Sickness 677
Timothy. Timothy possessed a weak stomach and was afflicted
frequently with ailments. Instead of scolding him for lack of faith
and failure to be cured directly from God, Paul persuaded Timothy to
use a little wine for it would be beneficial to him. What the Apostle
here enjoins us to use is some such element as wine, something
neutral in its innate character.
From this case we may learn a lesson. We must, it is very true,
believe and depend on God (even as Timothy must have done) ; even
so, we at the same time should not go to extremes. If our body is
weak we should learn to be led by the Lord to eat some singularly
nourishing food. By using a little of such nourishments according to
the leading of the Lord, our body shall be strengthened. Before our
body is fully redeemed we continue naturally to be human beings ho
yet possess a physical body. We should therefore be attentive to its
natural needs.
Such use of nutrients is not contradictory to faith. Only, believers
need to be cautious lest they know merely these nutrients and do not
trust in God.
Better to Be HealedSome of God’s saints have run to extremes. They were naturally
hard and obstinate but were broken by God through sickness sent
them. By submitting themselves to the purpose of God’s
chastisement they became most gentle, kind, soft and holy. However,
since sickness has been so effective in transforming their lives, they
begin to relish sickness more than health. They view sickness to be
an enzyme to spiritual growth. They aspire no more to be healed but
accept unnaturally instead the sickness which comes to them. They
now contend that were they meant to be whole, God would step in
Himself and heal them. According to their reckoning, it is less
troublesome to be godly in sickness than in health, one is nearer to
God in inactivity and suffering than in activity, and it is more