Finding purpose through loss: How God Led Psalm Cheng from Physiotherapy to Bible College 

There are moments in life that can suddenly change our trajectory. 

For Psalm Cheng, one of those moments happened in 2023. Working as a physiotherapist, Psalm had spent years helping people regain their strength and improve their physical health. He saw the benefits of modern medicine combined with healthy living and reserved the tragedy of death to those who were old. That was until he lost his friend to cancer in August 2023. 

At just 21 years old, Psalm’s friend had only recently begun his career as a physiotherapist. Healthy, active and starting adult life, his death left Psalm wrestling with questions about the urgency of people knowing and believing in the work of Christ.  

Prior to his friend’s passing, Psalm eagerly worked at helping people better their physical health. He had even begun considering a future in preventative health, helping people avoid illness and extend their lives. But his friend’s death exposed a truth he struggled to ignore. 

It was in that moment that Psalm felt called into serving God in a way he hadn’t expected. 

Understanding the Power of Grace

Growing up in a Christian family, Psalm learnt the Bible at both church and home. Despite understanding the foundations of Christianity, he struggled to comprehend his sinfulness and need for grace. 

“I sort of reveled in the fact that I was seen as a good kid. I would really enjoy the fact that my parents’ friends or my aunties and uncles would say, ‘Oh, wow. You know, you’re such a good kid.’ I didn’t see the other side of me that I was actually very mischievous.”

Psalm found that as he grew up, his identity would often fluctuate based on how other people saw him. Rather than seeking after Christ and resting in His grace, Psalm was searching for approval from others.  

“No matter how much good I do, I can’t be right before God’s eyes. It all just led me to realise that I can’t be in a right relationship with God on my own,” Psalm shares. Through the example of older Christians at church, and then through high school Christian groups, Psalm came to realise the righteousness and identity he was seeking could only be found in Christ. 

“It was still a work in progress,” Psalm reflects, “but I started to understand the deep love that Christ had for me and how much he had done for me. I stopped striving for self-righteousness and rested in God’s love. And if I was seen as doing something good in terms of my behaviour or my marks at school or something, it didn’t have to be my identity and my worth.”

This spiritual revelation transformed the way he viewed both success and failure. He no longer was striving to prove himself, rather, he found security in Christ’s finished work on the cross. It was this powerful revelation that would continue to shape the life decisions Psalm would make and would eventually be a pivotal reason he started studying at Christ College.

Moving from Death to Life  

Moving from Death to Life  

After completing his studies as a physiotherapist, Psalm was sure he would be dedicating his life to helping people avoid illness and extend their lives. But his friend’s death reshaped Psalm’s view of people’s needs far beyond their physical bodies. 

Though Psalm’s friend was a Christian, and the truth of resurrection has been of great comfort to Psalm, he was also aware that so many in the world do not live with that hope. 

“No matter how much preventative health someone does,” he says, “we’re still under the effects of sin. We’re still going to get sick. We’re still going to die.” This was the turning point for Psalm. 

“The real problem isn’t people’s physical health,” he explains. “It’s their spiritual health and their relationship with God. The real solution isn’t preventative health, but the gospel that Jesus brings.” 

The realisation that people’s spiritual needs far outweighed any physical ones was enough for Psalm to reconsider whether physiotherapy was where he was called to serve God. 

A New Chapter 

Making the decisions to start studying the bible was not one of impulse. For Psalm, it was the culmination of years of God’s patient work in his life. 

After speaking with his pastor, Jeff Read from Chatswood Presbyterian Church, he attended a Christ College Open Night. Conversations with lecturers and staff, including Jonathan Pratt, confirmed what had already been growing in his heart. He realised he would need to be equipped and trained theologically and pastorally if he was going to faithfully share the Gospel. 

After prayer and decisions with his wife and family, Psalm decided to undertake the Traineeship at Christ College. Combining two days of study at Christ College with three days of ministry in the local church was the type of program that offered exactly what he was looking for. 

“This really suited my learning style, because in physio we do a lot of theory and practical work side by side.” 

After studying part time for two years, Psalm is about to receive his Graduate Diploma of Divinity, which is equivalent to one year of full time study. Studying subjects such as biblical theology, preaching, Greek and systematic theology has deepened both his knowledge and his love for God. 

Psalm has appreciated the smaller cohort size at Christ College, and the ability to get to know his classmates well, especially with starting out part time. The Tuesday and Wednesday lunches have been a highlight, where students all eat together and experience a seminar at the same time, or eat in pastoral care groups or mission teams to catch up and pray for each other. 

Psalm has also really highly valued the chance to get to know his lecturers as well. “The lecturers are world class. They have helped me understand and love the Bible and God more,” he says. Christ College has helped Psalm grow intellectually and gain knowledge, but he has also been constantly redirected back to how the things he is learning should be used to love and serve both people and God. 

Now that Psalm is finishing the Traineeship and the Graduate Diploma of Divinity, he is hoping to continue his studies at Christ College and become a candidate for pastoral ministry in the Presbyterian Church. 

To those considering study, Psalm encourages them to take the chance. “It is such a good opportunity. We know that the gospel is what saves people from eternal death to eternal life. And if that’s the way God saves, we want to be as well equipped as possible to understand his word and share it faithfully. Even if you just do a few units or a diploma, God will still use that to equip you for more ministry and to serve him and his people better.” 

Christ College will be holding their annual Open Night in September and an Open Day in October 2026. For those considering study, it is the perfect time to learn more, meet some of the lecturers and students, and ask questions about what study pathway is the right fit for you.