The Chief End of Medicine
"Patient-centered care" is often seen as the highest goal in medicine. But is patient-centered care the highest goal for the Christian physician? Most Christian physicians would, of course, say no.
Jay Adams said that the highest goal of medicine is "to enable a man to use his body to honor God as an instrument of righteousness" (Romans 6:13). That's the goal that a Christian physician should have."
The righteousness of the Great Physician was imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we could reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). Of course, Christian physicians can't give their righteousness to their patients! But they CAN pour themselves with increased passion into improving their skill and care - knowing that the believers they care for are commanded by their loving Saviour to use their bodies to serve God. For those patients that have not received Christ, the Christian physician can share the good news that there is a Great Physician who is able to heal their soul.