NURSING AS A CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

NMUINRISSITNRGYAS A CHRISTIAN RBAYCAHNEGLEOLLAIVNIOAVLRINIYGAGNAT,IVHIUKATAAPNEGAE,LCIHTARIHSITEIANE ANDREA B,

Nursing is an intellectual, interactive, caring process with the goal of assisting or ministering person(s), families, and communities attain, maintain, or regain health balance. Nursing is both an art and science that’s concerned with the health of the whole person (physical, psychosocial, and spiritual) and is accountable to God and to society for providing competent, compassionate care. The principle of caring in Christian nursing is rooted in God, so we must have a good life of worship, faith, and fear of God, who also occupied the life of Jesus when He became human (Shoffner, 2007). God’s glorified by a nursing practice that’s based upon biblical truths and bears witness to Him as Creator, Redeemer, and Restorer of all things. There will be many challenges we will face in practicing nursing that is based on biblical truth and demonstrates principles of Godly living.

Love is very important for nurses in showing a concern for patients. Love is a universal concept of human attributes, which creates relationships. Galatians 5:14 states, “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”. So that means as a nurse we need to have love as what Jesus has for us. Because with love that we have we can see others as God’s creature (Imago Dei). This kind of love helps us to serve others. Talk aboutserving, we need to take a look what kind of willingness we have.

Therefor we need commitment. With commitment we can face the challenges that exist while we are practicing nursing that is based on biblical truth and demonstrates principles of Godly living. There’s statement that interests us to represent commitment, based on one scripture says: “And may your hearts be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” 1 Kings 8:61. Ministering to others with an attitude of service is kind of commitment to serving with competent and compassionate care that we can do. As God has served us more, we should do the same.

From the explanation above we can see Compassion, Competence, Commitment, Character are the components of Godly Character that must we have as a Christian Nurses. Because this will help us to do our serving. For example, we can caring for others, being friendly, and sincere in providing nursing actions to each patient. So Godly character can be realized through caring action. Godly character will help us ministering others with an attitude of service. It helps us to humble ourselves to serve others. As we serve others we serve Jesus as well. The motivation we have to serve Jesus is beacuse we’ve been served by Him for free. As Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”.

REFERENCES Yanti, Puji A. (2007). “Melayani Sebagai Perawat”. E-JEMM Vol 10, No 19/ 2007. HOLY BIBLE

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