I’m not a physician, of course—but the fact that you’ve lost several members of your family to cancer should be like a red flag, warning you not to delay seeing your doctor. Even if you didn’t have this pattern in your family, it still would be important for you to be checked regularly.

After all, God gave our bodies to us, and He wants us to take care of them and avoid anything that might bring them harm. Many of the laws that God gave to the ancient Israelites in the Old Testament were meant to help them stay healthy and avoid sickness. Jesus devoted much of His ministry to healing the sick and restoring them to health. When we give our lives to Christ, the Bible says, “You are not your own. … Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Why do you avoid seeing your doctor? Only you can say, of course—but I suspect the reason can be put in one word: fear. In other words, you know what’s happened to your relatives—and you fear the same might happen to you. But if your house were on fire, you wouldn’t stand around waiting for it to burn down; you’d call the fire department. And cancer is like a fire; it needs to be discovered and dealt with immediately.

Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ. Then ask Him to help you trust Him for your future—beginning with a call to your doctor.

Have you trusted Christ with your future?