Created to Serve with Eyes of Love

DR. JAMES GILLS, founder and director of St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute, exemplifies the believer that Paul describes in Ephesians 2. He recognizes that it is through grace that we (the Church) have been saved to rest in God’s redemption and grow deeper in our faith in Christ Jesus; it certainly is not by our works or deeds. We are God’s masterpiece and Dr. Gills expressed his immense gratitude for the Master Creator. His life’s work is a sermon for onlookers. God prepared good works for Dr. Gills and his wife, Heather, to do and they are faithfully obedient to that. Whether it is raising funds to build churches or hospitals across the world, teaching a weekly Bible study, or sharing God’s Word through inspired writings, the Gills family continually aligns their works with the desires of God – to do His Work.

The Physician

As a young boy, Dr. Gills grew up in the church and really had no aspirations beyond attending medical school. It seems that God’s thoughts for His masterpiece are often higher than our own because Dr. Gills never dreamed he would be where he is today. He started with a medical degree from Duke University in 1959, completed his residency at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute of Johns Hopkins University from 1962-1965, and taught as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke University Medical Center for three years. In 1968, he moved his family to Florida and opened his practice with the mindset to embrace new technology and focus on cataract surgeries. Dr. Gills said that he wanted to concentrate in a field that delivered good outcomes for his patients. He felt passionately about helping people to see more clearly. “In 1974, he became the first eye surgeon in the U.S. to dedicate his practice to cataract treatment through the use of intraocular lenses” (www.stlukeseye.com), which are implanted lenses that replace the eye’s natural lens that has been clouded over by a cataract.

Dr. Gills’ practice grew quickly as he became a leading eye surgeon. He “has performed more cataract and lens implant surgeries than any other eye surgeon in the world” (www.stlukeseye.com). He helped to develop antibiotics to put in and around the eye during surgery, which gets “about 1/70th of the infection rate in the nation,” Dr. Gills said. He aided in the development of the lens he uses in his practice, which he explained has become very popular due to the fact that “it is more accurate and has better depth focus and better resolution. After surgery, 80 percent of the patients say they see better than they have ever seen.” Dr. Gills has also engineered a way to do cataract surgery without using stitches, as well as intraocular medicines to reduce inflammation and prevent the need for needles when administering anesthesia. He is internationally acclaimed as a leader in astigmatism correction and has written 10 medical books.

As an eye surgeon, Dr. Gills has been recognized across the world for his accomplishments and innovative techniques, but perhaps more importantly he has been honored for his personal commitment to helping others. He explained that when his practice exploded beyond what he thought he could handle, he dropped to his knees to pursue a deeper walk with Christ. He wanted a truly personal relationship with Jesus so the Lord could lead him and give him strength. Dr. Gills said, “It was through the great teachings of Oswald Chambers that I came to realize that abandonment to Christ was the key to a deeper spiritual walk.” Dr. Gills purposed in his heart to do all of his work for the Lord, and he explained that is exactly why he named his practice St. Luke’s. Luke was not only a physician but also “a man empowered by God,” Dr. Gills said. Luke’s most important work was reserved for God and His purpose – spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ. Calling his practice St. Luke’s shows that Dr. Gills’ work is all for God. He cares as much about his patients’ spiritual well-being as he does about their vision.

Promise Book Shoppe at St. Luke’s next to the waiting area.

The Author

Over the years, Dr. Gills has been sharing his faith and wisdom with his patients. After years of reading three books a week, studying the Bible, and getting some guidance from a friend, Dr. Gills began writing inspirational Christian books in 1985. Since his first book was published, he has been giving his Biblically-inspired writings to his patients for free. This is done through Love Press, which is a ministry outreach underwritten by St. Luke’s that distributes Dr. Gills’ books not only to his patients, but also to organizations around the country. They can be found in jails, prisons, VA hospitals, military bases, halfway houses, rehab centers, churches, and rescue missions. Dr. Gills shared that Love Press distributes approximately 25,000 books a month (free of charge) to the places where people are seeking help and ultimately need Jesus.

Dr. Gills has now written 20 books on Christian living and over 8.5 million copies are in print. His books are the most widely requested Christian literature in the U.S. prison system, not including the Bible (www.lovepress.com). His inspiration comes from Scripture with books about love, overcoming worry, healing, intimacy with God, faith, joy, worship, and much more. Dr. Gills has even written two novels that deal with a couple’s struggle in marriage, divorce, and finding their way back to each other through God’s guidance. His hope is that through all of these books, people will find a “deeper spiritual conviction…rest in His redemption, and receive power from that rest.” Above all, Dr. Gills wants to see people come to Jesus Christ and develop a deeper relationship with Him, which can be accomplished when people truly understand what God did for us on the Cross.

Love Press receives many letters about the impact these books have had on people’s lives. Most of these letters come from prison inmates throughout the U.S. The Love Press staff gathers stacks of letters to share with Dr. and Mrs. Gills. Some of the letters passed on to them come from prisoners who have read the books and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Mrs. Gills spoke about prisoners that call themselves “lifers” and how the books have helped them grow their faith. One Easter Sunday they had the opportunity to visit one of the maximum security prisons where the books are distributed. The chapel services were held in the yard where all of the prisoners have recreational time. The yard is a dangerous place for prisoners, let alone visitors, but the Gills bravely attended the service anyway. Mrs. Gills explained that a man came running at them, but he didn’t want to inflict any harm. Instead, he embraced Dr. Gills and picked him up off the ground. The “lifer” inmate had recognized Dr. Gills from his picture (on the back of the books) and was elated to see him. The inmate explained that he had prayed that he would somehow get to meet Dr. Gills and God loved him so much that He brought Dr. Gills there on Easter. Dr. Gills’ books are reaching many who are considered “unreachable,” while harvesting souls for the Kingdom.

The Servant

Among the long list of awards that Dr. Gills has received over the years is “Entrepreneur of the Year.” He explained that at one time, they ran over 30 businesses. “I’ve always had a lot of things going in business, but I don’t feel that the businesses are just for me; it’s to give,” Dr. Gills said. He and Mrs. Gills enjoy getting involved and acting as a channel to help build God’s Kingdom. They do this through supporting about 50 different ministries, some of which build churches, hospitals, and YMCA’s around the country and around the world. The Gills have distributed profits from their businesses, helped raise funds, and matched funds for various ministries that have far-reaching impacts.

One of the ministries that they help by matching funds to build churches throughout the world is International Cooperating Ministries (ICM). “ICM has built approximately 3800 churches in 40 countries around the globe and is currently building about 300-400 churches a year,” Dr. Gills said. “ICM helps to nurture believers and assist Church growth with a strong vision for seeing people, communities, and nations transformed through Jesus Christ and His Church—truly actualizing Christ’s commission to ‘make disciples of all nations’” (www.icm.org). The Gills also work closely with Christian Blind Mission (CBM), which is an international organization “committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in low income regions of the world” (www.cbm.org).

Additionally, the Gills have worked with Medical Ministry International (MMI) for almost 30 years to build hospitals around the world, in areas such as the Dominican Republic, Central America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. “MMI is committed to meet the need for medical care among the world’s poor with lasting solutions through excellence in medicine, patient care, and health education” (www.mmint.org). The Gills have also had the pleasure of going abroad with MMI to help provide medical care. Dr. Gills described one of the places in the Dominican Republic: “These are places where many of the operating rooms have dirt floors and the windows are out, and we cool ourselves by dripping water on us in 110 degree [weather].” They had to use generators to perform the eye surgeries and when the generators failed, people would hold flashlights so they could finish the procedures. Dr. Gills shared that he considered these mission trips a vacation for him and his family. He enjoyed helping the underprivileged see better and performed up to 30 surgeries a day. Many people wouldn’t consider working from early morning until late at night every day to be a vacation, but it shows the heart of Dr. Gills. His desire to help others comes from knowing the desires of God’s heart.

On Sunday mornings, Dr. and Mrs. Gills serve their fellow congregates through teaching a Bible Study at First United Methodist Church of Tarpon Springs. They also hold a Monday morning Bible Study at St. Luke’s called “Marinated in the Word.” The group of believers gathered each week includes business professionals, doctors, pastors, and retirees who love the Word. Dr. Gills shared a recent study on 1 Peter 2. “What we do is every person will read a verse along with questions that apply the verse to their lives. This encourages further discussion and dissection of the Word, which allows the verse to do the teaching instead of me,” he said. The Gills’ service to others also allows them to fellowship with believers and continually grow their faith.

The Athlete

Dr. Gills wears many hats – a husband, a father, a grandfather, a physician, a businessman, a reader, a writer, a faithful servant of the Lord, and an athlete. He enjoyed running ever since he was a young boy and started running marathons in his late thirties. He participated in forty-six marathons, including eighteen Boston marathons and fourteen 100-mile mountain runs. For 18 years he did not have a car because he ran to work every morning. “I enjoyed being by myself, clearing out my head, and memorizing Scriptures while running to work each morning; to me it was better than coffee,” Dr. Gills said.

Next he moved on to competing in triathlons – namely, the Ironman races. He completed five Ironman Triathlons in Hawaii and holds the record for completing six Double Ironman Triathlons, each within the 36-hour maximum time frame. Dr. Gills is one of two people who have done a double Ironman at the age of 60. These races are about 28 hours long and Dr. Gills shared that he would memorize Scripture to get him through. “It takes your mind off yourself and frees you up. The freedom that comes from Christ is great. If you just focus on Christ, everything else takes care of itself,” he said. He competed in 35 various triathlons during his athletic career. He even purchased the Ironman brand in 1990, and sold it in September 2008.

With all of the professional, charitable, and athletic success over Dr. Gills’ lifetime, what is his driving force behind it? Dr. Gills said, “I think it is working hard, enjoying what you do, and being faithful, fervent, and focused.” Not many people can say they have balanced so many different commitments throughout their life, as Dr. and Mrs. Gills have. They’ve done it with eyes of love and hearts for service, truly fulfilling the works God prepared for them in advance. Glory!

MORE INFO

To learn more about Dr. Gills and St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute, visit their website at www.StLukesEye.com or call 800-282-9905.