Read the following and write a well crafted response to the questions:
"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21, NIV 2011). I've worked with Jeffries a number of years, treating his multiple myeloma. Myeloma is a fascinating disease with many recent scientific discoveries. Each time Jeffries' myeloma has become resistant to one therapy, a new therapy has been developed that controls his disease for another year. Three months ago we made the switch to a drug called carfilzomib. He came in today for an evaluation of his response to the new medicine and his numbers were great. Jeffries loves the Lord and I joked with him, "You are never going to get into heaven with a doctor as good as me." He just chuckled and shook his head. I tend to joke a lot with my patients, but this joke made me stop and wonder. What am I really trying to accomplish here? As Christians, we pour ourselves into the science and hard work of making illness better and helping our patients live longer. But, in truth, we'll never keep anyone who loves our Lord from heaven. Life is short for all of us, with or without cancer. We may hold death back for a while, but only a bit. What do we accomplish that really matters? Certainly keeping the lost alive gives them time to be found. But, is it really my job to keep Christians out of heaven? Life is actually far better on the other side of glory. Paul knew the answer: "To live is Christ." Life on this side of glory is all about relationships, relationships that begin here and might last forever. More time on this side of glory allows more time to build relationships that might lead to eternal friendships. More time on this side allows us more time to show and live the love of Christ. More time on this side gives God more time to chisel away our sin and chisel in the likeness of Christ. More Christians on this side of glory helps delay the depravity of man that rises to drown us all. As Christians, we will all get to heaven soon enough, but God has more for us to do on this side of glory. And we in Christian healthcare are privileged to help keep the laborers for His kingdom on this side to accomplish His work. Perhaps we need to encourage them more to get about the business for which God is keeping them here.
Questions: 1. How do you answer the doctor's query--is our job in healthcare really to keep Christians out of heaven? 2. How do balance faith and the profession as a healthcare administrator? 3. How should we use the "more time" we have on earth? Dear Father, Help me to use my skills so that many will suffer less and live longer. And help me launch them into your service. Amen