Smack Dab in the Middle of God’s Will

I’ve had the pleasure of being around a lot of different types of Christians with some specific beliefs that are different than mine. Not that they believe in a different Bible or a different Jesus, per say, just different specific beliefs. And I usually keep my mouth shut about most of their beliefs; but one in particular really sticks in my craw.

The teaching goes something like this: the more obedient you are to God, the more favor He will bestow up on you. And by favor, they mean “stuff.” If that teaching is true, then the people who are smack dab in the middle of God’s will should be some of the most physically and financially blessed people on the planet. Obviously, this list of blessed people should include pastors and missionaries. Who could be more in tune with God’s will than a person who moves halfway across the world to minister to God’s people and make disciples of all nations?

Well, I stay in contact with two such missionaries. One is a single man minister to an unreached people group in Chad, Africa. The other is a young family ministering in a private location in China.

Let me share with you two of their recent e-mails.

First from my brother in Chad:

“Chad is a challenging place to live. Though this understatement might be hard for most to grasp, hopefully describing this past month can help a little bit to put into perspective what serving in this unique part of the world is like.

After receiving the proper travel paperwork, I headed out east with my teammate, Dave, to setup their house before the rest of the family arrived the following week. It takes two full days of driving in 100°+ heat to get to the village. The first day is on mostly paved roads. The second day, well it’s debatable to call what you’re driving on a road.

Once arriving in the village, it has taken several long, hard weeks to get into a livable situation for everyone. Everything in Chad takes more time. This is especially true for the initial setup phase. We had a ton of work to do both on my house and the family’s house as they sat vacant for almost two years.

Tasks have included but were not limited to: Sweeping dust off walls, Sweeping mountainous layers of dust off the floors, Cleaning household items covered in dust, Knocking mud wasp hives off walls, Knocking termite damage off wooden beams, Using phone flashlights to navigate at night, Putting solar panels on roof, Taking a two-day trip to the closest city to get more supplies, Covering up corrosion in the solar freezer, Troubleshooting when solar freezer doesn’t get cold, Resorting to water in a clay jar when said freezer can’t be fixed, Covering house shutters with tarp to keep dust intake at less extreme levels, Hunting down water donkeys to fill up barrels.”

Now from my brother in China:

“As many of you have heard in the news, there is currently an outbreak of a deadly virus here in China. It is reported that more than 4,000 people have been infected and more than 100 people have died, and it seems to be spreading rapidly. The epicenter of the outbreak is in a province which is a few hours away from us by train. Our local friends have been checking in on us every day, strongly suggesting that we stay indoors. We’re currently hunkered down and have supplies to last for about a week. However, if the virus continues to spread and things continue to shut down, we do not know what we will do. There is a lot of fear and distrust of the information that is being given out by the government. We’re not sure what to believe. We are thankful that God is sovereign over all things and that His promises are sure. A precious friend texted me a reminder yesterday that has meant a great deal to me: ‘In a few short decades, we will be done here on earth and all of the anxiety, suffering, and pain you feel now will be gone. The Lord Jesus is preparing a place for you in Heaven.’ What a wonderful hope we have in Jesus!”

And then a few days later:

“Our family will be traveling out of China today to a neighboring country in Asia. We have to leave the country because my wife and our children are on a visa that requires them to go out and come back every 60-days. However, because of the virus outbreak we have been advised to stay out of China for awhile. At this point, we do not know when we will be able to return to China. Please pray for safe travel for our family. Pray especially for our children, as they have to travel with masks on and don’t understand a lot of what’s going on. The situation is changing rapidly here. Our travel plans were changed several times in the last few days as airlines cancel flights to China and everyone tries to get a grasp the extent of the outbreak. Pray also for our precious local friends. Pray that the gospel would spread faster than this virus during this time. We have a hope that is stronger than death. Jesus Christ has destroyed sin and death on the cross and reigns now and forever more. He is seated at the right hand of the Father and continually makes intersession for us! Praise the Lamb who was slain! He is alive! Praise His name! Thank you all for your prayers. They are more precious than gold to me.”

Now, I am going to make the argument that these two brothers and their family are indeed blessed by God. That they are in fact smack dab in the middle of God’s will for their lives. But I do not see many physical blessings nor financial blessings. What I see is sweat, pain and tears. What I see is people literally running for their lives because a deadly virus is approaching their city. But what I see more is the goodness of God and their heart for the people that God has given them.

Listen how our brother in China closes his letter:

“What a wonderful hope we have in Jesus! I imagine that many of you are experiencing trials of your own right now. Know that the Lord Jesus cares for you and died on the cross to take away your sins. He has risen from the grave and freely gives new life and fellowship with God to anyone who will repent and believe in Him. His love is steadfast. His kindness is never-failing. And His Kingdom has no end. Praise His Name! Please pray for our country. Pray that our family would stay healthy during this crisis, both physically and spiritually. Pray that God would give us wisdom in what to do and give us opportunities to be ministers of the gospel during this time.”

I can say with confidence that these two missionaries will never drive a fancy car. They will never live in a mansion. They will never make a six-figure salary. But I guarantee, they are smack dab in the middle of God’s will, and they are very blessed.