Q:
I have a friend who worries all the time about her health. If even the smallest thing goes wrong, she's convinced it must be something serious and she runs to her doctor. I've urged her not to worry so much, but it doesn't do any good. How can I help her?
A:
It’s not necessarily wrong to be concerned about our health, and to be alert to any problems we might have. God gave our bodies to us, and He wants us to take care of them. The Bible tells us to “honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
But we also shouldn’t be overly absorbed with our bodies, or let them control us (instead of us controlling them). Is this your friend’s situation? Perhaps so—although I suspect her problem may be deeper than this, and may even have a spiritual dimension to it. Let me put it this way: What is it she really fears? Is it disability? Is it pain and suffering? Is it a fear of losing control and having to depend on others to help her? Or is it even a fear of death?
Whatever her fears, encourage her to face them—and then turn them over to God. God loves her, and when we know Christ and have put our faith and trust in Him, we know He’ll never abandon us. If she has never done so, urge her to commit her life to Christ today. Remember: Fear flees in the light of God’s love.
Then encourage her to turn to Christ every day, and to put her trust in Him no matter what happens. The Bible says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you” (Isaiah 46:4).