Thoughts on the Things that Matter Most
To each of us come daily compliments and criticisms. Think of these as the elements of a rose—the compliments the budding flowers and the criticisms the thorns. The secret to avoiding both pride and pity are to end each day by presenting these flowers as a Victor’s bouquet to the one who knows us best and loves us anyway.
There is no faith that is not accompanied by obedience. Obedience isn’t complete confidence. It’s a willingness to walk in the light you currently have. It often feels like you’re walking in that place where light and darkness meet. It isn’t usually comfortable, but faithful obedience allows the faithful to look back in the day of fulfillment with what Oswald Chambers called a holy “chuckle of confidence.”
Most of the apostles, Polycarp, Perpetua, Felicity, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mehdi Dibaj, and Bishop Haik Hosepian—these are just a few of the tens of thousands of Christians who have died for their faith. We admire these men and women, and we should. They are some of my heroes. However, I don’t believe there is any more glory in death than in life.
A daily dying to self, doing the “next right thing” day after day, being faithful in the bold and the boring, these bring as much or more glory to Jesus than dying as a martyr. Anyone who knows me knows I firmly believe that suffering is inextricably linked to planting the church where it doesn’t exist. We promote pioneer missions and church planting in order to disciple the nations. It’s God’ plan for all people groups to worship him, and this brings him glory.
Here’s my concern about our current direction. When we talk about the hardships and risks of apostolic ministry, it can stir up wrong motives in us. We remember those people mentioned above with awe. And, here again, we should. But, do we want to be famous, or so we want to make him famous? Maybe you don’t struggle with this at all. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m just using this blog as a substitute for therapy!
Our motives are messy, and so is ministry. So, what do we do? We work–understanding that 98 percent of missions and ministry is perspiration and two percent inspiration. God is as glorified in my writing of this article, if it’s what I’m supposed to be doing, as in me preaching a message to the Fulani of the Sahel. This feels more boring than bold, but this is part of my calling. And, it brings him glory.
At the end of the day, It’s about glory –his, not mine.