The saints who are doctors should not labor for more money. It is also better not to be doctors in the big cities. Rather, the doctors should go to the villages so that they may heal their patients and preach the gospel to them at the same time. This would be very effective and worthwhile. If they would do this, they would be able to save at least one person each day. They may contact twenty to thirty patients each day, and among all these patients there should be a son of peace. If they saved one person each day, they would save thirty in a month and three hundred and sixty-five in a year. If they were to work for thirty years as a doctor, then they would be able to save ten thousand. Then when the Lord Jesus comes back, ten thousand people will be there, welcoming them. What a glory this would be! I hope that the brothers and sisters who are doctors and nurses would fulfill their duties to take care of people’s bodies and to serve them. But at the same time I hope that they would also learn to serve the Lord. I hope that whenever they see people, they would talk about the gospel, and whenever they see their patients, they would speak to them something about the gospel. In this way the Lord will remember them. This is a principle that should be applied to the saints in every profession.
A normal Christian living is a life of loving the Lord and having fellowship with the Lord. When we wake up in the morning, the first thing we should do is think about the Lord and call, “O Lord Jesus.” Then we may open our Bible and read a few verses. While we are washing ourselves, we may meditate over the verses. If we pray and fellowship with the Lord like this, it will be easy for us to live Christ during the day. Those who are teachers will be able to live Christ while they are teaching, and those who work in the office will be able to live Christ in the office. Those who are doctors will be able to live Christ while they see their patients, and those who are housewives will be able to live Christ while they buy their groceries. Everyone will live Christ. Once we have an opportunity, we will talk about the Lord Jesus and preach the gospel to people. Moreover, we should spend at least one or two evenings each week to go door-knocking to speak the gospel or to have home meetings with the saved ones. If we do this, God will surely bless our living. God will absolutely remember and supply us with all that we need. He will supply what to eat and what to put on.
I have been following the Lord for sixty years. During my fifty-five years of serving the Lord I have met many Christians, and I can testify that I have never seen anyone who loved and pursued the Lord lack food or clothing. Though they did not pursue the world for their children, the majority of them and their children were even blessed by the Lord. For such Christians, God is truly their Father and knows what they need. What they seek after in their living is God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness. They preach the gospel and live for Christ. Ultimately, they live in peace every day. Even though sometimes they may have difficulties, they are able to give them to the Lord. They only know to trust in the Lord, live to the Lord, live Christ, preach the gospel, and live the church life, and the Lord truly adds to them all that they need.
The apostle Paul said, “The love of money is a root of all evils” (1 Tim. 6:10). Many people, because of the love of money, fall into sin and ruin themselves. We need to receive the leading to have a part in the Lord’s present move, to live the church life, to preach the gospel, and to never go with the tide of this age. Today in Taiwan competition in all the professions is keen, and everyone wants to make more money to raise their standard of living. They want a bigger house and a better car. We should not condemn this because man should make progress, but we Christians should not forget our source. We are God’s children and were chosen by Him. We are different from people in general. We are the true welfare of our society and country. As the salt of the earth we remove the corruption from the trend of the world, and as the light of the world we shine in an age of darkness.
Even though outwardly speaking we should not pursue after the world or make progress in a worldly way, we actually encourage people to pursue education and to obtain doctoral degrees. However, we are not the same as secular people. After secular people obtain a master’s degree, they want one or two more doctoral degrees for the purpose of making more money and uplifting their status. This is improper and is incompatible with the nature of a Christian. Because we are proper Christians who live ordinary lives on the earth, our walk is the salt of the earth that eliminates many poisonous elements which corrupt people in society. We are also the light of the world that enlightens many darkened corners in people’s hearts. Some people accept bribes and gifts from their companies, but we do not. Some try to act meek and submissive and try to flatter their superiors in order to get promoted, but we live by the Lord. This is what it means to be salt and light.
There is bribery in every nation all over the world, but we Christians do not participate in such illegal behavior. When our colleagues come to us and offer us special privileges or rewards, we say, “Sorry, I am a Christian. I will not expose this matter, but neither will I accept this reward.” Once we indicate to them our feeling, they will have a feeling in their conscience. In such a situation we become the salt of the earth, eliminating their corruption while at the same time shining as a lamp and enlightening their hearts. How sweet this is!