What Does The Bible Say About Preventive Medicine?

Trust in God does not mean neglecting the gifts He gives health care providers to prevent and treat illness and injury. Verses throughout the Bible speak about caring for your body, including participating in preventive medicine.

What Is Preventive Medicine?

Preventive medicine is not the same as the medications and recommendations for treating an illness or injury you currently have. It’s the care you seek to prevent those instances from happening.

Many things can count as preventive medicine, including the following:

• Yearly physical exams
• Mammograms, colonoscopies and other age-related tests
• Conversations about current lifestyle choices and healthy changes
• Mental health consultations and counseling

Seeking out preventive medicine has many benefits and the Bible backs the practice with these five verses.

1. ​​1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him, because God’s temple is holy (and you are that temple).”

This verse from 1 Corinthians says our bodies are temples created by God. We must care for those temples just as we would a religious temple.

Maintaining your body with preventive appointments is like painting over chips and replacing torn carpeting. Getting mental and spiritual health care is like honoring the altar and other sacred items inside the temple. Eating and drinking healthy foods and beverages is like filling the temple with servants of God to worship.

In other words, God wants you to take care of yourself and treating your body as a sacred gift can keep you as healthy as possible. When you take preventive measures to be healthy, you can live fully, embracing your well-being and spreading the good news about Jesus.

2. Hebrews 13:6: “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Many people who do not seek preventive care dread going to the doctor’s office. There are plenty of reasons to avoid a visit, whether it’s the germs, social interactions or time commitment. However, missing preventive medicine could mean minor fixable problems become more complex.

This verse from Hebrews can elicit confidence in Christians. With the Lord by your side, what could a man do to counteract his love and protection? God grants doctors and nurses the gifts to remember the knowledge and gain the skills to treat you. You have the power to seek out medical professionals with good credentials and seek second opinions if you don’t like what they have to say.

Preventive medicine is as much about learning your body as it is treating any issues found. You know how you feel, but the right doctor can explain why. They can also identify information to help you maintain or improve your health.

The best scenario is you go to a preventive appointment and nothing’s wrong. In that case, you know you’re healthy and can continue doing God’s work.

3. Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

This verse from Ephesians emphasizes an important point — God prepares. We are creations of God, saved through Jesus, which God prepared for so we can continue to thrive.

Just as God prepares, the Bible suggests you should prepare for everything He asks of you. Part of being ready for God’s call means preparing our bodies and minds for physical and mental journeys. Getting preventive care is key for this.

Taking advantage of your yearly physical and any tests appropriate for your age and sex can help you prepare your body for the natural changes it will go through and the potential risks it can face. It can assure your body is ready at a moment’s notice to put down your nets and follow the Lord wherever He leads you.

Part of being prepared is seeking out the proper treatment and payment plan. An advantage of preventive care is having time to browse around. When you experience symptoms, you have less opportunity to shop for the right practice, as you often need immediate care.

4. I Corinthians 9:25-27: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Another great verse from 1 Corinthians gives specific examples of practicing preventive medicine. If you do not prepare yourself for significant physical and mental events, you’ll damage your body and exacerbate any small injuries or illnesses you might not know about.

Strict bodily training involves knowing your health, which preventive care is necessary for. Experts recommend attending the doctor before beginning a new exercise program or training plan to ensure you can handle the strain. You risk your body breaking down when you don’t participate in strict training protocols.

You don’t want to make your body ill or broken when you don’t need to. God wants everyone to come as they are, but foolishly damaging your body by not training and preparing for life events goes against the Bible’s teachings.

5. Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Presenting our bodies as sacrifices doesn’t mean damaging them by avoiding preventive care. It means doing everything you can to serve the Lord with your body — helping others, using your gifts and cherishing your loved ones.

Without preventive medicine, you could have an illness or injury that keeps you from being at your best. While a broken body can serve God, you don’t want to abuse the body God gives you if you can seek the care to prevent it.

This verse from Romans says presenting your body is a form of spiritual worship. Engaging in self-care and seeking preventive examinations can help you deliver the best sacrifice possible.

Looking to the Bible for Preventive Care Advice 

The Bible offers many answers to the questions Christians may have and using it along with prayer can help you make the right decisions. It’s safe to say scripture supports seeking medical care, including preventive medicine.