Wanting What Is Best For Us
by Dan Jones, M.D.
John 6:9
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
This young boy had choices to make that day about his lunch. After keeping up with it all morning, he was beginning to see the wisdom of his mother in providing the lunch for him. And he remembered her admonition to him that morning that if he saw someone who failed to bring a lunch, he might consider sharing some of what he had. His lunch was not large, but was more than he had to have for himself.
Around noontime, he began to feel hungry. As he looked around the growing crowd he actually saw no one else with a lunch. Momentarily, he thought of his mother's suggestions of sharing, but, as he contemplated this, other thoughts crowded out the thought of sharing. First of all, his lunch was plain and simple. Surely no one would want what he had. Secondly, the need was so overwhelming, the little bit he could share would not make any difference. And most importantly, he had gone to the trouble of keeping up with this lunch all morning. He had worked hard for what he had and he deserved to be rewarded for his work and not be forced to share with undeserving, lazy people. But, he chose not to eat the lunch himself.
I know of no more difficult choice facing Christian health professionals than the choice of selfish decisions driven by greed. We endure years of education, often amassing large debt along the way. We work long hours in difficult circumstances to help others in need. Many of us deal with so many health problems that come as a result of poor choices made by our patients. Our lives are filled with hard work and frustration. We are often overwhelmed with more needs than it seems our simple resources can manage.
It is indeed easy for us to go down the pathway of cynicism and greed. We think our simple skills and talents can't make a difference in a world with overwhelming need, so we choose a life centered on providing for ourselves and our families rather than focused on God's plan for our lives. And, we are so, so vulnerable to thinking that we deserve material reward for our years of hard work, study, and denial. It is easy to fall into thinking we deserve what we have and should not be forced to share it with the "undeserving". It is easy to think that "eating our own lunch" as the boy was tempted is a reasonable thing to do.
But that choice robs us of the privilege of knowing God's richest blessings for our lives. He does want what is best for us.
Lord, help me make good choices with what you give me. Protect me from selfishness and greed.
Dan Jones, M.D., MACP, FAHA, a board-certified Internist, a former medical missionary to Korea, professor of medicine at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dean of the School of Medicine, and Chancellor of the University of Mississippi until 2015. Dr. Dan Jones is a member of CMDA.
Dr. Jones welcomes any comments or questions about what he has written and can be reached at - djones@umc.edu
Rounds with the Master, Spiritual Pearls from the Great Physician Devotionals are released every Monday and Thursday.
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash
