Professional Development - Let Your Light Shine
By Christy Secor DNP, RN, CDWF • Interim Director / Professional Ministries Director Nurses Christian Fellowship
Nurses have a heart for learning. It grows out of a natural curiosity as we treat, teach, and care for others. It’s putting together the pieces of an assessment that begins with a patient’s story as we create a plan of care. It’s part of our commitment to maximize the outcomes for the students, individuals, families and communities we serve. Our passion for learning is God-given and reflects the image of the Creator.
Each time I graduated from a nursing program, one of the greatest benefits I took was the knowledge that my thought process and mindset had been expanded. I didn’t look at myself or my practice in the same way. The exposure to new content, research, exploring my own beliefs and thoughts, as well as the feedback of faculty and peers left me different than before and reminded me of how much there was still to learn.
As nurses, we have many opportunities to cultivate our learning through continuing education, degree completion, pursuing higher levels of education at the masters and doctoral level, or becoming certified in our areas of practice. There are also opportunities for us to grow within our practice as members of committees and work groups where our voice is needed in areas such as ethics, quality and safety initiatives, policy development, and clinical practice. With each opportunity, we also bring our faith as part of who we are into the work we do.
Hearing the Word
Read Jesus’s words found in Matthew 5: 14 – 16 (New International Version):
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Responding to the Word
- It can be very easy for us to take light for granted in the 21st century with our many conveniences and our flip of the switch access to power. Discuss the importance light would have played for the people of Jesus’s day.
- What does it mean for us as believers to be “the light of the world” (v. 14)?
- How can our actions reflect the light of the Father?
- What truths from Scripture can you share about the reality of carrying the light of Jesus Christ in our own lives? Try looking up these verses as a start: Romans 8:1, II Corinthians 5:17, and Ephesians 2:10.
Application
As believers it is just as important for us to learn and to grow in our faith as it is in our professional development. We should not separate who we are. We are men and women who are wholly His: mind, body, and spirit. And we are called to serve Him and others with all that we are.
There will be times in our professional and personal lives when we feel lonely or isolated. Those feelings do not diminish the truth of the light that is a part of our lives. We can take heart and be strengthened knowing the light of who Jesus Christ is will always be there.
- Describe ways in which you’ve been able to share the light of Jesus Christ as nurse in your professional practice.
- What comfort does it bring when the light you live as a follower of Jesus Christ is combined with the light of other believers? What ways do you have to connect with other believers where you work?
- How can the light of the Jesus Christ shine more brightly in our lives? What barriers exist in our lives in being that true reflection of the light of Jesus Christ?
- Are there opportunities that exist where you work that would allow you to grow in your professional development? Might God be calling you to pursue additional education in nursing?
Download PDF.
Christy Secor DNP, RN, CDWF is currently serving as the Interim Director of Nurses Christian Fellowship-USA in addition to her role as the Professional Ministries Director. She also teaches as an adjunct faculty member for Indiana Wesleyan University in their RN-BSN program and works with individuals and groups as a Certified Daring Way™ facilitator.
As Christy asked the Lord what her focus for ministry should be within NCF, God answered with the words “It’s about relationship.” Supporting and encouraging nurses to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus Christ; their relationships with each other; and with the individuals, families and communities they serve has been her focus since she began this role in August 2018. It’s led to many wonderful conversations with nurses across the United States and to opportunities to be even more dependent on the Lord for the work He wants to do through NCF.
All Scripture quotations are from The New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
