Media Missionary Focus

Motive and Mission

I was reading a book this morning called Confessions of a Caffeinated Christian by John Fischer.

Now, if you have ever spent any time talking to me, chances are that during the conversation I was also holding a cup of coffee, so you can understand why a book with this title would catch my attention. Additionally, I have read other books and articles by John Fischer and have always enjoyed them, so now I am reading this one and thoroughly enjoying it.

But the chapters I have been reading the last few days had to do with motives for witnessing, and he brought up some interesting points. He points out that very often we tend to witness to people, especially strangers, out of a sense of obligation (so as not to have their "blood on our hands") rather than out of love for them. Consider a street preacher in a park; is he doing what he is doing, the way he is doing it, out of love for those people or out of a sense of obligation to keep his own hands and conscience clean? Please understand that I am not trying to attack any form of evangelism or to dispute the effectiveness of any particular method, but I am wanting to look at the hart of the messenger, or more specifically, my hart as a missionary.

Why do I do what I do? Is it out of a love for the Cambodian people? Is it out of a sense of obligation? Is it that I enjoy the attention I get in churches being a missionary? Is it that I enjoy being the rich and important American in a small third world country? Is it that I am looking for the adventure and excitement of world travel and living overseas? If I'm honest with myself, I know there is a bit of all of those reasons in my motives, and more. But if we are doing the "right thing" is it that important that we are doing it for "the right reasons"? Are our motives really that important in the long run?

Very often we hear the story of the prophet Jonah preached and taught from the perspective of our need to be obedient to the call of God. But I think if we stop there we are missing a huge part of the message. Although Jonah initially ran away from what God was calling him to do (preach to the people of Ninevah), he eventually repents and does it. The results were incredible! A city/state that had been so wicked that God was about to destroy it repents and a huge spiritual awakening sweeps the city, so that God relents and spares them. I would love to see those kind of results in my ministry! So God's will for Nineveh was fulfilled. But what about Jonah?

At the end of the story we find Jonah pouting and angry because God didn't wipe out Nineveh! I believe Jonah is a perfect picture of someone who is ministering out of obligation rather than out of love. Contrast Jonah's actions with those of Moses. When God threatened to wipe out the Israelites because of their disobedience Moses pleaded with God to show mercy. Jonah became angry at God for showing compassion! Or look at Paul in the New Testament who said that if it were possible for all Israel to be saved if he were condemned he would do it. Whereas Jonah preached to the Ninevites just to save his skin.

Did it make any difference in the effectiveness of the ministry? Well, Jonah's preaching stirred a tidal wave of repentance that swept a nation into God's grace, so in one sense, that being God's will for a people being fulfilled, I guess it didn't. But if you look at the life of the messenger it made all the difference in the world. Jonah ended up bitter and disillusioned. Paul and Moses and a host of other examples ended up with peace and confidence and love. How about their eternal destiny? Was that effected as well? All I can say is what is said in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 : "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

So what does that mean? Motives matter. God will bring the results he wants to bring in the lives of those being ministered to, but our motives will make a difference in how God's plan for our lives plays out. How about me? Well, like I said at the start of all this, I know I have some mixed motives. I pray and ask God to help me each day to not only do the right things, but to have the right heart and motives. There is one thing that gives me hope that God is accomplishing this in me; I get upset about and defensive when people talk about Cambodia. Think about it. You might be having a fight with some family member that you love, but if someone else steps in and says something negative about them you tend to get angry at that person and start defending the family member they were talking about. That's the way I feel about Cambodia, and more specifically the Cambodian people. I know they have problems, but whenever someone speaks badly of them I find myself getting angry and coming to Cambodia's defense. I do love these people. This is my home. It may not be perfect (far from it), but it is a part of me. So despite my mixed up not quite clear motives, I know some of the right ones are in there and I pray God will help to grow that part and continue to transform my life even as I try to bring transformation to the Cambodians around me as well.

posted by Troy In Cambodia @ 9:31 AM