Today I find myself back in Okahandja. It’s been about 2 months since I’ve been here and I could catch a ride out with Richard Beukes, Sylvia’s husband who’s been working on the Hope’s Promise school, so I decided to make a weekend of it. In a few hours I’ll visit the Bible study at the secondary school then go hang out at the Ark for the afternoon. Tomorrow I’m going to head into Windhoek to spend some time with Toivo and hopefully work on some college applications. So I hope it’ll be a relaxing, yet productive weekend.
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Buddy and Julia are house-sitting for some missionaries who are out of town so they’re letting me stay with them. This house has got me thinking about luxury’s place in missions. Not only is the house huge and immaculate, but they have a pool, unlimited wireless internet, an indoor braai and the list goes on. Now the first thought is that’s only natural since the dollar is so strong here Westerners can easily afford luxury accommodations. And why not? It makes for a good place to relax, refresh, and restore the soul after a long, hard day of ministry. And the culture shock isn’t so bad when you can still enjoy many of the comforts of home. Is it bad, or wrong? No, I don’t think so. But I’m more concerned about what is most effective and best.
Depending on your particular ministry (ie, hosting missionaries, working with the poor, etc), your living conditions can have quite an impact. I recognize this in little things as simple as when people ask me how much my camera costs or my plane ticket to get here. I realize they could eat for months on that much money. Luxuries like that create a separation between the ministers and the people we’re ministering to. But of course we must recognize there is automatically a separation because of things like my native language, my food preferences, my skin or hair color, or any number of other things. But I think the more we can narrow the separation, the more influence we can have in people’s lives.
At some level I think it effects the gospel we preach. This morning I wrote in my journal, “How can we teach them to be content with little when we have much? How can we teach them about the vice of materialism when we idolize our materials? How can we teach them to live by faith when we don’t need to trust God for anything ourselves?”
But probably most importantly, God is far more concerned with the internal attitude of our hearts which is reflected in our external actions. Perhaps I have extra money to spend on myself because I’m more concerned with my needs than with ministry needs. In my reading just this week the author used the phrase “disposable income.” What is that? Does that really exist? The reason we say that is because charitable giving has been allotted a small segment of our budget. What would it look like if ministry became our budget and we used what was left for our needs? What if we really looked “not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others” where our finances are concerned?
Well I’m sure this’ll raise a little controversy, so leave it in the comments.
Depending on your particular ministry (ie, hosting missionaries, working with the poor, etc), your living conditions can have quite an impact. I recognize this in little things as simple as when people ask me how much my camera costs or my plane ticket to get here. I realize they could eat for months on that much money. Luxuries like that create a separation between the ministers and the people we’re ministering to. But of course we must recognize there is automatically a separation because of things like my native language, my food preferences, my skin or hair color, or any number of other things. But I think the more we can narrow the separation, the more influence we can have in people’s lives.
At some level I think it effects the gospel we preach. This morning I wrote in my journal, “How can we teach them to be content with little when we have much? How can we teach them about the vice of materialism when we idolize our materials? How can we teach them to live by faith when we don’t need to trust God for anything ourselves?”
But probably most importantly, God is far more concerned with the internal attitude of our hearts which is reflected in our external actions. Perhaps I have extra money to spend on myself because I’m more concerned with my needs than with ministry needs. In my reading just this week the author used the phrase “disposable income.” What is that? Does that really exist? The reason we say that is because charitable giving has been allotted a small segment of our budget. What would it look like if ministry became our budget and we used what was left for our needs? What if we really looked “not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others” where our finances are concerned?
Well I’m sure this’ll raise a little controversy, so leave it in the comments.
2 comments:
I couldn't agree more & I experienced this first hand living in Mexico as a missionary. The first assumption people made about me after seeing the color of my skin was that I was a wealthy, spoiled American, & to a degree, some of us are by their standards. Even though I was living there in a relatively plain situation according to my normal standards, (I shared a bedroom in my fellow missionaries home with their 2 little girls) we only had a single bathroom, but we also had a washing machine) even though it didn't rinse unless we bucketed the water in) & a refrigerator & internet, etc. We had more conveniences than many of the folks around us, but it was more like a Motel 6 than a Hilton kind of home. Even with that, & with an extremely limited income on my end, I had some comforts that others simply did not have. It definitely did create an unintentional gulf between us, & was something I had to deal with daily.
So, yes, I do think that it's much better to narrow the gap as much as possible. My 2nd 6 months in Mexico I opted to live with a lovely Mexican friend who had a cute little apartment & we had just the basics. I loved it & loved living more like a national. It was the most fruitful time of my own missionary life & I spent much more productive time talking to the people around me. It's something I wouldn't trade for all of the trappings of the world. Now, alas, back in the states for years now, I have again fallen into the trap of all the things I "need" to live. In reality, I probably don't need more than 10% of those things & I have the desire to trim down & live more like you're talking about, Mike. :) There is my 2 cents on the issue, which is a great one to bring up! Thanks for being thought- provoking once again! :)
In His Grip,
Sonya :)
Don't Waste Your Life... book by John Piper! Excellent read (not only for those on the field but those at home in North America). Just remember each one has been given a measure of faith to live by (and that measure is given by God himself) and each one has a different ministry.
Not everyone is ministering to the poor, some are ministering to the rich, or other missionaries. Yes a balance is good, but in my experience it is all too easy to judge each other (for instance, some missionaries can't live without security systems, or 10 foot walls around their house, or without house help, while others live in a dump with a big mess thinking that somehow that makes them look more human... some do it for different reasons than what others are thinking... so we need to be careful in how we view what each other is doing). If God calls me to speak into another's life, then I should do so, but otherwise I need to keep a close eye on what I am doing and where I am erring.
I think that we should all be willing to share what we have (however, it is difficult when people steal your things... not because you are holding on to stuff, but because it is sin and it harms both parties).
Don't think that because some live with less that they are less sinful or better off... it's not about STUFF it's about the heart. Are you willing to share what you have? Are you honouring and glorifying God with what you have? Are you able to trust God when you don't have things? I believe that even those with more of a gap (in things, stuff, income) who reach out and share the true love of God to others will be instrumental in God's work of salvation. The question is ARE YOU WILLING TO SERVE GOD WHATEVER THE COST (either by going to the mission field or by sending others)? If he gives you more, then more is required of you. Worship the giver of all good things, and not the gifts!
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