Can A Christian Be A Pharmacist?
Hi Mike,
I just read your answer to the guy asking about working 12 hours in the chemical industry and wondered your opinion about my job.
I work as a pharmacist and sometimes wonder if my job is requiring me to “break the commandments of God”. What do you think? I wonder because the drugs I dispense all have some negative side effects and are like a form of poison sometimes, and if we all had enough faith, maybe we wouldn’t need drugs at all. Another example would be being required to dispense birth control to women that are not married. Though I’m not committing sex sin myself, I sometimes wonder if God is displeased with me sort of facilitating sex sin for others (or at least making it easier to avoid one of the consequences of sex such as pregnancy, which sort of promotes a looser lifestyle). Just curious what you think.Thanks,
D____
Hi D____,
Thank you for your question.
You ask:
I work as a pharmacist and sometimes wonder if my job is requiring me to “break the commandments of God”. What do you think? I wonder because the drugs I dispense all have some negative side effects and are like a form of poison sometimes, and if we all had enough faith, maybe we wouldn’t need drugs at all. Another example would be being required to dispense birth control to women that are not married. Though I’m not committing sex sin myself, I sometimes wonder if God is displeased with me sort of facilitating sex sin for others (or at least making it easier to avoid one of the consequences of sex such as pregnancy, which sort of promotes a looser lifestyle). Just curious what you think.
I know you are already aware that what I think doesn’t really matter. If you feel condemned for being a pharmacist, then you should not be a pharmacist simply because:
Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [ he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
But why would you feel condemned for filling prescriptions which were decided upon by someone else? Why would you take the decisions of others upon yourself?
Christ turned two hundred and fifty gallons of water into wine which contains alcohol. Alcohol is a substance which could very easily have been abused by those who were at that wedding:
Joh 2:10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
If Jesus did not concern Himself with the fact that others could possible abuse that he gave them, then neither should we. You may say that wine in moderation is good, and that birth control pills in any amount are harmful, but you are ignoring the fact that the potential for abuse is always in the court of the user and not the provider.
Personally performing an abortion is to personally murder a baby human being and brother, but to fill out a prescription is nowhere near personally deciding upon the death of another human being, even if the person you are serving does make that decision.
You are not intended by your Lord to make decisions for others, and what they do with what you give them is not on your spiritual shoulders. All such decisions by others at this time are “without the cup and the platter.” Cleanse first that which is within, then in due time you will be given the position that will empower you to concern yourself with the activities of the kingdoms of this world and you, too, will be told:
Gen 41:44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
That is the position of God’s elect when He is ruling the kingdoms of this world:
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Joseph typifies Christ and all those who are in Him. God is in us as He was with Joseph while Joseph was still constrained by the powers of Egypt. The time came when Joseph was given power over the lives of others, but until that day he served his Egyptian masters in any way that did not require that he renounce his own Lord.
That is where we are in Christ at this time. Even Christ prayed that God would keep us while we are yet in this world.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Paul repeats this same doctrine:
1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
1Co 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
I hope this all helps you to see that there are many hard working pharmacists who want only to help their customers to keep their bodies in balance. Of course some their customers are abusing their prescriptions, but humans always have and always will abuse what God Himself has given them. More people die in cars than die of heart disease or cancer, but it would be foolish to contend that no Christian should build or sell cars. The same is true of pharmaceuticals.
I will close with these two verses in Corinthians
1Co 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
God bless your desire to know His mind in all your ways.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Other related posts
- Works Versus Obedience (September 20, 2010)
- Working A Job And Still Forsaking All (May 17, 2009)
- Women Speaking In The Church (September 18, 2008)
- Witnessing To Babes In Christ (August 7, 2007)
- With What We Have Learned (November 25, 2007)
- Why Did God Create Hallucinogens? (March 22, 2010)
- Who's Calling (July 6, 2006)
- Who Loves God The Most? (July 21, 2008)
- Who Is My Brother? (October 5, 2008)
- Who Is Increasing And Who Is Decreasing? (June 5, 2007)
- Who Has "Sinned Willfully", and What Are the Consequences? (June 15, 2015)
- Where We All Once Were? (October 22, 2007)
- When Should We Witness? (July 18, 2007)
- When Everyone Turns Against Us (December 27, 2007)
- What is Meant by the Word "Perfect"? (October 20, 2006)
- What Is Love? (December 4, 2009)
- What Is A Disciple? (July 24, 2007)
- Were These Men Sinners Above All in Jerusalem? (July 22, 2009)
- We As His Disciples (June 4, 2009)
- Using Our Gifts (April 24, 2007)
- Unequally Yoked Together With Unbelievers (September 20, 2010)
- Uncovering The Nakedness Of Your Near Of Kin (January 22, 2009)
- Train Up A Child In The Way He Should Go (March 24, 2010)
- The Works of The Flesh In Us (November 3, 2008)
- The Meaning Of Backsliding (March 17, 2009)
- The Hope That Lies Within Us (December 6, 2010)
- Temptation With The Affairs of This World (July 18, 2007)
- Standing For Christ In The Face of Promotion (July 11, 2005)
- Sister to Sister (March 24, 2007)
- Should Women Ask The Blessing? (June 29, 2010)
- Should We Sing And Dance In Church Services? (June 29, 2009)
- Should We Counsel This World? (April 8, 2012)
- Should We Continue Going To Church? Part 2 (July 6, 2006)
- Should I Even Try To Overcome An Addiction? (March 30, 2009)
- Should Christians Vote? (July 6, 2006)
- Should Christians Seek To Have A Tax Free Status? (August 13, 2007)
- Should Christians Play The Stock Market? (August 30, 2007)
- Should Christians Make A Better Place To Live? (March 28, 2005)
- Should Christians Get Tattoos? (August 16, 2008)
- Should Christians Fear Curses? (May 4, 2007)
- Should Christians Donate Organs? (April 27, 2010)
- Should Believers Date Unbelievers? (May 4, 2007)
- Should A Christian Ever Use Physical Force? (October 29, 2008)
- Sex Before Marriage? (July 10, 2008)
- Returning My Attention Back To The Bible (July 20, 2010)
- Responding To Holiday Greetings (December 14, 2009)
- Remember Every Word Out of the Mouth of God (October 1, 2011)
- Rebuking A Brother (December 16, 2009)
- Proverbs 31:10-31 Wife (October 3, 2008)
- Patience and Its Function (November 6, 2010)
- Our Lusts of Our Flesh? (January 7, 2010)
- Our Brothers in Babylon? (August 4, 2012)
- Orthodox Ministers Publicly Praying For The Elect (January 28, 2010)
- On Voting (October 21, 2010)
- Obedience and Admonition (April 11, 2007)
- New Christians Are Always Confused (July 15, 2004)
- Neighborhood Bible Study (July 5, 1999)
- My Advice For A Young Christian (March 23, 2008)
- More Than A Conqueror (July 10, 2008)
- Mike and Ray Split Part 1 (May 12, 2007)
- Married Women Keeping Their Maiden Names (April 29, 2007)
- Loving Our Families (October 6, 2010)
- Let Him Remain Ignorant (April 8, 2010)
- Leaving The Church Without Guilt (April 13, 2004)
- Knowing Doctrine And Truth (July 2, 2009)
- Kept By The Power Of God Through Faith (July 1, 2008)
- Keep Them In This World (December 14, 2009)
- Is The Holy Spirit Working As We Serve Our Flesh? (March 16, 2009)
- Is Joking Bad Works? (January 9, 2010)
- Is It Scriptural To Work Long Hours At A Job? (February 13, 2009)
- Is It Possible To Backslide? (December 13, 2010)
- Is It Okay To Attend Church With Family? (May 13, 2011)
- Is It All Right To Keep Quiet? (January 3, 2010)
- Is It All Right To Date Those In Babylon? (June 6, 2009)
- Is It A Sin To Gamble? (August 12, 2009)
- Is It A Sin To Drink And Smoke? (December 18, 2009)
- Is It A Sin To Be Angry? (October 3, 2008)
- Is Hypnosis Biblical? (March 27, 2010)
- Is Cremation A Sin (June 2, 2009)
- I Wish God Would Stop Me From Sinning (March 25, 2009)
- How to Be a Witness? (April 8, 2009)
- How To Handle Getting Puffed Up? (August 27, 2007)
- How Long Do We Continue In Sin? (April 24, 2007)
- How God Prepares Our Hearts? (January 11, 2008)
- How Do We Know We Are Elect? (August 4, 2012)
- How Do We Come Out of Babylon? (October 20, 2011)
- Home Schooling (October 20, 2006)
- Handling Freeloaders (August 26, 2008)
- Handling Alcoholic Relatives (August 26, 2008)
- Growing To Maturity (September 12, 2010)
- Gratitude For His Revelation (May 2, 2009)
- Grateful For The Truth Of Christ (October 3, 2004)
- Grateful For Revelation Series (December 9, 2008)
- Grateful But Feeling Inadequate (March 8, 2009)
- Good Works (August 4, 2008)
- Going Back To Babylonish Church (May 11, 2010)
- Glorified By Our Sufferings (January 30, 2009)
- Freely Ye Have Received Freely Give (May 3, 2008)
- Freed From The Law of Sin and Death (June 12, 2005)
- Does The Bible Condone Gambling? (February 1, 2010)
- Does Christ Advocate Slavery? (July 25, 2007)
- Do Wives Really Have to Submit? (February 12, 2012)
- Did The First Christians Practice Communism? (December 22, 2004)
- Did His Disciples Provide For Their Families? (August 7, 2007)
- Coming Out of Babylon (February 7, 2008)
- Come Out and Be Ye Separate (June 20, 2007)
- Church With An Unbelieving Husband (October 10, 2006)
- Christians And Owning Guns (March 27, 2009)
- Christian Response To Holiday Greetings (November 3, 2008)
- Can We Know Gods Will for a Specific Situation? (May 13, 2011)
- Can We Eat With A Friend Who Believes Heresy? (May 22, 2009)
- Can Christians Serve In The Military? (June 12, 2007)
- Can Christians Drink Wine? (July 23, 2010)
- Can Christians Divorce And Remarry? (July 28, 2010)
- Can Christian Men Work With Female Bosses? (June 22, 2010)
- Can Art Be Used To Glorify God? (April 24, 2007)
- Can A Policeman Be A Christian? (June 12, 2009)
- Can A Christian Watch TV? (July 14, 2007)
- Can A Christian Defend Others (August 4, 2009)
- Can A Christian Defend His Wife And Children? (November 18, 2009)
- Can A Christian Be Forced To Deny His Beliefs? (April 11, 2010)
- Can A Christian Be A Pharmacist? (April 3, 2009)
- But Ye Brethren Be Not Weary In Well Doing (August 16, 2010)
- Birthdays Holidays and Unbelieving Spouses (May 12, 2007)
- Being All Things (May 4, 2009)
- Bearing Witness While Leaving Babylon (June 23, 2008)
- Bearing The Infirmities of The Weak (May 9, 2007)
- Bearing The Infirmities Of The Weak Study (May 15, 2010)
- Bearing The Infirmities Of The Weak 2010 (May 25, 2010)
- Are Medical Abortions Murder? (May 17, 2009)