Fear vs. Hope

As missionaries our work is people.

The funny thing about working with people is that they are all different, and you can never work the same way with each person that you meet. Though our work is people, it is not our goal. I have learned this is an easy mistake to make. We get this idea that the more helpers and attenders that we have, the stronger our ministry. Sometimes in this rush for workers, we place people in authority that are not ready or do not really want the best things. After a time of them helping, we start to see that they do not want to change, that they are content with the little instead of the much.

At this point we have some choices:

We can choose to fear - what will we do without them? what will I do if people get angry? what if? what if?... Because we fear, we try to overlook the problem and try not to rock the boat so that they stay. This is not real love. I read a quote that broke me the other day over this very point.

"If,
one whose help I greatly need appears to be as content to build in wood, hay, stubble, as in gold, silver, precious stones, and I hestitate to obey my light and do without that help because so few will understand, then I know nothing of Calvary Love. "

We can choose to reject without feeling - You say that this guy has caused you trouble; he has been a thorn in the flesh; he is carnal and deserves to be punished. We may need to step away, but we have no hope! This is not love. Here is another quote from Carmichael.

"If,
I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points, if I adopt a superior attitude forgetting "who made thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary Love. "

So what do we do? We let go of fear and follow Christ. I have found that those that do not want to follow Him will not stay long with those that do, but the real freedom comes in what we pray for them as they go. We pray that in time they will return, that they will be blessed (the goodness of God leads to repentance), and that someday they will be the person God created them to be.