17. Faith and Medicine: How to Reconnect with God Amidst the Chaos

In this episode, we discuss the challenges of balancing a demanding medical career with maintaining a relationship with God. We reflect on how church, prayer, and scripture reading often become just another task on our busy schedules. But what if we shifted our perspective?

Imagine if the church became a time of worship to draw closer to God. If prayer transformed into heartfelt conversations with the Lord throughout our day—whether we're walking in and out of patients' rooms, writing notes, or commuting to work. And if reading the Bible turned into an exciting adventure to learn more about God's love, His redemptive story, and His life instructions for us.

By taking these first steps, we can bring the Kingdom of God into medicine, fulfilling what He has called us to do.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:05 Balancing Faith and Medicine
02:52 Episode Focus: Faith Amidst Medical Chaos
04:43 Shifting Perspectives on Faith Practices
11:14 Encouragement and Reflection
13:39 Scriptural Inspiration
19:37 Upcoming Retreat Announcement
23:08 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

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Transcript

Restream recording Sep 05, 2024 • 06:57:19 PM: 0:01

Well, hello there and welcome. It's so good to see you. Today I'm going to run a special episode and really want to talk about of how we balance all this time, you know, the chaos of medicine and finding time with God. God admits that chaos. And that's really a conversation about a shifting perspective that I had with a colleague recently, and I think it's going to bless you. So please stay tuned for after the music and we will be right back. Welcome to the Heal the Healers podcast, where we explore the intersection of faith and medicine, discover your God given potential, and experience Christ's healing in the midst of medical burnout. I'm your host Inge A pediatric hemog dog, physician coach and follower of Jesus. Together, we will navigate the challenges of medicine, integrate faith into our personal and professional lives, experience spiritual renewal and find restoration in Christ. Welcome to the Heal the Healers, where Christ heals one physician and one patient at a time. Well, hello there and welcome back to the Heal the Healers show. I'm so excited to be with you today. My name is Inge Hoffmann. I'm the host of this show and have been a physician for over two decades. And I am also a strong person of faith and my heart and mission is very strong. really to integrate faith and medicine together. So I'm so glad that you're here. Let me know where you're watching from. You can put that in the chat on the comments below. If you're watching the show live on YouTube, if you're listening to the podcast, I would love to here from you as well. So please reach out. Us at Heal the Healers, either on Facebook, here on YouTube, or on your favorite podcast platform, I would love to say hello to you. So with that said, let's dive in in today's episode. And Oh, make sure, of course, I need to mention that, you know, follow us on YouTube and on the podcast platform, make sure you subscribe to those shows so that the podcast can come to you or the YouTube video can come to you and you don't have to go look and find it. So that's an actually simple trick. To make your life a little bit easier, but please follow us on Facebook on on YouTube. Check us out at Heal the Healers. I really appreciate it and share it with other physician colleagues that are either interested in exploring Christian faith. or our believers, and they just need some encouragement as well, because it will really help them. We help each other. We support each other, and that's a beautiful thing, and it goes a long way. So thank you so much for that. But today I want to talk a little bit about finding time with God in this chaos of medicine, and I want to talk a little bit from a different angle. And this was really a conversation that came about when I was. speaking with a colleague recently a wonderful friend. And we had this conversation around, you know, what it means to be a question physicians and the things we're sort of struggling with. So let me get rid off. This tag here. So today's episode is titled faith and medicine. How to reconnect with God amidst all the chaos that we're experiencing. And I think it's really going to bless you. So when I was talking to this colleague a little while back we were chatting about our personal testimonies and we talked about our walk and faith as physicians, as medical doctors. And one. conversation quickly bubbled up to the top of it, which is so common we have incredible busy schedules, and oftentimes we struggle to fit everything in, you know, fit our families in, fit the work in. That already is a juggling act, and a lot of times we juggle to fit our faith in, right? Our Christian life church, prayer, all those things. And I talked about them a little bit in the past. From different angles, we talked in earlier episodes how to make time for God, how to prioritize prayer, how to set up prayer routines and quiet time routines, how you can bet better establish a good reading in the word. So go back to some of those earlier episodes and catch up on those if you haven't. Bye. I want to take it less for me, practical perspective, sort of, okay, here are your four tips for quiet time and how to start a routine rather than little bit of a shift in perspective. And as I was reflecting on this I was actually writing this down. So I will read some of this to you because this came to me. Much after the conversation, I was spending time in quiet time with the Lord and Sometimes things just then come to me I write them down because I feel these are the words that are kind of flowing out of me. So I want to read these to you almost because I think it is more powerful than me trying to paraphrase it because there is power in the moments of those words when they come to us, when they're released, and it is almost consider it as a prayer in a contemplation. So if you're in a quiet spot and not driving right now, you might even just want to write those down. Just listen or close your eyes and maybe journal on them later. So here's what I know. We all have very busy schedules and oftentimes we struggle to fit another thing in. And our faith very much feels like that. And often then. Church becomes an appointment on our calendar when we're exhausted and just want to rest or perhaps even sleep in on a Sunday. And prayer becomes an item on our already overflowing to do list. It's just another item we have to do. or schedule into our busy day. Reading God's word becomes sometimes for us a chore and another intellectual activity we categorize under study the word, which I know is important. I'm a big believer on studying the word. In fact, I feel there is a lot of people are literally on a spiritual diet and we are starved for. Really understanding the word, and that's something that's very big on my heart to really study this word very carefully and know what it says. And when we're not clear, go back to scripture to help explain scripture. That's another topic. Now I digress, but. When we think about these things, when church has become an appointment on our calendar, when reading the word has become an intellectual activity that we take with a cerebral, left brain, intellectual physician approach, where we're trying to analyze a text, and there's a place for that. We're really robbing ourselves of that intimacy and experience with God. But what if? We put that all to side and we shift our perspective for a moment. And we said, worship church is a place where I worship and draw close to God. We don't just sit in the pews and take information in, but we have adoration for the Lord most high in prayer, in worship. And that has nothing to do with style of music, by the way, that has to do with the posture of our hearts. And you can sing hymns and be on your knees and you can sing a modern day worship song and be bawling your eyeballs out or cheering for joy. All of those are possible. It has to do with a posture of our heart and not with the style of music. I used to have much misconception about. So what if. Church service becomes a place where we worship, where we soak up the Lord, where we soak up community, and where we enter prayer and adoration for the Lord, and celebrate all that the Lord has done during the week for us. Ever so little, ever so magnificent. Everything of it is amazing. What if we made prayer a time to talk to the Lord and share our burdens and our struggles and to sit in His presence versus just sitting? Making a prayer appointment and in a list of things we pray through where we create a lifestyle of praying without seizing, walking in and out of patient's room every single time where you're writing clinic notes, whether you are in meetings, whether we are In our offices, writing grants or scheduling stuff, whatever we do, make it a lifestyle of prayer. What if, if we would have a lifestyle of prayer, even commuting to work? I used to do that when I had a pretty small company. Annoying drive and I still pray in the car and worship in the car because why not? It's an awesome time to do that. So what would be possible if we do that? What if quiet time that right now seems maybe like a hassle, another chore, another item on the schedule or to do list. What if quiet time in reading God's word would be an adventure? For learning more about him, his love for us, his amazing redemptive story on every page of scripture, and his life's instruction manual to us. What if we just took a few first steps and reach out for his hand that is already there so gently trying to guide us. What if we just took that gentle nugget from him, that gentle touch and reach out to his hand and actually do that? And what if we just took the first steps and threw. This be the hands and feet of Jesus and bring the kingdom of God back to medicine because that's really what he called us to do, what he called you and me to do. So I encourage you today to really take heart, really examine your heart, your spirit, your very motives, because God knows it all already anyway. And we say, instead of making these appointments and worry about fitting in a schedule, shifting our perspective and say, I make. Church, my time of worship and adoration and prayer in the presence of other witnesses, of other believers, of sisters and brothers in Christ. What if I made that prayer time, a time so precious and dear that nothing else matters to talk to the Lord? And what if my quiet time in reading the Word is a time and an adventure for me to learn more about Him? He already knows more than anybody else about you, your past, what you're currently thinking, feeling, what your future holds. It's time for us to get to know him more. And that is really my heart and prayer. So please take a first step, walk towards him, shift your perspective versus looking at your schedule, shift your perspective first and let the Lord really search your heart. Because I think a lot of times We have an easy time to focus on the patient related issues, focus on the next thing we do, focus on our schedules and how we squeeze more in the day. And there's times and places where we have to do that. And there is a place for diligence and being intentional with your time. I'm a big believer, but don't let that ever get away from you. And then miss the opportunity to connect with a creator of the universe, with your creator, with the person who has purposed and equipped you and who has an assignment here for you on this earth to do. We need to get into his presence. We need to get to know him. We need to learn how to listen to his voice, to understand the specific assignment the Lord has for us on this earth, for you and me as physicians. So I want to encourage you with that today, and I want to read you a very well known verse, but let it sink in from Mark 16, 15 to 19. He said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and baptized will be safe, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these things will accompany those who believe. In my name, they will drive out demons. They will speak in new tongues. They will pick up snakes. With their hands, and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. And the Lord Jesus had spoken to them. He was taken up into heaven, and He said, At the right hand off God, and that's where he's sitting now as our high priest as our intercessor who intercedes and praise for us. And it's there as our high priest and isn't that amazing? He left us these commandments and they were signs that follow when we follow the Lord. The signs are not to a show up in church. And how busy is my schedule? And even how often do I sit in quiet time, the signs are the fruit of that spread the gospel lay hands on the sick. I know you have medical knowledge, but lay hands on the sick and pray for them. The word needs it. The word needs you and me. The word needs physicians that are not that, Physicians, not all loving and caring. We all went to this in a compassionate way because we want to help people. But the word, I believe the Lord is up leveling us to have a deeper understanding beyond our medical knowledge about healing and to set people free. And we are a perfect vessel for that. Not because we are perfect, but he has uniquely positioned us in medicine as People in the health care system that is very broken. And my encouragement to you today is. Spend time with the Lord. get in his face, spend time with him in the word and prayer and listen to what he has to say. So I hope this blessed you. I hope it encouraged you. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can always reach out to me either on any of the social media platforms or in the comments below or send me a DM, or you can just email me at Inga, I N G A at Inga Hoffman, that's H O F M A N N, at dot com. Inga at IngaHoffman. com. I will put it in the comments as well. And honestly, if you are, just like my friend and I were talking, We weren't always in this place and we had a conversation when we both struggled with making God a priority in our lives amidst the medical chaos. And I'm going to talk a little bit more about that in the next episode, how we often let our patient care and our busy jobs Take precedent over God and how we sometimes even make excuses and say, while we are serving God by serving patients, I'm going to scramble your eggs on your mind there a little bit next time on the next episode. So stay tuned for episode 18, but we will talk about really making God a priority in our demanding medical careers and how we often get sidetracked. But if you're in this place right now where you're like, you know, Inga, this speaks to me because. I don't make it to church regularly, or I watch it online, or I, I dropped off my routine for quiet time, or I do it, but it feels dull. The Lord already knows. And Just pray, return to him. There is no shame in that. Shame and condemnation does not come from God. Return to him, pray, open your heart and let him really redirect you. He knows our hearts and minds and he searches them and he searches all things. So let him search them and even point out, you know, where am I in error? And where am I struggling? He loves you so much. He wants to lead you back and he is so excited and welcoming you with open arms. So I truly believe that. So, and if this blessed you today, please share it, share it with other people. And also let me just pray for you. As we're close up. And we'll say, Lord Jesus, thank you for knowing me inside and out, knowing my heart and my desires and Lord, where I have fallen off track and not really have been able to spend enough time with you because life just got away from me. The hospital is crazy. My clinic is overwhelming. I just, Don't even know where to fit it in. And even when I try, I'm, my mental state is not quite there yet. Lord, help us, help us forgive us where we have been maybe too relaxed, but also help us to get back on our feet. And thank you that you're always waiting and watching. Whoever is watching this right now, live or on the replay and hearing my voice, Lord, that you touch them in the deepest way so that they will turn to you, that they will be encouraged, that they will yet go to another level in faith and believing, and that you do a great, great work in them. Thank you, Lord Jesus, and you in the precious name we pray. Amen. So, blessings to you. Before I go, I want to let you know that the Heal the Healers Retreat, let me actually get rid of this, the Heal the Healers Physician Retreat is coming up in just a few days. Two short month, a little bit less. And this is a wonderful time for you to actually reconnect. It is almost, think about it as a reset button. It will be a time to connect with other physicians, to be in a community of like minded believers and colleagues that get you, that get our busy lives. And that probably are struggling with the very same thing that you are struggling with. And that is alone a beautiful thing. But the retreat is not only a community, which is amazing and so needed. It's a time for you to unplug from your busy physician life and just take a day and a half away with us here in Madison, Wisconsin. And the other thing is that number one, we have couples tickets. So if you are a dual physician household, or even if your your husband or wife is not a physician, but you want to attend this together, you both will be blessed. It doesn't matter like the topics are not such as, or you have to be a medical doctor to understand them. We're talking about the Bible. We're going to look at the ministry of Jesus and healing. It will be a huge blessing to. Each individual in the room, and for those that are physicians, yes, it will be a huge blessing also to the medical community and your patients. But so if your husband or wife wants to attend, even they are not a physician or in a medical field, they will be blessed regardless and we want to make it more affordable. So when you enter and scan the QR code to get your ticket, which I'm putting on, that's the, let me get you the other one here. So scan the ticket over here, the QR codes. There will be more information on the retreat. It is November 1st and second in Madison, Wisconsin. So scan that QR now and go to the website. Heal the healers retreat.org and. If you are a trainee special news for you, you get a massively discounted ticket which is 60 percent off of the registration now, and we want to have you there. So if that is the case, please email me at Inga at IngaHoffman. com. The email is down here so that I can get you the special ticket for trainees that is not openly available on the website, but you can get it from me and we would be so delighted to have you there. So if you're a resident or fellow or even a med student, please come and join us there. And you will be in a company of wonderful physicians, those that already registered, Thank you. And you will be richly blessed. So, and again, if you're a couple, you can scan the same code, get to the registration, and when you enter your tickets for you and your husband or your spouse, then please put in, in the coupon code couples20. You see it on the banner below before September 20th, we're only running this promotion for a little bit, and then you can get a discount on 20 percent off for each of your tickets. So for both of you. So with that said, have a wonderful day. And I will see you next week when we talk more about this topic of really finding connection with God admits the medical chaos, but we're going to take it a little bit from a different angle. And I do believe it will richly bless you because in this demanding medical world, we need an anchor on our anchor is the Lord Jesus himself. So praise the Lord for that. Thank you and have a wonderful day. Prayer is that you were encouraged, strengthened, and perhaps even convicted with this episode today. If this podcast has blessed you, would you help share it with your friends and colleagues and even share it on social media? Also, leave us a review on the podcast platform where you are listening to this content. It would help us a lot together. We can share the good news of Jesus and transform medicine one physician and one patient at the time. Have a great day. God bless.