Video Recording
Slides:
Futility of Medicine_2022_MNCF (1).pdf10552.0KB
Q and A
Hi friends, I have tried to answer your questions as biblically as possible. Some may be short and sharp, but due to the nature of typing them out , they may appear unloving, please forgive me. Dominic has also kindly read through them and they seem ok. Feel free to drop me a message if you have further questions :) Meanwhile, you can also see here for my favorite resources.
How do we reconcile futility about our nonbelieving friends and family being saved?
- I struggle to understand this question because I am not sure if futility is tied to the event of being saved which I do not think the questioner is implying.
- Perhaps what you mean is the feeling that you know a loved one’s life is futile out of God yet you want him to be saved.
- Firstly, it is exactly God’s desire that we have compassion for the unsaved (Matt 9:36). We ought not to feel smug that we are Christians if we know that salvation belongs to the Lord (John 3:3-6).
- Secondly, faith comes from hearing (Romans 10:17). So our conversations with him ought to be filled with love and truth to point them to Christ.
How do you communicate this hope of eternity to someone who is suffering (physically, mentally, emotionally) without being insensitive to their pain?
- I think we need to be with them in the pain. Jesus is in the boat with us, and we ought to be in the boat with this person going through it.
- Pain should not be minimized, suffering should not be underestimated.
- We point them to the hope of eternity where there is no more suffering and pain as we go through them together.
- We point them to Christ whilst encouraging them to take their painkillers. Painkillers are God’s grace, Christ is God’s ultimate grace.
- I think we should also remember that the hope in Christ and feeling the pain is NOT contradictory reactions, it does not mean that the hope just simply takes away our suffering and pain. Rather it is precisely that suffering that makes us recognise the value of the hope that we have even more —> suffering points us to the great hope. Lamentation, is in fact, a godly reaction, because we recognise that the world is not as it should be, and we lament the futility of the world. As we groan inwardly, we should look to God! (cf Psalms 13)
If we treat patients without mentioning God is it futile?
- No. God works in his time. Today, you treat a patient, tomorrow her husband may point her to Christ as the giver of healing.
- Understanding futility does not remove our responsibility in treating our patients with or without mentioning God to your best ability.
- Having said we ought to also consider, why we do not point our patients to Christ after treating them? Yes, there are certain restrictions placed upon us but this may also reveal the lack of boldness in us, the lack of zeal for our savior.
- This will be a personal reflection. Your reflection may, for example, lead you to work in a Christian hospital where you can do both.
Is everything secular futile? How do we present this truth to our non-Christian friends in a non-offensive way?
- Firstly, we need to be convinced this is true. The summary of Ecclesiastes is that everything is futile out of God.
- Secondly, the non-Christian friend knows this just from their own experience and also what Romans 1:20 has revealed: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
- Understanding this context, we can point our friends to daily futile experiences, show them that they, like us, desire fruitfulness, and then tell them that that can only be found in the work of Jesus Christ. Then we pray that God regenerates them so they can see (John 3).
- All this ought to be done with immense grace, patience and much prayer, knowing that it is God who is guiding us through every conversation.
How can we be sure that what we’re doing is fulfilling his purpose for us/ doing his work rather than for oneself/ earthly ideals?
- Your question, if I may reword, is along the lines of “How do I know God’s will for my life”? I recommend this free book from Ligonier which was very helpful for me.
How can we resolve the tension between sharing eternal hope with our patients amidst futility yet honoring earthly authority/ professional obligation not to?
- Firstly, the tension is resolved in Christ and not within our own intellect. It is not possible to resolve in some sense.
- Secondly, we are called to do both (1Pet 3:15, Romans 13:1). Today’s culture limits us to share our hope but sometimes we are limited by our own fear and lack of boldness even when patients want to talk about it.
- The tension is resolved by knowing that Christ has paid for your lack of zeal for him. That guilt is washed clean.
- Again, meditating on the eternal perspective may slowly move you towards making choices that can allow you to share your faith at work more. (e.g. career choices).
How do you think we can make disciples and further God’s kingdom through medicine, especially if we can't openly evangelize?
- We tend to think only about patients but there are many population groups in medicine that we can engage with. Students and colleagues are all disciples to be made.
- Remember also that as you uphold Christian values at work, you will stand out and you will be a pointer to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is it okay to feel like all hope is lost on some bad days even though cognitively we might know that God loves us but just don't feel it?
- Firstly, it is sin to lose hope and be anxious. So I don’t think we can say it is ”ok” if by “ok” means we can do so without any consequence. The consequences will be and has been paid by the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross. So you don’t need to feel guilty for losing hope.
- Secondly, every single one of us, including myself, face days where we lose hope. This is the reality that we observe. And it is painful and a great suffering to be in that situation. We desire fellowship and companionship in moments like this and more importantly to be pointed to Christ.
- So your experience is what all of us go through time and time again, but Christ draws near, he knows we are anxious and feeling hopeless and he gives us His Word and fellowship to go through the stormy seas.
- Read more here:
