I always knew academia would be part of my journey, but certainly not this soon and definitely not in the way it has unfolded. When I accepted an adjunct faculty role, I thought I would be supervising students in clinical settings and helping them connect classroom knowledge to patient care. What I didn’t anticipate was how much the role would stretch me. It has challenged me to think differently and discover fresh ways to teach concepts that many of us have practiced for years.
One thing I have learned about myself is that I instinctively teach. I create resources. I ask questions. I engage students in conversations that help them understand the why behind what they are doing. In nursing, decision-making doesn’t truly mature until you understand the why. Anyone can memorize steps or complete assignments. The deeper challenge is developing clinical judgment; the ability to think critically, recognize patterns, and make sound decisions when someone’s life depends on it.
As I work with students, my prayer is that they do more than simply check boxes on their way to graduation. Nursing is a rewarding profession, but it is also demanding, humbling, and at times downright brutal. The profession requires resilience, compassion, humility, and a commitment to lifelong learning. I want these future nurses to understand not only what they are doing, but why it matters. What I am beginning to see is that God is using this season to grow me as much as He is using me to teach others.
Over the past two years, I made an intentional decision to stop tying my identity to my career. Like many professionals, I had spent years introducing myself by what I did rather than whose I was. Leadership roles, degrees, certifications, and accomplishments can become subtle measures of our worth, even idolatry, if we are not careful. This past week during Vacation Bible School, Dr. Tony Evans shared a reminder that resonated deeply with me; we are not our careers. We are citizens of heaven and disciples of Christ who happen to serve in various professional roles.
That perspective changes everything.
A nurse is not merely a nurse. A nurse is God’s representative in a healthcare setting so patients can see what the love, compassion, and care of God look like through human hands. A teacher is not merely a teacher. A teacher is God’s representative in a classroom so students can experience encouragement, wisdom, patience, and truth as they learn. Whatever role God places us in, He intends for us to reflect Him there.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” – Colossians 3:23 NIV
For many years, I tried to keep my professional life and spiritual life in separate compartments. Faith belonged at church. Work belonged at work. The more I study the life of Jesus, the more I realize He never lived that way. Jesus taught in synagogues, but He also taught on hillsides, at dinner tables, in boats, and while walking dusty roads. Ministry was not an event on His calendar; it was His way of life.
The same needs to be true for us.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 NIV
Our faith was never meant to be reserved for Sundays. It is meant to influence every conversation, every interaction, every decision, and every opportunity God places before us. Whether we are leading a department, teaching a class, caring for a patient, or encouraging a struggling student, we are called to represent Christ. Looking back, I can see that this teaching role is not an interruption to my journey. It is part of God’s process. He is expanding my capacity, refining my perspective, and reminding me that kingdom impact is not determined by a title. It is determined by our willingness to faithfully represent Him wherever He places us. Sometimes God’s process doesn’t look like the plan we wrote for ourselves. But if we trust Him, we may discover that He is building something far greater than a career.
He is building a disciple.
