has made available to us, then we are spurning the offered blessing and the possible healing that God may have wanted us to have.

This is a matter of good selfcare. It is also a matter of stewardship. As we learned in a previous devotional in this series, our physical body is a gift from God and it is intended to be used by Him for kingdom-building purposes. That being the case, we have a responsibility to take proper care of it. That will certainly include things like good nutrition, exercise, getting sufficient sleep, and more. But it also includes getting regular checkups, going to the doctor when you are sick, taking your medicine, and accepting the medical procedures that are available to you. This needs to be pointed out because many people are stubborn about it. They don’t take good care of themselves; they don’t go to the doctor; and they won’t take their medicine.

I have a friend who is dying of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer! Prostate cancer is 100% treatable and curable when discovered early. It is also one of the slowest growing cancers. All that is required to detect and treat it is regular prostate exams. But my friend was one of those many, many men who simply refused to get a regular exam. In fact, he had never had one. Consequently, by the time the cancer was discovered it was already stage four and it had already metastasized and spread to other organs and into his bones. This should not have been a terminal illness. It was completely unnecessary and entirely preventable.

An important part of good selfcare involves getting regular checkups and screening exams, and then, within reason, taking advantage of the interventions that the Lord has made available to you. My advice for today is “take your medicine!”

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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