A couple weeks ago, I started a 3-part series on missions that was based upon an anecdote about two drowning men. The 2nd post in that series was from Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to China. I said in that 2nd post that the 3rd and final part of that series would be forthcoming “the next day”, and here we are over two weeks later.
Well, here are my final thoughts concluding this series. Please take time to go back and at least skim over the first two posts (A Tale of Two Drowning Men & Hudson Taylor and the Drowning Man) so that you can pick up in the right frame of mind for what I am about to say.
What isn’t being done for the lost by Christians in the West
That is the question I want to try and answer in the next few paragraphs. My goal is to encourage you to examine yourself to see if there is not something more that love for God and your fellow man would constrain you to do in regards to reaching the lost around the world.
1. We are not becoming “all things to all men, that [we] may by all means save some”. There are innumerable opportunities throughout the world, from London to Lhasa, for Christians to work and live and share the Gospel. There are opportunities for almost every kind of entreprenuer imaginable, and for every profession under heaven. But we rarely take advantage of these opportunities.
Here in Asia’s Highlands, for instance, there are hundreds of completely unreached towns and cities where it would be easy for a foreigner to come in and start up some kind of business. But it just isn’t happening. The opportunity is UNDENIABLY there, but the takers are so few. Out of the millions of Christians in places like America, you would think that at least a few thousand could heed the call to go to these completely unevangelized places… especially with so many opportunities available!
2. We are not willing to leave our lives of comfort and relative safety behind to help fulfill the Great Commission. Many are willing to take short-term vacations, but few are willing to decidedly take up lifetime residence in a strange country that speaks a strange language…and making that place your real home for life, in order to share the Gospel with the people there. This was the norm in ages past, when the modern missionary movement began.The vast majority of missionaries today, even long-term workers, do not become like the people they are seeking to reach. Most of the time, we are simply not willing to give up our ‘identity’ as an American/Canadian/Peruvian or other nationality, in order to truly become Chinese/Malaysian/Pakistani, etc… and be able to share the Gospel in the most effective way possible. We sacrifice effectiveness and fluency in understanding the language and culture, for the comfort and security of keeping our own national identity and speech.
3. We are not willing to look at the spiritual state of the unreached people groups of the world, and make our life decisions based upon the obvious need and the clear call to “Go and Preach”. All too often, we seek to justify ourselves and claim to not have been “called” to missions. But it was Hudson Taylor who said that we should rather ask God if he is calling us to stay at home. What would be the problem if we all (or even 50% of us) decided to be missionaries? Would God not provide for our needs and open doors as never before?I am not speaking primarily of the traditional missionary model where you have to raise so much money before you can go and all you do is sit around and talk to your neighbors about Jesus. I am speaking primarily of missions following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. We need people who are willing to work hard and start companies, and share the Gospel everywhere that they go. If unbelievers can build companies and create successful businesses around the world, and all for personal gain, how much more should we Christians be able to do that with our hearts focused on giving glory to God and seeking and saving the lost wherever we go?
— I could go on, but I will stop for now. Please feel free to write me or comment on this post if you have any questions or ideas or thoughts on what I have written. I would love to have honest interaction on this subject with those of you who are seeking to love and obey God with all of your heart!
The concept of ‘calling’ is an interesting one. I love the quote – I certainly wish that more Christians here would embrace their ‘calling’ whether at home or abroad. I have to laugh though, because after our year on the world race, Gary and I said “ok God, anywhere in the world, we’re willing to go…” and He led us right back to 70 miles from where we started! (At least, that’s where He’s called us for right now!)
Keep up the blogging – I love your thought provoking posts as well as the updates on family and ministry!
God bless
Katherine =)
I used the word calling under #3 above, but if you look in the bolded heading for that section, my point is that we should make Biblical decisions based upon the need we see in the world.
So in that sense, what I mean by “calling” is what you decide, as you pray and read the Bible, to do with your life.
You don’t need a calling to witness to your neighbor or the guy sitting next to you on the airplane. And I don’t think a calling is absolutely necessary to deciding to go and live and work as a missionary overseas.
Hello I found your blog through John Pipers message 🙂 I really have enjoyed reading your entries and this message especially struck a cord in my heart. I married my husband 6 years ago (he is the son of a missionary family) and we had planned/dreamed of being missionaries in latin america after we married because we both speak spanish. Soon after we were married plans changed, drastically. To make a REALLY long story short my husband listened to some really strange legalistic teaching and for the past 6 years has been trying to re-learn the faith that he believes we were taught in vain before realizing that living under the entire mosaic law was how we should please God. I know this is not the truth and I live everyday in agony thinking all the ways he is evangelizing a false message!! My husband is an evangelist to the core that was what our marriage was established on a fiery love for Jesus and a burning for the lost… I truly believe that is his calling– but he is currently in serious error. He has basically pulled us out of church, started celebrating the sabbath, keeping biblical feasts, kosher food laws, ULTRA modest dress code, you name it. And he is very vocal to EVERYONE around us about their error.
I would drop EVERYTHING in a moment if my husband said he had come to the truth and he felt God’s call to move to China, to Brazil, to India, or beyond. I have this burning desire to GO. To share, to be bold, to give up the comforts of suburbia (I have lived in ‘closed countries’ before we were married and I truly felt alive and such a comfort AWAY from all the so-called ‘comforts of the west’) to exalt His fair Name among ears who have NEVER heard.
I feel hardly able to function in this society, around a community of people (people like-minded to my husband’s new ‘understanding’) so set on studying more to gain ‘knowledge’ all for what? To set who free? Sometimes I feel like I can hardly breathe. So I guess my question is this, how can I live what I feel is the call of God on our lives out where I am at? With a husband who thinks that my understanding of the Bible is ‘tainted’? I would love to support missionaries, but I cannot… I would LOVE to go, but I cannot. Any advice would be greatly appreciated… May God Bless You and Your Family in the name of Jesus, I pray Ephesians 1:17-19 over you all:
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
Hi Diana,
Thanks for writing! When did you hear the Piper message? He’s preached it numerous times since 2009. Its been a blessing, because we’ve been able to connect with many more like-minded people who have contacted us in various ways. To God be the glory!
Interestingly enough, I understand a bit about where your husband is at. I had a good friend about 10 years ago, just as I was finishing high school, who had “rediscovered” some Jewish roots and dove into the Messianic Christian life to the point where it very nearly ceased to be Christian (since other Christians were not accepted as genuine). In his case, it turned into quite a soap opera because his girlfriend (then soon after, wife) came from a strict, fundamentalist baptist background and had a bunch of very serious big brothers who made attempts to rescue her (read: kidnap) back to their fold. But she had also converted to her husband’s point of view and wasn’t willing to be taken. I learned quite a bit from my friend, in the early stages at least, but was grieved as he grew more and more distant and angry with the cultural Christianity around him. I left for Peru, then China, not long after, and haven’t heard from him since sometime in 2002 or 2003. Brian was his name.
Anyways, my best advice is to be patient in tribulation, fervent in prayer, and always ready to testify of the grace and glory of God in every opportunity HE gives you!
(Do you have any opportunity to fellowship with like-minded sisters?)
Practically speaking, however, there might be more ways that you can “reach the unreached” than you imagine. How much internet access do you have? Many unreached peoples (including many Muslims) are active online and provide opportunities for sort of “pen-pal” friendships. I can think of places such as China, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia and others where with some searching, you’re likely to discover some online forums (maybe even ladies only) where you can befriend and begin to share with unevangelized people. (not to mention the opportunities communicating with Latino people in Spanish online!)
I spent countless hours late in the evenings when I was in high school witnessing to people in chatrooms from all over the world. Back then chatrooms were a bit different than today, but I remember having 1/2 dozen spiritual conversations going on at once. I could barely type fast enough to keep up!
I hope this helps a little. Thank you for your prayers! We will likewise pray for you and your family.
For His Glory,
Eugene & family
Wow, thank you for such a speedy response and your genuine care! I listened to the message titled, “Get a Holy Ambition — and Skip Adultolescence” 2011 on the Desiring God page, I listen to John Piper and others online every now and then for encouragement.
Yes that is ironic that you have been connected to someone on a similar ‘journey’. It’s interesting that you mentioned that you learned so much at the beginning from him. When my husband first began questioning things (after he had been to a meeting with a man who claimed the dietary/sabbath/etc. laws were still binding) we dove into the word like never before. We were finding SO much, things we had never seen before! Soon though, my husband started to become VERY angry that he had been ‘lied’ to by the ‘church’. And what started out as searching the scriptures for truth turned into…finding evidence to support his firm conclusion that the law is the guide to a pleasing life to God and a holy life. I have ALWAYS known that something was amiss, Praise God for the book of Galatians (and Romans, and Hebrews!!)
To be honest I go through times where I have tried to engage in conversations to prove why this new view cannot be right and times when I don’t. The problem is that my husband is an excellent debater and he is TOTALLY set in his ‘truth’. If I try to share anything that challenges that ‘truth’ then he attacks every word and takes the next 4 hours to try to ‘set me straight’. I get accused of being a rebellious wife and undermining his authority, etc. I have gone through seasons where I don’t say much because I am exhausted and can’t have one more conversation. Especially since he would agree that salvation is by grace a gift of faith…that we don’t ‘earn’ our salvation by works, etc. etc. He does, however say that evidence of our salvation is walking the way Jesus did, according to the law. Now of course I don’t believe the law has been done away with (as he accuses me of) but that it still has a holy purpose—to lead people to Christ! The law is not able to sanctify, or justify, or bring about righteousness in us… if so Christ died needlessly. But as much as I try to share what to me (and to God!!) is good news, he does not want to hear it. Often our conversations end like this, he asks, “how am I sinning if I follow the law and teach others to do the same?” “how am I sinning??” I don’t have a real clear answer for that yet…but lately I have been really burdened about where he is at with the Lord. I often wonder what my role is, to win him without a word, or to gently restore such a one??
To answer your question, no I am not in fellowship with other like-minded sisters locally since the only way I could get involved in anything is if my husband was sure I was sharing the law with them to show them their error. I do have a few friends I talk to on the phone (who have strong faith and are very encouraging one of which is married to a Peruvian ;-), but really they don’t know much about what is going on since I struggle with guilt and feelings of betrayal sometimes of telling people about my situation.
After I wrote to you last night I had such a beautiful time with Jesus and I felt this overwhelming call to live like a missionary RIGHT here… in my own home! The same way that you and your family might pray really hard before you step out and share, I should advance forward only on my knees. In essence I am, in a way, in a ‘closed country’ of my own. The battle is so tough sometimes, but thank you for your encouragement to be fervent in prayer, that really rang true to what God showed me last night!
Also the idea of forums/chatting online with seekers is a great one, I have little children so the time is slightly limited to do so but I do have some time… thank you for that!
Thank you for your prayers and advice… Really I don’t know why I just poured my heart out like that, must have been the Lord.
Blessings in Him,
Diana
Hi Diana,
I’m glad the Lord is encouraging you by His Spirit!
One thing you wrote was:
“I often wonder what my role is, to win him without a word, or to gently restore such a one??”
I would say focus on the former, with much prayer, relying on the Holy Spirit (in God’s time) to work and soften his heart so that the latter can become a reality.
Blessings,
Eugene