Luke 3:14

Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” 

Luke 3:14 (ESV)

A long driveway edged with trees that form a natural canopy. A big colonial house with a horseshoe driveway and a large pillars out front. A published novel. A diploma from Vanderbilt University. Five beautiful children. Just a few of the dreams and goals I have had over my lifetime. Some I still have, others have faded away just like the years. One of my biggest ambitions in my life now is to one day open a hospital in the mission field. Along with this goal comes lots of learning left to be done in the United States. I have contemplated graduate school and fellowships followed by years working in a US hospital to learn the ropes. The only problem with this is that it can be a profession that ends up consuming your whole life.
While it is my goal to open a hospital in a mission field, my ultimate goal is to live for Christ. When I read Luke 3:14 it reminds me of all the politics, business, and ethics, that goes into running a hospital. There is a lot of competition within the healthcare field so some people or organizations are tempted to make questionable decisions. If this profession is the path that God takes me, I want to make sure I remain faithful to Him along the way. I don't want to be caught up in the wave of desire for more recognition, more money, or higher positions. After all, the the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us, "he who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity." I want to be content in what God gives me, whether I get to joyfully serve Him as a stay at home mom with no income or as an owner of a hospital in the mission field.