Rigor.....Relevance.....Relationships

By Dr. Linda Flower

"…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV).

Rigor-relevance-relationships-these three values are at the top of my high school senior's school webpage. It made me think about how those values might be applied to Women in Medicine and Dentistry.

Rigor for us would refer to the expectation of excellence that our patients have of our knowledge, concern and experience to diagnose an illness, repair a tooth or give advice on staying healthy. It is also part of our medical culture to challenge one another, always continuing our education. As Christian women, this would also refer to our study of Scripture and good, God-centered resources as well as gathering for worship. Our CMDA and WIMD conferences help us accomplish this goal.

Relevance relates to our being students of this world and the next. Our medical/dental knowledge must be kept up to date, but so does our understanding of the issues in our culture that affect health. There are times when our thoughts and actions may seem irrelevant to this world. We are assured that when we are doing what is right in God's sight-that's the relevance we seek. We can also encourage spiritual health in our patients by encouraging their prayer, study and corporate worship.

"Relationships" is perhaps the most important of the three. It is why God created us in the first place, to be in relationship with Him. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to take your family members for granted? Why is that? I think it's because we know that they love us no matter how we act, at least, in the long run. Perhaps that is why it is so easy to neglect our relationship with God or to take Him for granted. After all, He will still love us, right? Yet, we need to understand that our ability to live in good relationship with others actually is dependent upon our relationship with God. When we are listening, praying and honoring Him, we sense His presence so much more deeply than when we keep Him off in the distance. Just as we get to know our family and friends by being with them, so we get to know Him by sitting at His feet. The closer we are to Him, the more natural it is to offer His presence to our patients by praying with them.

Our fellowship, mutual admonition, encouragement, service, empathetic listening, study and worship with our WIMD family in the various venues, fosters our relationships with each other and with our Father in heaven.

So I hope that as you consider these "three Rs" you will consider joining with us as we gather to grow in the love and knowledge of God at every WIMD event you are able to attend!

Dear Lord, help me to continue to grow ever closer to you so that in all my relationships, your grace and love will overflow, as a natural consequence of your presence. In Christ, Amen.