Nursing: On Mission for Christ
I remember one patient who was a young girl, almost 17 years old, who had recently been diagnosed with leukemia. Her condition took a downturn and she became very afraid of dying. I remember having conversations with her about those fears, hearing her confess her sinful state while voicing her inner helplessness at the prospect of facing a holy God on the other side of death. After sharing the gospel message with her, she embraced it humbly and gratefully. I witnessed a peace in her countenance that was not there previously.
Her newfound faith helped her to overcome fear and she was ready to face either life or death, whatever the Lord willed for her. Throughout last week of her life in the hospital, she loved listening to worship music and had a song of praise in her heart when she passed from this life to be with her Savior. The Lord God Jehovah Rapha had, indeed, given her complete healing. The gospel of Jesus offers hope in this life and the one to come!
Do you see what a great ministry we have in the nursing profession? We are uniquely equipped and positioned to touch the lives of sick people. By serving “the least of these” you are giving a cup of water in the Master’s Name! What a privileged and unique role to be called to! So how do we go about living on mission?
Abide in Christ In John 15:5 (NIV) Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This is first and foremost because without abiding in Christ we can do nothing of eternal significance! Be sure you stay connected to the Vine by daily reading His Word and seeking to be led by the Spirit throughout the day.
Be a witness for Him in both word and deed. 1 John 3:18 (ISV) says, “Little children, we must stop expressing love merely by our words and manner of speech; we must love also in action and in truth.” Your actions and attitudes need to align with the words that come from your mouth.
Do your job with excellence, as unto the Lord! In the Berean Study Bible Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is Christ you are serving.” These words were written to slaves of households. Yet, as slaves of Christ, this is a good word for us! Go the extra mile (with a smile and not begrudgingly). Don’t compromise quality of care. Demonstrate honesty, integrity, reliability and responsibility. Remember that you represent Christ in your workplace among other employees, your patients and their families.
Listen to your patients. James 1:19b (NIV) says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Many people just need to be heard! I remember during the days following the devastating tsunami in December 2004, much of our ministry in providing health clinics involved simply listen to their story and allowing them to process their loss. Many people came in with general symptoms: headaches, sleeplessness, nightmares, shortness of breath, elevated blood pressure, nervousness, heightened fears, etc. Those symptoms were manifestations of their PTSD. Before prescribing any medications, we took the time to listen to them and pray for them! For many their cultural norms encouraged them to suppress their grief and not talk about their loss. Being quick to listen was one way we could show God’s love while helping them process their grief and relieve some stress.
Serve your patients with patience. I had a friend who gave me some good advice about working with people who had just moved overseas. In their first year while learning a new language/culture they become quite helpless and stripped of their former identity and they struggle to communicate, sounding like a child again! She said, “Be gracious and patient with them because they are “sick” and not really themselves.” In nursing I found that to be true with my patients as well. They were also helpless and feeling vulnerable, out of their comfort zone, and needed grace and patience when they acted out of character! As caregivers we need to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 includes patience as one evidence of God’s Spirit working in us. The Lord wants to work through us to display something which is different than the common grace and good works done by other image bearers. As abiding followers of Jesus, He wants us to be caregivers who are enabled do things that otherwise we would not be able to do on own – exhibiting extraordinary patience! This is what sets us apart and draws others to Christ.
Pray for your patients. Pray for their healing, for a conviction of sin, for a sense of helplessness and restlessness that would lead them to ponder their mortality and be open to a work of God’s Spirit. Offer to pray with your patients when you are with them! I remember a group of nursing students from Texas who came on a short-term trip to our local hospital. They were challenged to add this small gesture to their nursing care when they returned to America – simply offer to pray with and for their patients! Sometimes this opens up the door for further gospel conversations.
Pray that you would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. (Ephesians 6:19) Do you know how to share the gospel? Ephesians 6:15 (NIV) says to have “your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” 1 Peter 3:15b (NIV) says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” Have some tools in your belt ready to use! (A few examples would be the following: the Roman Road, Three Circles, Any Three, the Bridge, your personal testimony.)
Ephesians 6:17b lists an important part of the armor of God - “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” You need to be prepared and ready with memorized Scripture that you can readily bring up in conversation. In conversing with patients, it might be good to remember a suggested order of steps: listen to their story; tell your story and then tell His story. Your story is a simple retelling of your life before Christ, how you came into a relationship with Christ, and now your life walking with Him. It doesn’t glorify anything about you but magnifies the glory of Him who is the Savior which draws others to Him when He is lifted up.
In summary, nursing and missions are divinely intertwined for followers of Christ! Physical healing may prolong our life on earth but spiritual healing lasts for eternity! The Great Commission was given by Jesus to his followers in Matthew 28:18-20. He said to “…go and make disciples of all nations…” You may not be called to another country to live and serve among a foreign nation, nevertheless, in this 21st century the nations are coming to America. As you go to your place of work and service, be reminded that you are Christ’s ambassadors and the fragrant aroma of Christ. Pray that the Lord would use you see His rule and reign come in the hearts of men, one patient at a time. Pray the Lord would allow you to be His hands, feet and words of peace for the sick to bring about healing both physically and spiritually. Only the Prince of Peace can give peace with God so they can, then, experience true peace from God!
Written by Nancy Patterson, RN. Nancy and her husband Doug serve as career missionaries to Southeast Asia.