I am delighted to introduce the first issue of The Medical Strategic Network’s newly expanded version of Fireseeds.  It is my prayer that each issue of Fireseeds will provide you with vital spiritual "seed thoughts," and that these thoughts will germinate in the soil of your heart and help to ignite your passion for Christ and the gospel.

My burden is to help you see the workplace as your mission field, the patient’s bedside as your pulpit, and your professional platform as God’s "harvest vehicle."   Toward this end, Fireseeds will feature stories about how METS faculty and alumni are attempting to influence their world for Christ.  In this column, I will continue to write a commentary which addresses some aspect of our faith walk as Christ followers, and in Stratagems, we will provide you with practical tips and/or case studies in medical evangelism.

Today our churches and organizations are filled with believers who are characterized not so much by sin as by spiritual deadness—passionless Christians who go through life without a clear sense of mission.  In the words of C.S. Lewis, "Our age is marked by moderate vice and moderate virtue."   But we are reminded in Scripture that Lukewarmness is abhorrent to God: "I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold; I would that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Rev. 3:15,16).

Obviously, only the Spirit of God can light a fire in our bosom and give us a passion for souls.  However, there are some practical steps we all can take to prevent negative circumstances and people and the demands of daily living from shredding our spiritual motivation to pieces.   Hebrews 10:24 says, "We can commit ourselves to gather regularly with others of like-mind, and consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds."   We can set aside time to receive training in medical evangelism and allow God "to equip us in every good thing to do His will" (Heb. 13:21).   And we can deepen our passion for God, which is the secret of passion for souls.  Perhaps some of us are inclined to respond, "These suggestions are all well and good, but they are unrealistic. There is simply no time in our over-committed lives to follow through on these priorities."   As an academic physician who has to juggle the demands of a busy clinical practice and carry on an active research program while trying to raise a young family, I can certainly relate to life in a pressure-cooker environment.  However, each of us must decide where we want our lives to count—in the momentary applause of public recognition and the temporal rewards of a successful career or by reproducing ourselves in the lives of others (Mark 4:20).

There is time in life for only one passion.

Contact Dr. Chen at:  ychen@GoMETS.org.