How To Know Your Faith Is Real

It’s not just every now and then anymore. It’s every day. It’s not just certain units. It’s everywhere. The fact is, nurses are overwhelmed with unsafe staffing ratios, and many are either questioning their career choice or leaving a very noble profession. 

I love nursing. I love teaching my patients and talking to them about their lives. I love going the extra mile to make them feel special and cared for. I even love emergency situations where teamwork results in positive outcomes for the patient. 

Nowadays, it is a different type of emergency situation. It is fatigue and burnout. Most health care workers have finally conquered their fear of Covid. When the pandemic first began, we nurses were apprehensive about caring for Covid patients. I saw one nurse actually cry before donning her Covid PPE that first time. Now nurses are more afraid of burnout than Covid. 

As the heat has been turned up on us all, I have found myself feeling anger and frustration. I don’t even work in the ICU, where caregivers are confronted with the heart-wrenching reality of death and grief on a daily basis. I can’t imagine what those nurses are going through. My struggles are with staffing shortages and workload.

When the expectations for assessments, caregiving, medications, lab work, teaching, charting, admissions, discharges, and a myriad of other tasks seem impossible, I find myself letting my negative thoughts bubble over into negative words. Oh, I am sweet and encouraging to my patients. But I have felt entitled to complain to my coworkers while working in such frustrating conditions. 

My complaining felt righteous, that is, until I read James 1:26 with new eyes. “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” WORTHLESS?!

If you think like I do, sometimes the word “religious” can carry a negative connotation. I think of someone who follows rituals instead of having a relationship with Christ. But the word religious here is the Greek word “threskos,” meaning “fearing or worshipping God.” I do fear and worship God, but I also struggle with complaining when I feel overwhelmed. The Holy Spirit was tapping me on the shoulder, showing me how this verse applies to my own life.

It is interesting to note that what James says signifies true religion, true Christianity, isn’t how well I can quote scripture or how many times I go to church. It isn’t even about how kind I am to others or how many casseroles I take to the sick. No, the thing that communicates to others that my faith is real is how well I bridle my tongue. Ouch! 

God is continually working on my heart. This verse reminds me that I have far to go! But I really do want to be obedient. I don’t want my words to be uttered in haste with a negative attitude. My words will reflect my attitude, so the change needs to come, not from being deliberate about my speech, but being deliberate about my heart. 

Matthew 12:34 says, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Our mouth is like a bucket that brings water up from the well of our heart. If the heart isn’t right, the water is putrid. I want others to have pure water to drink from the bucket of my words. 

I have always been kind of an encourager. But God’s Word reminds me to use my words in new ways to encourage people. That doesn’t mean I have to ignore unacceptable working conditions. I can take my concerns to management. But my muttered words of complaining aren’t changing my workload; they just make those around me miserable and contribute to an already low morale at work.

I have a new goal at work—to find at least one nurse every day to intentionally encourage. It may be in a small way, but I want people to feel edified, not defeated, from my words. What about you? Nurses aren’t the only people who feel stress at work. How can you edify your coworkers with your words?

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but ONLY WHAT IS HELPFUL FOR BUILDING OTHERS UP according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Emphasis mine). I like the idea of being helpful and building others up. 

Everyone needs a little grace. Me included. I know I will continue to battle with bridling my tongue. But I thank God for His immeasurable grace! I pray for all of us to survive this pandemic and come out stronger… and hopefully looking a little more like Christ.