What is Our Metric for Success?
In medical missionary work, how do we determine when we are genuinely being effective? What is our target or destination? These are questions we all must face at some point in our journey. For those passionate about this work, knowing the goal means we can adjust our practices to better align with our mission. In my career, I went through distinct stages of experience and reflection before fully understanding that goal. I want to share this process so that others on a similar path can recognize where they are and find clarity on the ultimate purpose of medical ministry.
Stage 1: Preventive Care as the Priority
During medical school and residency, I wrestled with the question of how best to serve as a physician. A Bible verse stuck with me: “He that knows to do right and does it not, to him it is sin.” This led me to focus on preventive care, which seemed to fulfill a moral obligation to preserve life. I chose family medicine, knowing it would allow me to emphasize prevention, catch diseases early, and save lives.
As I began practicing, I saw tangible results. Patients were getting better, and many diseases were detected early. Yet, something was missing. My preventative medical care was helpful, but somehow, it was not pointing people to Christ. I realized that while prevention was good, it was not the ultimate goal. It didn’t satisfy the more profound call of medical ministry.
Stage 2: Embracing Natural Remedies and Lifestyle Medicine
Next, I turned to using natural remedies, precisely the eight natural remedies—nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance, air, rest, and trust in divine power. Lifestyle medicine became a significant focus in my residency, as it was closely aligned with the principles of our church. I was hopeful that this approach would help people live healthier lives and lead them to a higher understanding of God’s design for their bodies.
However, over time, I noticed a gap. Many patients embraced the natural methods but weren’t necessarily coming to know Jesus. For many of these patients, their trust in divine power was trusting a power from within them that they created rather than a power greater than themselves. There was enthusiasm for the remedies themselves, but the spiritual connection I longed for wasn’t always happening. I realized that even though lifestyle medicine was valuable, it was not enough. It needed a more profound, spiritual dimension.
Stage 3: Whole-Person Care and Its Limits
The next stage in my journey focused on whole-person care—integrating physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health into my practice. This approach allowed me to address the spiritual aspect more directly, sometimes through specific spiritual interventions like calling a chaplain or offering prayer. I saw better medical outcomes when patients had spiritual support. This approach was exciting, and it brought physicians and pastors together with the common goal of excellent patient care.
Yet, I began to notice a troubling pattern. The emphasis was on spiritual interventions for the sake of better medical outcomes rather than for the sake of introducing people to Christ. It seemed as though the spiritual aspect had become a tool for better physical results, which was backward from what I believed our mission to be. We were focusing on using God’s power to achieve medical success rather than allowing medical interventions to point people to God. This shift in perspective left me uneasy. I knew there was more to discover.
Stage 4: Discovering the True Goal—Completing the Gospel Commission
Finally, I reached a turning point. I attended a program where pastors and physicians discussed the role of spiritual care in medicine. The presentations focused on using spiritual modalities to achieve excellent medical outcomes. While the information was helpful, the question burned in my mind: How does this help us complete the gospel commission?
When I asked this question, the response I received was silence. It became clear to me that while our medical interventions could improve physical health, they weren’t always leading people to a relationship with Jesus. That was the missing piece.
I returned to Scripture and saw what Jesus did: He healed, taught, and preached the gospel. His healing ministry was not just about physical restoration; it was part of His mission to save souls. The more I reflected, the more I understood that the ultimate metric for success in medical ministry is not how many diseases we prevent, how many natural remedies we employ, or even how much whole-person care we provide. The real question is, Are we helping to complete the gospel commission? Are we introducing our patients to the sin-pardoning Savior?
A Call to Refocus
As Seventh-day Adventist medical workers, we have a high calling. Our work must go beyond improving physical health. It must lead people to Jesus. The metric we use to measure success should be clear: Am I helping to complete the gospel commission?
This question encompasses all the other measures of success in medical ministry but stands as a higher and more straightforward goal. When we align our work with this mission, we know we are fulfilling our true purpose as medical missionaries.
Let’s keep this metric at the forefront of our work and ensure that everything we do helps to complete the mission Jesus gave us—to bring the message of salvation to every soul we encounter.
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