When a Patient Rejects Your Recommendation
May 10, 2026
When a Patient Rejects Your Recommendation
Last week, I had a doctor’s appointment for some imaging. My physician had referred me to another clinic, and honestly, from the moment I walked through the doors, I could feel something different. There was instrumental worship music softly playing throughout the clinic. Peace filled the atmosphere. Then the doctor walked into the room and introduced herself. She was kind, warm, grounded, and you could immediately feel the love of God in her presence.
At one point, I asked her, “Are you the owner of this clinic?” and her response absolutely melted my soul. She smiled and said, “Well yes… but I’m really just a vessel working for Him,” as she pointed her finger upward.
I cannot even explain how deeply that touched me. To know I was sitting in front of someone called into medicine, someone who clearly loved Jesus, and someone who intentionally built a clinic where she could represent Him more freely within healthcare, it honestly brought tears to my eyes.
We had such a beautiful conversation. Then something happened during the appointment that gave me a deeper revelation into what so many healthcare professionals are carrying right now.
The doctor made a recommendation for me. She explained it thoroughly and did an amazing job educating me on something I did not previously understand. I truly respected her knowledge and the care she took with me.
But even after hearing her explanation, I still did not feel peace to move forward in that moment. And for me personally, I’ve learned the importance of talking to God and listening for His guidance before making certain decisions. So, I gently declined for the time being.
And in that moment, I saw something shift in her. Not dramatically and not negatively. But I could feel the emotional weight she was carrying over my decision.
And immediately, the Lord showed me something so clearly:
So many clinicians are unintentionally carrying the weight of their patients’ healing and decisions in their own hands.
You choose to be a vessel for Him. You love your patients deeply.
You want the very best outcomes for them. You want to help heal people. But many of you are still carrying a burden God never asked you to carry.
You think the outcome rests fully on you.
- On your knowledge.
- On your recommendations.
- On whether the patient listens or not.
- On whether they follow through or not.
- On if insurance approves the treatment plan.
- On whether healing happens the way you hoped or not.
And while your role matters deeply…the weight of healing was never yours to hold alone. It’s His. God never asked you to carry the emotional burden of outcomes in your own human strength.
He asked you to co-labor with Him.
- To be the vessel.
- To love well.
- To show up fully.
- To use your extraordinary knowledge and expertise.
And then to give the rest to Him: to let Him do the heavy lifting and to trust that He loves your patient even more than you do.
So, the next time a patient declines your recommendation, or the prior authorization gets denied, or the outcome does not go the way you hoped, please remember:
You do not have to carry that stress alone.
You do not have to hold the weight of healing in your own hands.
You were never meant to.
I want to end this story with something beautiful. A few days later, after praying about it and talking to God, I did receive peace to move forward with her recommendation, and without hesitation, I knew she was the physician I would return to.
But it was important for me to hear from God too and not only the voice of my doctor. I think there’s wisdom in that for all of us.
Patients need clinicians who are partnered with God. And clinicians need the freedom of knowing they are not carrying the burden of healing alone. There is so much peace when partnership replaces pressure.
The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:5b-6 ESV