God's Health Care Plan

The health care debate in America is "blowin' up" and getting out of control. Sanity please!

I’m not proposing that I know God’s heart when it comes to health care for America. Public option. Grandma death panels. Increased taxes for small business. I’m not sure what God thinks of those things, but His Word does talk about some really important things that I think are being missed or glossed over during this national debate.

“Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:13-17)

First of all, it’s kind of funny that Peter wrote this. The same Peter who wanted to fight the authority forces of power that came to arrest Jesus (and did, cutting off an ear). The same Peter at wits end for denying Jesus three times and then hearing the cock crow (Luke 22). The same Peter who met on the beach with the resurrected Christ (John 21), promising to follow Jesus and striving towards bringing His kingdom here to earth, even if it would cost his life (and it did).

Jesus changed Peter tremendously.

Maybe it was coincidence that Peter, with no medical training, became an amazing physician himself, healing a lifelong cripple in an instant (Acts 3). No, it wasn’t an accident. Christ was the reason that Peter was empowered to take care of such a sick man.

I point this passage and Peter’s story out to ask: are Christ followers doing and being health care in America, or are they just arguing, complaining, and debating like the rest of the world?

The passage in 1 Peter emphasizes “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men…Love the brotherhood of believers.”

When was the last time Christ followers took care of widows and orphans? (James 1:27)

Are Christ followers serving the needy out of a desire for wordly recognition or a passion to love Jesus? (Matthew 6:1-4)

Do Christ followers pray in the morning that their leaders during the day will be seeking to make health care decisions that are after God’s own heart? (1 Timothy 2:1) Doing this because they know that the Lord Mighty God is completely in control?

Are Christ followers giving more of themselves to others, losing their life by the world’s standards, than they are expecting or taking from others? (Luke 9:23-27)

It’s great to be zealous and passionate about certain proposals regarding the future of health care in America. Yet, Christ followers can set a greater and more powerful example for health care reform by living out Jesus’ example and His teachings on health care, and not just debating it.