How My Faith Made Me A Better Physical Therapist

When you think of the Christians that you work with, do they look any different than your co-workers who don’t follow Jesus? I hope so. Our faith isn’t meant to be something we do in our spare time, it’s something that should be fully integrated into every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s our jobs, relationships, finances, or how we spend our free time. Faith in Jesus should make a difference.

It’s been interesting to see how as my relationship with Jesus has deepened, my approach to being a physical therapist (PT) has changed. For context, I’ve been a PT for over 8 years in hospitals, outpatient settings, and inpatient rehabilitation centers. My career has been spent working with individuals with significant neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injuries, stroke, spinal cord injuries, and many others.

It can be intense.

There is often additional trauma and loss involved, aside from the new physical and cognitive changes my patients are experiencing. I love working with these individuals. God built me to walk with people through hard things.

Here are a few ways my approach to PT has changed as I’ve grown in my faith:

I Care More About The Person Than The Problem

By the grace of God, my heart continues to soften towards my patients. It’s easy as a clinician to switch into 100% critical thinking mode, especially when your job is to create a treatment approach to help someone. 

Now, some of the first things I’m considering when I talk to people is how difficult this situation must be for them. How their estrangement from their family or their history of addiction clearly pains them when they mention it.

My faith has actually helped me be a better PT, because I’m increasingly looking at the individual as an integrated person with emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual dimensions. We are not just physical bodies void of souls, we are image bearers of God. Every one of us. That means that we have the ability to create, love, mourn, and cultivate the world. We are so much more than what is going on with us physically, and that’s a good thing. 

I Care Less About Being The Best

When I first started as a PT, I took a lot of pride in being great at my job. I took all of the continuing education courses, I acquired my board certification in neurology (only 2% of PTs are board certified in anything) and I made sure to let people know that I was good at my job.

There’s nothing wrong with being highly skilled at your job, my motivation was just in the wrong place.  In fact, I think Christians should strive to be the best at what they do because it’s what brings God glory and represents Him well to the world around us.  If we really exemplified the characteristics of Jesus, we’d make great employees. 

I Realized My Job Wasn’t Enough

Then I hit a point where my job just wasn’t enough to fulfill me anymore. “This is it?,” I thought to myself. The problem wasn’t the job, it was me. I had taken a secondary thing and made it the main thing.

My identity was primarily found in my profession. My faith was a large part of my life, but it didn’t come first.  I was missing the integrated approach to our faith.  Jesus is the main thing, and He affects every aspect of my life.  If I expect a job, a relationship, money, or anything else for that matter to be where I find my primary identity, I’ll be perpetually disappointed, filled with angst, and unfulfilled.

Burnout is Real

I’ve seen so many healthcare workers burn out in their first year of work. They’re miserable and they don’t know why. They feel disappointed and feel the unmet expectations of their work.

Their thoughts probably go something like this: Wasn’t this what I’ve spent my whole life working towards? Isn’t this what is supposed to make me want to get out of bed in the morning? I was ready to change the world and help people, but now I feel like there are too many constraints to do that. Now what do I do?

So they hop from job to job, searching for the perfect setting, location, or environment that doesn’t exist if I’m being quite honest. 

I find I have a lot more patience and grace for my patients and co-workers now. (Not perfect, mind you, but leaps and bounds better from where I started).  That’s how walking with Jesus is supposed to be, right?  We shouldn’t look and act the same as we did 2, 5, or 10 years ago.  As we aim to follow Him, He changes us.  For the betterment of ourselves, our world, and the people around us. 

I’m Better At Sitting With People In Their Pain

I’ve got more empathy and compassion than I’ve ever had because of how God has changed my heart over the years.

For the individual who’s committed a crime and is heading to prison after their hospital stay. The person who drove under the influence of illegal substances and a life was lost because of it. Or the young person who attempted suicide.

I can literally feel people’s pain and regret sometimes.  Sometimes I walk in a room and instantly feel an immense amount of compassion for this person, and I know it’s the Holy Spirit. That’s how God feels about them. He sees their poor choices, the depths of their depression, all of their mistakes and He feels mercy and compassion on them.

How do I know that’s God working in me? Because I am naturally nowhere near that compassionate and empathetic. That’s all Jesus. 

Here’s The Hope

If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re a Christian first and a _____ second. Wife, daughter, sister, physical therapist, doctor, nurse, whatever the case may be.  Your role can have it’s struggles, and you can still be joyful because your identity is found outside of your job responsibilities.

You can excel in your work without it becoming a burden you’re hauling around on your shoulders because you’re trying to have it do something it was never meant to do. You know your role is simply an avenue to share the love of Jesus and make the world better place.

So here’s my challenge. If you’re feeling burned out from your job, pause and reflect on these things:

1. How is your spiritual health/faith life? Do you have a bigger mission and purpose than the daily tasks of your vocation? 

2. Have I been avoiding facing the disappoint I’ve found in my career? Have I been looking to my job to be my primary source of identity and fulfillment in life? 

3. Do I care more about people than the tasks at hand? Or do I frequently prioritize work over people? 

If you need to do a little life evaluation, check out my post on creating a vision for your year and download the FREE Yearly Vision Template.

Let’s Wrap It Up

Those are a few warning signs that you may be elevating your job to a place that it was never meant to be. Since I’m a follower of Jesus, I’m going to tell you that He’s the answer.

He’s where you’ll find rest, identity, security, and peace that won’t disappoint you. He is unchanging, despite any other place or person that you would attempt to find your identity in. 

Do you need to shift your mindset? I’m hoping these words help you reach a healthier place as you figure out healthy rhythms in your work life.

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