Hey
My question is concerning modesty. I realize what the Bible tells us about how we dress and about covering oneself, but my question has to do with the medical aspect of daily living. I have to go to the doctor very soon and well I was thinking that before I go I should maybe change and find a female doctor. I mean for women certain types of exams can be well very personal and I was thinking going to a male doctor is not really being modest if you think about it. I mean having to undress and have a man who is not your husband examine you even though it is medical still does seem to fall under the teaching we understand in the Word about being modest?? Do you think so or does being a doctor make things different? Just wanting to really walk this out in Him and to take to heart the teaching in the Word concerning modesty and how as young women we should behave.

Thanks for your thoughts
Elizabeth

I can tell you that I would not want my wife to be seen exposed by any other man, doctor or not. My wife's gynecologist/obgyn is a female. I think we are both more comfortable with that.

Not necessarily a biblically supported response, just a personal reaction.

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Ben Fuehrer

I agree 100% with this brother's response. I have been saddened by the blind trust that people place in men, especially those that are not even serving the Lord.

I am not sure when it became so acceptable for a woman to allow what should be covered or hidden, seen by another man. What a shame it was for Noah's own son to look upon his father's nakedness.

I'm sorry I'm being rather vocal about this, but I cringe when I think of a woman of God disrobing before a stranger and I believe our own consciences bear witness to this.

God Bless

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Kathleen

There has been and I believe still will be many who can out of personal experience answer for the struggle and pain caused because of medical procedures carried out by male doctors on their wife’s.

I know I struggled with jealousy and our relationship was challenged to deeper sacrifice and death to self not to long ago, in an incident where only a male doctor was available to perform the medical procedure (D&C). I nearly made a foolish decision which would have cost me my wife’s life. At last I phoned a friend (in another town) of mine who is also a doctor and he rebuked me for postponing so long.

We prayed and the Lord helped us make the difficult decision. The greater struggle came after the whole event was over. But praise be to the Lord, He always wants to set us free from our old man. We were both open and broken and found wonderful victory over the struggle within. I am so blessed to see how the Lord helped me overcome and even saved my wife’s life.

Yet in our mind, we are in Africa and here things are not always left to choice. Were we able to choose we will certainly prefer to walk in the light of our conscience and have woman work with woman and men with men. But that is often not possible when it comes to the medical profession. Not to long ago women could not be doctors, and around here the qualified majority is still men.

God’s Word made men priests, and they were more then often required to examine suspected leprous and adulterous women.

Then in closing I have heard from a number of different doctors that to them those medical procedures are like “working on a car”, it may be a very complex and precious car, but to them it is only work.

This speaks to me, that somehow God must give them that grace, especially if they are Christian.

Therefore dear Elizabeth I feel quite free to say that if you can’t find a woman and the Lord has not answered you plea in faith for healing, but rather gives you direction to a physician go for it. Yet Sister if you can ‘for comfort sake’ go to a woman doctor.

It’s like my father always say, stay in what you have (Biblical) faith for and so follow God.

And for the record I agree with KathleenP and fuehrerbe21 , and yet see a need for discretion.

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Llewellyn van der Merwe

Hey again

I wanted to say thanks for the honest replies and for sharing with me about this.

Kathleen you said that you cringe when you think of a woman of God disrobing before a strange...do you think it was sin for a woman(I did not know at the time and until recently did not feel convicted about this) to have a male doctor examine her. I have had examinations of a personal nature from a male doctor, I am wondering if the Lord is bring this up to me now for a reason. SO that I will know not to put myself in that situation and perhaps I need to repent for past immodesty.

Llywellyn...thank you for sharing this story concerning your wife and your situation. I am in the USA and I have insurance so I can choose who my doctor is. I will have to wait a month but I think that will be alright to do...

Thanks again
Elizabeth

here's the thing i would like to point out, our bodies simply are not ours to show. if God gives a woman and a man to each other in marriage, that is the only person of the opposite gender who is permitted to see these things. the Word is very clear on that. also, would you want your husband to have a female proctologist? probably not. and there is a wonderful reason for that, he's yours, not hers. and you are his, not any other man's. even if you're single, you are still bound to show no man your body. God is honored in our obedience to His Word. God's design for sexual physical intimacy is beautiful and holy. let us be so careful nto to disrespect the marriage convenant. now, in cases like the one mentioned below where there is no choice, God must lead, and if He tells the person to go to the certain doctor then it is His call. but our bodies are not ours, they belong to the Lord and to one man, if He should so will. we really don't take purity/modesty seriously enough nowadays, or realize the far-reaching scope of it. it really does stretch into everything, even doctor appointments. i know some of them just really do think of it like a car, etc....but God sure doesn't think of your body that way!
hope this is helpful and edifying to you. thanks for posting on this, it is good to get godly counsel. i'm grateful He is using this to open your heart about it! be encouraged in that!
:-)

Dear Elizabeth,

First of all, medical professionals don't view the body in the same way as ordinary people. Secondly, where examinations of the body are concerned, doctors and their staff are generally very sensitive to people's modesty issues, and they provide coverings and drapings so the patient does not feel completely exposed. It is also ok to tell your doctor that you are very modest; most will take care to make you as comfortable as possible.

Personally, I look for temperament, approach, bedside manner, compassion, integrity, and good professional standing when it comes to preferring certain physicians and nurses; gender is not a major factor for me.

For example, I would rather see my daughter with a godly, fatherly, male doctor than with a feminist, pro-choice, woman doctor who pushes birth control pills "just in case." By the same token, I'd rather her see a godly, compassionate woman doctor than a gruff, insensitive male.

In my view, gender is beside the point when it comes to selecting a doctor. It is our corrupt culture that has sexualized everything. The fact is, that no matter who is performing them, there are a number of physical exams which lend themselves to humiliation :-o , but, thankfully, most are generally momentary and light.

Hope this is of some help. God bless you.

Hello Everyone,

When read this thread I thought of the woman with the 'issue of blood' who believed if she could only touch the 'hem of His garment,' she would be healed - and she was! She had spent all her money on doctors, seeking healing. Jesus did not rebuke her for this. I do not think they had women doctors at that time, anyone know more about it? Some of them must have examined her before they prescribed treatment.

Run2win wrote

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Janice

Hey
I am grateful for what everyone shared here with me. For me, I feel convicted about having gone to a male doctor for such personal exams and it is something that I have repented of. I am in the process now of working it so I am seen by the nurse practitioner(she is a female) and will be looking to change to a female doctor in the future. For me this is what the Lord is showing me and I want to walk that out with Him.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

Elizabeth

that is so great, elizabeth...i am really desirous to encorage you in this. i see how the Lord gives different things to different people to obey, and so i'm really grateful that you have chosen to obey this which He has given to you.

may His name be glorified in you, dear one! grateful for you sharing your heart!