no sacrifice

August 17, 2005

about two weeks ago, i got a phone call from a good friend of mine. she told me that one of our missionary friends from YWAM mexico was stranded at pearson airport in toronto—a result of the plane crash. it was a particularly nice surprise. i haven't seen the guy since i was in mexico in 2003, and quite honestly, i never thought i would see him again. interestingly, one of my friends from my old church had meet him in east asia last year and exchange contact information. so what does he do when he's stranded at the toronto airport? he gives her a call. my friend calls my other friend to see if she could arrange housing at her place and that's where it all began.

our missionary friend actually had wanted to come by and see us, but there were a lot of practical issues in the way of it. for example, his flight was only a stop-over in toronto, on his way back to nashville—there simply wasn't enough time for it to happen. add to that, he had no means of getting over to where we lived. but, it all seemed to have worked out that night for him to enter back into our lives and for us to get a glimpse of what's been happening with him for the past two years.

through listening to him speak and shore stories with us, the thought i had over the next two days was simple this: it is not and never will be a sacrifice to obediently follow God's calling for our lives, whether big or small. i find that people who enter full time ministry, especially missionaries and pastors, have this kind of deep, unspoken respect from their peers. it's as if they made this incredible sacrifice in order to follow God's call. and it's as if only certain people are able to make that sacrifice. do you really think so? do i really think so? maybe i did once.

being a missionary or a pastor isn't a decision someone just takes on lightly. no, there are countless struggles and battles that people who have been called to such a life will face. and they will face disappointment, discouragement, frustration, hurt, isolation, uncertainty, you name it. though let us not forget the glorious moments of joy, happiness, fulfillment and worth. needless to say, it's not an easy life. we also know that missionary and pastors don't make a lot of money, but that's not my point either, but it must be said. you know what jobs like that are? insecure.

why would anyone want to live that life when they could live a life of lavish luxury and security? does it seem like it would be a sacrifice to walk down such a road? can i let you in on a little secret? it's not.

while such vocations are hardly glamorous or even desirable by many, the reward at the end of it is priceless. hearing my friend share his stories about what God was doing over in east asia was incredible. but even more so was his underlying passion and joy that fueled it. this guy loved being there. he absolutely loved it. when you love doing something, it doesn't mean that it comes without ever having difficulty. difficulty is always present, and especially so when you are doing the work of God. my friend was not without his moments of struggle and hardship. but when he spoke, you could see his eyes sparkle and a beaming smile that lit up his face.

yes, he's a missionary. and yes, it might seem like a sacrifice to others. but i know one thing is true. if you ever get a chance to listen to this guy talk, you'll know that he doesn't consider it to be a sacrifice. he's on the ride of his life, living up what God has called him to do, what God created him to do. how is it a sacrifice for him to obey God's calling and see God move in miraculous ways through his life? sure he had to "give up" things like having a high earning potential, or job security, or possibly even his own safety, but that pales so much in comparison to the fulfillment and joy and wonder that he's able to experience in seeing God move. i'll even say it's not even a matter of comparison because there's no way you can compare earthly riches with heavenly riches. it's choosing what is true, what is of real value over what isn't. as olive used to say, it's not a sacrifice to obey God because we are exchanging what we have for what is is truly better (you can also read my post entitled "deserving?")

purpose + passion + obedience = fulfillment, joy, wonder.

i'll end up being a pastor one day. it's easy for me to think about all the could bes. i know i could do quite well for myself as a designer. i've been told that by professionals and i've been recognized in the design industry through various awards over the past few years. even my friends and family tell me that. some might even say it's a huge sacrifice for me to pursue full time ministry. case in point, last week i met up with some design friends. i had thought that everyone knew i was headed to seminary in september. but there was this one guy who didn't. he was shocked beyond belief—it was as if a bomb had just dropped on him. the whole night, he was really talkative until that point. after that, he was pretty quiet. he couldn't believe what he was hearing. at the end of the night, he said something like, "of ALL the careers you could do leo.... pastor?!?!!?" i bet he was thinking this: why in the world would someone give up a promising career in design to be a pastor?

while making a nice salary and having great job security would be nice, it just doesn't compare to the surpassing richness of obeying Christ. i've known for years that i was cut out for the normal 9-5 job. i've known for years that i've had a passion for building up the Church and spurring the Church to seek greater things. i want to live a life that is sold out to Christ, that is all about magnifying His worth to all people. i want to make an impact on this world in the name of Christ. i want my life to be all about establishing His Kingdom here on earth.

that is the life that i choose to life. and no matter what people think, it is not a sacrifice.

"but whatever was to my profit i now consider loss for the sake of Christ. what is more, i consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake i have lost all things." - phillipians 3:7-8 [NIV]

Posted by Leo Chan at August 17, 2005 10:07 AM