Patterns of Christ in Your Nursing Practice
As followers of Christ we are called to be fishers of men. In this world we are ambassadors for Christ in whatever profession we pursue. As nurses we are entrusted with the task of ministering to sick, vulnerable people who are in crisis. What a great privilege to be the hands of Jesus reaching out to touch the suffering in holistic ways. For the follower of Jesus, nursing can be uniquely used as we are “co-workers in God’s service.” (2 Cor 3:9a NIV)
In these COVID days, there are encouraging stories of hope in the midst of such sickness & death. One such story is about a pastor and his wife where I live in Southeast Asia. They both began having trouble breathing and were admitted to a local Baptist hospital where they subsequently tested positive for COVID. Within five days the pastor had passed away. His wife was left behind, still struggling to breathe while grappling with the death of her husband. She ended up spending almost 3 weeks in the hospital.
There were days when she was sorely downcast and lonely. The Lord used nurses to encourage and strengthen her faith. One nurse in particular, who was tasked with wheeling her to x-ray, would encourage her to smile and then would sing the same song every time, “Hati yang gembira adalah obat…” Translated that means, “A joyful heart is good medicine,” which quotes Proverbs 17:22. This pastor’s wife was eventually released from the hospital and her faith remains strong today, saying, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
How can we look to Jesus as our guide when we interact with patients? Firstly, Jesus preached and healed. In Matthew 4:23, Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Secondly, Jesus called sinners to repent. In order to do so, it was necessary for Jesus to spend time with the people he was calling into the light. “When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, ‘Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this, Jesus told them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Mark 2:16-17) Jesus spent time with those who needed a doctor to heal their sin-sick souls. We, too, should seek out those who need healing of both body and soul, that they may too have the chance to repent and be saved.
This should be our pattern for both our lives and our patient care, because Jesus lives in us and through us. By namesake, are we not “little Christs?” As nurses, we are uniquely equipped and positioned to touch the lives of sick people, just as Jesus modeled for us.
I have recently heard the story of a Muslim woman, currently in the hospital with COVID, who has been encouraged by Christian nurses who have tended to her needs. This woman, though a follower of Islam and admitted to a Muslim hospital, is being shown the light of Christ as Christian nurses employed at that facility are Caring for her. These nurses are being light in the darkness by extending grace and mercy to all patients, regardless of their religious affiliation. These nurses know that Jesus came as “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” They trust that He willingly gave His life as a perfect sacrifice for all nations! You see, the light shines the brightest in the darkest places. Nurses have such a great opportunity for being beacons of the Light to push back the darkness, bringing hope found in Christ alone!
Written by Nancy Patterson, RN. Nancy and her husband Doug serve as career missionaries to Southeast Asia.