When you consider humanity’s ever-increasing struggle and stated desire for wellness, is there any doubt that we’re in a battle? Shouldn’t we be further along? Just look at the upward trend in the use of pharmaceutical medications. We are not against pharmaceutical drugs, but we are very passionately against the overuse and unnecessary use of medications.
Why? Because medications are not about healing disease. Medications are about managing conditions.
If we believe 3rd John 2 that God is all about healing, then we can’t believe God is completely satisfied by the mere management of conditions. Let’s look at Galatians 5:19–20:
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions.” (Emphasis added)
The Apostle Paul, under what we believe to be God’s direction, is talking to the Galatian church about the decline of their lifestyle. Regarding the word sorcery, the original Greek word is pharmakeia. We derive pharmacy and pharmaceuticals by this same word.
There seems to be symbiotic view of pharmakeia and sorcery working hand in hand. This seems to indicate that a dependence upon drugs to bring about healing is a form of substitution—or distraction from the real source of health.
Even in the most recent pandemic, we are still searching and looking for a “pill for the will.” Isn’t something deeply troubling with that? A sole dependence upon drugs to heal certainly doesn’t agree with the biblical principle, does it?
What about insurance? Doesn’t that help us? There seems to be no escaping many forms of insurance in our society: homeowners, auto, health, and endless other forms of coverage.
The question to consider is this: When does insurance pay?
The answer is: When something goes wrong.
When does car insurance pay? When the car breaks. Does car insurance pay for putting air in your tires? Does it pay for oil changes? Tune-ups? Fuel? No.
When does health insurance pay? When you’re sick.
“Health insurance” is probably the improper term for that particular protective mechanism. It’s not health insurance, it’s sick insurance. It’s catastrophe insurance.
When something breaks or goes wrong in our bodies, we’re sadly mistaken if we believe health insurance will pay for our “tune ups” and “fuel.” How silly!
Health insurance is important, but too many people have been lulled into dependence on pharmaceutical and insurance companies. (And in our view, more money is spent on the advertising of a medication to fuel this dependence than is invested in the research and development of the product.)
How many peoples’ insurance premiums and deductibles go up every year? We believe that if we pay our $5,000 deductible, the insurance company will pay for everything. But we forgot they took an additional five thousand more dollars from us over and above our monthly premium.
Do not be deceived by this tactic. Insurance is a for-profit business, and consistent customers are the best source of consistent insurance income. Aiming to get people well would bankrupt big business.
We need to understand how to keep that money in our pockets. That’s what “well care” does—it keeps the deductible in your pocket. Every year.
The best way to get well is to ask God to grant us a new perspective and mindset – that He does not need drugs and insurance to bring and produce healing in our lives.
By Doctors Mark and Michele Sherwood
Mark is a doctor in nutrition and Michele is a medical doctor. They are authors of a number of best-selling health and wellness books and lead The Functional Medical Institute, a wellness-based medical practice in Tulsa, OK.
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