Faith for someone else

Today my wife went to the doctor for a check up as post op for her back surgery. Doc said she needs to get rid of her back brace but she is scared because she feels unstable without it. He told her that it will begin to hinder her progress the longer she wears it. She likes to be in control of her surroundings as I am sure most of us do.

I was sent a PM from someone on another board telling me the following

Did know that fear and Faith do not mix. U Must cast that spirit of fear off of her. Now u must have Faith for her. does this make sense to u.

Now, I have heard this concept before but what does the bible say about this? As far as I am concerned it is more or less of pushing her to loosen her grip on the back brace and push out into the pain she does have so that it can heal. Doc says that X rays show nothing shows to show she is unstable. It could be all in her mind and/or her back muscles are sore because they haven't been allowed to move a great deal.

Does the above quote have any agreement in this situation?

John

I tend to be reluctant to take the advice of someone who, since they didn't pay attention in their high school English class, probably didn't pay much attention in Sunday School either.

Maybe in this case it would be better to go with the advice of experienced medical professionals. As a former medical professional, I did learn that it is extremely important for both muscle tone and skeletal flexibility to keep moving. Obviously if there is pain there is a reason for it, but keeping limber is part of wise pain control. Your wife will probably respond well to your kind encouragement and words of comfort.

The drill sergeant approach may not be quite appropriate, but a little challenge to do a little more than what she thinks she can should be good for her.

No I am neither a doctor or Dear Abby. But as a stranger on a forum I get to play them occasionally. Chew the meat, spit out the bones.

Deadn-

I see where that statement comes from, but rather than debate
it, I would just like to say that We are likened to a bride to Christ, and we see His approach to our fears. He is patient and kind and He washes us in His Word- thus building our faith. How better to cast out a fear than by becoming strong through perfect love?

I have been fearful over things pertaining to health and so It's easy for me to try and put myself in your wife's shoes.
My friends in Christ loving acknowledged my fears and offered to pray with me daily,praying for peace and selecting verses to comfort, pointing out Gods love and help to encourage me. Each time the fear became my main focus, God sent a Christian to redirect meditations to Him and His Word. Eventually, I was willing to let go of my fear and hold onto Him. You are in a unique position to minister to your wife. I don't even want to try to work out the theology of it all. Only look to Jesus as the model husband and you won't go wrong.
~Onemite

Sidewalk
I agree as well. I don't think this scenario is applicable to what this individual is saying. Your comment about the school thing is amusing because the people involved in this particular form say the same thing to this person.

In hindsight it is more or less coaching my wife through it. She wants to be in control and when the doctor is taking it away from her she panics a bit but when you have a comfort zone and you know where pain is it is natural to gravitate away from it even if it means using something to help.

I think the words of this person are a bit overkill. While I can pray for God to heal her her actual healing is going to come about by exercise and freeing herself of the backbrace and stepping away from the medication that she holds on to for pain relief.
How does one juggle prayer for healing and knowing it is God who healed her vs. her taking the steps the doctor has dictated and she being healed along that road? Meaning, prayer didn't heal her back. She had to have an operation because the discs were so bad. Prayer isn't really going to heal her post op situation because it requires the body to be exercised.

Am I missing something in between there?

John

Deadn- I think you are right on.

However, you can still help her to let go of the fear by strengthening her faith in God and teaching her to take Him as her brace/crutch/ everything.