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How
did you come to faith in Jesus Christ? Who communicated
the good news to you? Maybe your parents, a
Sunday-school teacher or a good friend brought
you to Jesus as a young child. Perhaps you heard
the message over the radio or at a public meeting.
Some of you became believers through reading
JCN!
I
grew up in a Christian family, so I heard about
Jesus all my life. It never occurred to me that
not following Jesus was an option, but it wasn't
until I got to college that I began to realize
that this faith relationship should make a major
difference in the way I lived my life, including
my nursing practice. I began to encounter the
gospel in new ways through different media,
and suddenly I heard it, as if for the
first time.
Many
of our patients and colleagues today did not
grow up in Christian homes. Some of them have
never attended a church service, read the Bible
or heard the gospel presented clearly. God gives
us a unique opportunity to share our faith with
them, but the challenge of communicating clearly
remains.
The
apostle Paul explained it this way: "But
how are they to call on one in whom they have
not believed? And how are they to believe in
one of whom they have never heard? And how are
they to hear without someone to proclaim him?
. . . . So faith comes from what is heard, and
what is heard comes through the word of Christ"
(Rom 10:14-17). In other words, we are called
to be evangelists.
"But
I don't have the gift of evangelism!" you
may protest. Although some people do seem to
have a special knack for drawing others to the
Lord, we are all called to spread the word.
That doesn't mean collaring people and preaching
at them, but it does require that we know what
we believe and how to articulate it clearly.
Jesus
and the early evangelists used gentle words
and fascinating methods to communicate the gospel
to the world. Jesus intrigued a woman sitting
by a well, engaging her in conversation. On
some occasions, although he was a well-known
public speaker, he used other methods of communication.
Early in his ministry, he called a group of
people to follow him. He traveled with this
small group, teaching them through his words
and his lifestyle. He joined people in their
everyday activities--fishing, carpentry, walking,
family meals and parties. He touched people,
told stories, performed miracles, preached sermons
and demonstrated his message through his actions.
Word and deed were closely intertwined.
His
followers began writing orderly accounts of
what Jesus did and said. Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John recorded not only the history but also
the significance of those words and events.
Other disciples wrote letters, preached sermons
and mentored others. The word spread rapidly,
despite the limited means of communication.
Today we carry on that legacy: spreading the
gospel of Jesus Christ within our own spheres
of influence.
Those
spheres now go far beyond our immediate environment.
We live in the information age. The means of
communication available to us would confound
the early disciples. For example, I have a friend
who evangelizes through Internet chat rooms
by entering into thoughtful dialogue with proponents
of energy-based alternative therapies. Another
nurse has started a health information program
on a local Christian radio station. She always
includes a spiritual dimension. Listeners can
call in to ask questions during the program
or to talk with the host later.
Most
nurses thrive on encouraging patients one-to-one,
while a few enjoy the thrill of public speaking.
Others prefer the discipline of writing for
professional journals. We occasionally hear
from JCN readers--from Mongolia to ANA
headquarters--who have been drawn to Christ
through reading JCN. Others have heard
the good news through a continuing nursing education
event, others in quiet conversation with a colleague
who showed compassion during a time of crisis.
In each case, someone communicated the gospel
openly.
We
have a powerful message to communicate. Sharing
your experience of God’s grace may touch someone
deeply, both personally and professionally.
Think about how you have seen God at work in
your life and in nursing. In what ways have
you felt the Lord's direction in an ethical
dilemma? What insights have you gained about
how the gospel applies to nursing? How has God
comforted you in a stressful situation? Then
consider what latent gifts for communication
you need to develop. The Lord wants you to use
them to share your experience and spread the
word of his love and redemption.
Good
communication doesn't just come naturally for
most of us. It takes work. To get started, think
about how you communicate best and then develop
a plan for developing that skill. First, find
a mentor who can guide you, someone who does
well what you want to do. Spend time observing,
listening and asking for feedback. Second, look
for opportunities to learn communication skills:
take a course on writing, speech making, website
design or maybe even basic word processing.
Read everything you can on the topic. Explore
the World Wide Web. Third, find non-threatening
ways to practice your developing skills. Offer
to write an article for your church newsletter.
Begin an e-mail correspondence with a friend
who is seeking God. Pray with a patient. Teach
a small-group continuing education program in
your area of expertise. Mentor a younger Christian
nurse.
Finally,
take a risk. Submit an article to a nursing
journal, and be willing to learn from rejection
as well as acceptance. Speak at a major event,
and read evaluations carefully so you can improve
next time. Share your personal testimony of
faith with a colleague, patient or a large group,
and remember that even the apostle Paul ran
into scoffers as well as those who responded
in faith. The results are God's business. Our
job is merely to be witnesses--in our immediate
environment, in the wider community and "to
the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).--JAS
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