If you’ve been around here for any time on the Shift, you know that I’ve been living and working on the continent of Africa for almost all of my adult life. So, I am accustomed to living and working as a foreigner. In 1987, I moved to Africa, and I have been here for 37 years (this month, July 2024!). It’s safe to say that I’m in this thing for the long haul. The time for a possible career change has passed. When I think about what else I could be doing with my life, I’m stumped. Where else could I go or what else could I do besides what I’m doing now?
Just because I fully embrace working in a country and culture foreign to my own, doesn’t mean that life has been easy. We have faced challenges just like everyone else all over the world. There’s no escaping the ups and downs of life. Running away when things get tough doesn’t give promise of easier passage to the next stage. Running away might throw you from the frying pan into the fire.
Why run?
What causes us to run? to give up? to look for greener pastures? Wasn’t what we were struggling with today a dream we had once upon a time?
The children we hoped for and prayed for fell off the rails.
The dream job no longer holds the promise we thought it had.
The brand-new home we purchased holds, instead of joyful moments, stress-filled evenings of budgeting, painstaking work, and brainstorming of ways to pay all of the bills.
Or, in our case, the mission you dreamed of puts you in tension-filled situations day in and day out, making you wonder how you will ever make a difference.
Why should we care when no one else does?
Jesus faced the same struggles here on earth, but He stayed the course. He never gave up and finished what He started. If we quit before we finish, we’ll never the end result. Hang on to whatever God’s called you to do.
Not getting out what we put in when living and working
Disappointment and misunderstanding can lay such heavy burdens on us that we can be tempted to throw away the dream to escape the load. We didn’t get out of “it” what we put in, and that stings. No one notices; no one seems to care, so why should we? Perhaps the mistake we’ve made isn’t found in what we are doing but in what is motivating us. Why are we living and working? Why do we do what we do? Working with the thought that we “deserve” to be treated in a certain way or “should” be recognized for all of our efforts, will disappoint us.
In this world’s system, it’s expected for one to be rewarded in the here and now. When someone retires from a long-term job, for example, a pension is offered, parties are thrown, and there’s usually some kind of gift presented to the retiree. Maybe a watch, golf clubs, or an expensive vacation package is given as a reward for years of service. What happens, however, when the company holding their life insurance goes under or they lose other benefits? I recently read an article about retirees losing their pensions when their companies file for bankruptcy. The disappointment that comes at a moment like that could be overwhelming. What about all the years of service? Certainly all the years of sacrifice were worth something!
Understanding why we live and work
We don’t live and work for the Kingdom to get what we think we deserve. We work with eternity in mind. This point of view keeps us from being distracted or disappointed. We work for what we will find waiting for us in eternity; at least that is supposed to be our mindset. But, there are many of us who serve God have yet to fully shake the idea of receiving rewards for what we do in the here and now. Yes, there will be times we will experience blessings, but we can’t live for the blessings. Serving only for what we can get from God shows that we are shallow and entitled. Understanding why we work helps us keep a firm grip on our reality.
“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.”
Hebrews 11:13,14 NLT
Not meant to blend in
The term foreigner is often used in a derogatory way that has the potential to discourage those of us who are living as foreigners. Truth be told, all of us who follow Jesus are foreigners, wherever we find ourselves. We aren’t meant to blend into the scene. We are meant to stand out in a way that will draw people to what we carry in us.
I’m going to take a risk and say that many who call themselves believers today don’t give those around them who don’t believe a reason to come to Christ. Jesus’ life drew the lost to Him. Our lives are meant to draw, not repel. So many Christians have fallen into the trap of being on a crusade to overthrow evil with anger, protests, and vitriol. This has done nothing but bring detriment to the church and its mission to bring the Gospel to the world.
A bit strange
Jesus Himself was a foreigner when He walked on this earth. I imagine His life was full of misfit moments. The Bible isn’t clear as to when He was fully aware of Who He was and what He was living and working for. But it is clear He was a misfit from the start. Remember the account of Him being lost and His parents searching for Him (see Luke 2:21–49)? They found Him in the temple, sitting with the teachers and asking them questions, astonishing them with His knowledge. This makes me wonder how many close friends Jesus had at that age. His peers probably felt Jesus was a bit odd compared to other 12-year-olds.
Have you ever felt out of sync with the crowd around you? Like a foreigner? Take heart, you’re like your Older Brother.
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Romans 8:29 NKJV
Understanding that Jesus is not only my Savior but also my Older Brother, gives me a greater appreciation for His love. Few will eagerly share their inheritance with a stranger who is not connected to the family in any way. But Jesus, because of His love and the Father’s love, decided that He wanted to open His family to as many as would come.
The Older Brother
Jesus, unlike the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11–31, is the Older Brother who wants to share everything with us. In Luke 15, when the father restored the younger son’s position in the family, the older brother refused to join in the celebration. Why? Because in restoring his younger son to the family, the father was giving him another inheritance that the older brother would have to share. He didn’t want to share anything because he had served in his father’s house for years without trouble.
In Bible times, the older brother in Luke 15 would have been the one in the family with the responsibility to search for the younger brother. Sadly, the older brother in this story didn’t fulfill his responsibility. We, on the other hand, have an Older Brother Who came and searched for us. He left the comforts of home and crossed into foreign territory for the sake of those who had lost their way. On top of that, He calls us family and shares all that He has with us.
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23,24 NKJV
On our shoulders
Now, the job of the older brother has fallen on our shoulders. Who will go and look for the younger ones? Who will leave what is comfortable for the sake of others? The work is uncomfortable and frustrating. However, if we keep our mind on why we are living and working and where we are going, the bumps and bruises we encounter in our search for our younger siblings won’t keep us from our goal. We’re looking to share the inheritance. There is enough for everyone.
