I’ll just go ahead and warn you that some of you reading this will disagree with me. Some of you won’t like what I have to say, and that’s ago. We can agree to disagree, and that’s the fabulous thing about opinion posts. They’re my opinion, but one I feel led to share. So here goes.
Recently I was starting an IV on a patient. It was a difficult stick to say the least, and as I looked at her arm I whispered, “Lord guide my hand.”
The patient answered back quickly, “oh yes, Jesus! I pray she gets it.”
I missed the vein. I decided to try again, and it was at this point my patient told me she was of American Indian descent. Then she proceeded to pray to her ancestors. She asked them to guide my hand and help me obtain venous access.
I still missed, but it did get me to thinking about something. She wanted me to get that IV bad. I wasn’t the first person who had tried and failed, and in her desperation she was grasping at any and all straws. She was covering all her bases. Jesus, her ancestors; you name it. So many of us do this!
I am aware of different cultural practices, and as a nurse and as a human being I respect all personal belief systems of those I encounter. I won’t condemn their practices in any way, but as a Christian I have my own convictions I like to share, and in speaking to fellow Christians I will advise against the practice of “covering all your bases.” In other words, if you have proclaimed your belief in Jesus and made the decision to follow Him then the rest of this post is especially for you.
You can’t spread your faith around to try and get the most bang for your buck. You can’t say you believe God’s got your back, but then seek answers elsewhere. You can’t pray to the Lord to speak His will for your future, but then place any merit on horoscopes you read with hopes that the stars can tell you some good news. You might as well put all your stock in a fortune cookie if you think a paragraph in a beauty magazine has any power in your life.
I personally believe that God is jealous for you, and if you give Him your heart He wants it for real. Not just a little bit, not a piece here and there. He wants all of you. He wants your faith in its entirety, so if you seek the Lord’s favor in prayer then leave it at that.
So many times when we are desperate in life we reach for answers any place we can find them, but this should not be so.
Your pastor cannot save you. Neither can your spouse. Being a mother doesn’t make you whole, and your career will never complete your life. The work you do for your community will earn you no heavenly accolades without the relationship with Jesus that is required to be saved, and if you place your trust in man you’re going to end up dissapointed.
Healing crystals can’t fix what’s ailing you, and reaching out to the spirit world or your spirit guide won’t give you the answers you require. You can’t find the strength you need to carry you in life within yourself, and no matter how long, hard, or deep you “soul search” the love you hold for yourself will never be enough to make you feel complete.
I once knew a guy who dabbled in several different religions. He could as easily be seen performing the sign of the cross one minute, but praying to his statue of Buddha the next. He suffered from mental anguish most of his life, and he projected his pain onto others. He tried to cover all his bases in his pursuit of happiness, but always seemed to fall short. I spoke to him once about it when he landed in my hospital bed, and he seemed agreeable when I told him there was but one way to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus.
You can treat life like a buffet if you wish, taking a taste of this and that, but you will never have a full stomach until you get something with substance. Jesus. In fact, if you try and spread yourself out amongst the world, taking bits and pieces of what sounds good, you’ll actually end up with a tummy ache. And heartache. And emptiness in the end.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
But, even if you do consider yourself a follower of Jesus, and especially then, you must follow Him with your entire heart. It is what He requires.
Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
As Christians especially we must stop dividing our heart, soul, and mind to the world, but surrender it all to the Lord. When you can do this you’ll find complete contentment, the answer to prayer, and a fullness in your life than can’t be discovered elsewhere.
The other things? They’re actually pulling you away from God.
Karl says
Very Well said Brie, as always you are right on target.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you!
Charles Sullivan says
These words of wisdom are surely needed now. I am going thru some dark times right now and I need all the guidance I can muster. Thank you for this.
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you. Praying for you.
lacey says
This has so much truth! We are people who look for a quick and comfortable fix and move on to the next thing that we are assured works. We don’t like hard. As a nurse myself I am just curious how you graciously share/show your faith in our current health system…You are an awesome writer 🙂
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thank you so much. It’s easier to share my faith in my geographical location. I’m in the Bible Belt. Is that what you meant?
bluebell222 says
Thought of you today, since our grandson has been released from a children’s hospital. The nursing staff took extra steps to care for our little guy due to the open heart surgery he had right after birth. I wonder what kinds of thank you’s even come close to letting them know how thankful we are for their care and gentle style of answering questions even when we had asked the same one for times in a row. I did not ask if flowers are allowed in the cardiac unit of the hospital. What kinds of things do nurses appreciate when patients return to thank them for their kind efforts?
Your post is in line with my beliefs and came at a time when remembering the basics of salvation are a great way to start the day. Thank you for sharing information that is consistent with our main focus for each day.
brieann.rn@gmail.com says
Thanks so much for commenting. Nurses love food as a thank you. Lol. Donuts, cookies, cake. The best ever was when a patient’s family had steak dinners delivered to our unit. Yummo!