Stewards and Consumerists

Last night, I had the privilege of personally listening to mission-centered testimonies shared by a wonderful couple. The interesting thing is, this brother is neither a full-time Christian worker nor a pastor or a preacher, not even a bi-vocational worker leading a church. He, along with his wife, is a simple believer but devoted to God’s mission.

This young brother is working in a Muslim populated and prosperous country. He works for an automobile company and is living in this rich nation for a couple of years. Multitudes of people, including Christians, particularly from the Asian countries, leave their hometown and go to this country. Do you know why? To earn wealth, acquire material possessions, buy good property in their hometown and then return back to their native place at their convenient time to settle comfortably with their family.

But this brother is quite different. He is not material-centered, earthly-minded and comfort-oriented. His passion is, as he works, he wants to support his family and get engaged in the spread of the kingdom of God. He seeks to win the lost. He is burdened to make disciples. He loves to build the body of Christ. And to do all these in a hostile nation, he is utterly dependent on God, has given himself to prayer and uses God given opportunities to share his faith and to make disciples. He does this out of personal burden in the Lord without support and motivation from any church or organization.

As I listened to him and learned how God is using him to be a tremendous blessing to many, I saw how he is overflowing with the joy of God as he is engaged in God’s mission. Despite holding a job which keeps him quite busy, he still takes time, particularly using his weekly off, to actively minister to people. How many I find trying to give excuses for not being active in ministry! But we learn from this brother - where there is passion, there is a way. Candidly speaking, I don’t witness such passion to live for the glory of God even among many Christian leaders and full-time Christian workers.

Coming to this brother’s wife, she is just a housewife. Unlike many housewives who enjoy cooking, television and shopping, she is more passionate to involve in God’s mission. So, besides fulfilling her household chores, she spends more time in praying for the lost, does prayer walk and loves to use opportunities to share the gospel with neighbors and strangers. She is zealous to impact lives for Christ Jesus.

As I listened to their testimonies, I am impressed to see how this grassroots Christian couple is burning for the Lord to carry on His mission and to accomplish His will on this earth. Their lives distinctly exemplify stewardship. Such people consider their lives as a gift from God and want to use all that they are and have for the glory of God and for the expansion of His kingdom. Although they earn money and enjoy every earthly blessing from God, their heart is predominantly set on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, not on earthly kingdom and worldly amusements.

I take great delight and extract inspiration in watching such committed lives to the cause of Christ. However, I am also saddened to look at so many people who claim of being believers and followers of Christ Jesus, but as Paul said, they look out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (Phi. 2:21). It seems many Christians are passionate to fulfill their own will and to build their own kingdom, unlike Jesus who taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come and thy will be done.” They have given themselves over to consumerism Christianity, pursing earthly prosperity and seeking to attain material things to live a comfortable life. Regretfully, in all their carnal pursuits and worldly passions, they seek God to richly bless them, as if God is existing to serve them to fulfill their every whim.

Moreover, to satisfy their conscience and to feel religious, they practice little spirituality [pray little, study little, worship little] and give little offering to church or ministry. But their lives are not evidently marked with a passion to follow Christ by denying self and carrying their cross, to spread the gospel of Christ, to make disciples, to help the needy & missions, and to build the flock of Christ which He bought by His own blood.

Paul, in writing to the believers at Rome, exhorts, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). Don’t you think many of our believers lack this godly zeal, spiritual fervor and passion to serve the Lord? The devil seemingly has become successful in making many of Christ’s followers sluggish in spiritual disciplines and distracted from God’s mission, but alert and zealous for worldly things. Is this not confirmed by looking at so many Christians whose lives are being enslaved by consumerism, materialism and hedonism? I am convinced there is a desperate need for revival, the great spiritual awakening, in our Christianity today.

I urge you, dear believers of Christ, to think about the wonderful couple I have shared and examine ourselves with these questions - How am I living my life for Christ? What am I doing for God's kingdom? Is my life impacting those around me? Am I am a good steward of God's blessings in my life? Am I Christ-centered, kingdom-minded, gospel-oriented, people-builder and self-disciplined in God's ways?

Let's commit our brief life on earth to live for the glory of God, walking with God by constant communion with Him and impacting lives around us by exemplifying God’s standards, by sharing the gospel, by making disciples, by helping the needy and missions, by encouraging the weak believers and by praying for the lost and for revival in Christian community. Such is a life lived worthily for the glory of God as faithful stewards in contrast to wayward consumerists.

_______________________________

Enquiries:

cstephendavid@gmail.com (or) stephen@tents-india.org

Work is Ministry: Simple Cautions

For centuries, this notion has been deeply ingrained in Christianity—work/job/business is secular and Christian ministry is spiritual. This led many to consider that ministry is a spiritual activity, a life lived for God, but work is a secular thing, a life lived for oneself. Consequently, the Christian workers are viewed as the most blessed people, for they are called to serve God, while the believers who hold jobs are simply the ordinary ones.

Fortunately, this perspective is now slowly changing.[1] I am glad to see a revival in the marketplace (workplace) today, emphasizing that work is not secular but spiritual, and it is also a ministry to the Lord. Praise God!

As good and necessary this teaching is, however, it ought to be taught with utmost balance, particularly considering certain cautions, for when God moves, Satan too moves. Where the wheat is sown, the devil tries to sow the weeds as well. When good is desired to be spread, evil seeks to lurk beneath it.

So, what are the cautions we need to consider to avoid certain blunders?

Caution 1
Since work is also a ministry, which is Biblically true, a working believer may subtly justify himself for not being actively involved in church ministry, evangelism and missions. He may be completely absorbed in his work, reasoning "Is not work a ministry to the Lord?" and neglect the Great Commission of our Lord. There is a high possibility for spiritual lethargy and negligence toward missions to creep into the believers, for it is more comfortable to stay in a job than to suffer in a mission field. If some are required to go to missions, they may say, "Is not my work a service to the Lord, so why should I think about going elsewhere as a missionary?"

Well, we know from God’s word that some of His people are called to devote themselves to missions, leaving jobs that confines them to a particular place and getting involved in planting churches and making disciples.[2] Therefore, the missionary movement should not suffer in our zeal to spread the word that work is a ministry. Challenge to consider foreign missions (national or overseas) should not decline due to belief that work is a ministry to the Lord.

Although the Holy Scripture mentions that work should be done as a service to the Lord (Col. 3:23-24; Eph. 6:5-6), even a cursory reading of the entire New Testament makes one to grasp its prime emphasis, which is – preaching the gospel of Jesus, making disciples, planting churches and edifying the body of Christ for the glory of God. Although Paul mentioned in Acts 20:34 about working with his own hands to supply his own needs, his passion was obviously evident in 20:24, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."

Don't you suppose this should be the passion of God’s children in whichever field they are placed? I think, every Christian in the workplace should be God's missionary, passionate to spread the kingdom of God through the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Hence, this wonderful movement in the marketplace, that work is a ministry to the Lord, should challenge believers to be faithful and diligent in their jobs or business, to live a blameless life, to shine as God’s witnesses, to become active in church ministry and to spread the kingdom of God by preaching the gospel and making disciples of Christ. But a believer who believes that his/her work is a ministry to the Lord and neglects other aspects of Christian/mission/church responsibilities has been deceived by the Enemy of our soul.

Caution 2
Since work is a ministry to the Lord, a believer may use this belief to have his focus on work only to procure more money and possessions with a purpose to live a more comfortable life on earth. This temptation is great among those who are in white-collar jobs with a good paycheck.[3]

Now, there is nothing wrong in earning money and buying possessions to meet the essential needs of our life. It is no evil in moderately enjoying at times some earthly comforts. However, we know that our hearts can easily be obsessed with such things, going beyond needs to pursue our untamed wants. We need to understand that our heart is deceptive above all things and we can use a good belief as a means to gratify our selfish ambitions. We may easily pay lip service to the belief 'work is a ministry to the Lord' but our ulterior motive may be to seek comfort zone and cozy lifestyle.

It is important, therefore, that a believer is led by the following biblical principles as he/she works or does business:

• 1Co 7:31, "Those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."


• 1Ti 6:6-10, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it….. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."


• 1Pe 2:11, "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul."

Furthermore, I believe, the belief that work is ministry should help believers to become good stewards of God’s blessings on earth. This should lead them to be wise in how they spend money on themselves, to be generous in giving to the missions and to be kind in helping the poor and needy. This ought to motivate them to be passionate for God’s will to be done and His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. Those who live this way prove to be Christ-centered and kingdom-minded. O, such are the ones who will make a tremendous difference in the marketplace for the glory of the Living God!

Finally, dear child of God, if you sincerely examine your heart in the light of Holy Spirit, how do you judge yourself in this regard?----------
Notes:

[1] In fact, this transformation began in the reformation period and in Puritan movement.
[2] Of course, Paul worked and earned his living, though he had a right to be supported by the churches. This is a wonderful ministry but this does not mean everyone itinerant worker should do the same, for there were other apostles who were receiving support from the churches (1Cor. 9:5-6).
[3] Christian workers too are not immune from this temptation where ministry can become a means to earn money and indulge in earthly comforts.

________________________________

ENQUIRIES:

Feel free to write your comments below (or) write toE-mail: cstephendavid@gmail.com (or) stephen@tents-india.org