I am sitting on the balcony of a house where I am put up for a few days. I look at the greenery, coconut trees with fruit, the wet weather, the thunder, the sound of cars… hmmm. If ever, I miss anything in north India, it is a house with a few acres of rubber plantation, and the morning and evening breeze from the plantation - like the house of my Papa. We don’t get that kind of weather in Delhi; even for a day. (You may know that I was born and brought up in a rubber plantation in Kerala.) Sitting in that quiet setting, I was writing to a couple who are doctors. “I often look at the people in the church, outside the church, people suffering, successful - all types of people; and wonder - why they exist? What is their accomplishment at the close of the chapter? Will they have satisfaction as they breathe their last? They may have four kids and all of them have a big house, enough and more financial security for future, a status that will make every passing person look at them, saying they are blessed’. I would not have been happy even if all my five kids had big houses, big cars, with thick wallets with all credit cards and enough money in the bank to pay all bills for the next generation and no conflicts in the family - and all church going? No. NO. NOOO.” If my life, actions and reactions will not make an impact and reflection in heaven – life is worth nothing. Read this in Acts 20:24 – which is my purpose of life. A personal car – I don’t have one. (I may buy a motor scooter next year for my personal use where I live). A personal house – I don’t have one. I never tried for one. Even when Rev. John Osteen gave me money three times to have a personal house, I invested in the Kingdom of God. (The last designated gift was 8.6 million rupees and you can see it as our international HQ at Delhi.) · Medical insurance– we both don’t have one. I am not saying that it is a sin to have any of these things. I encourage all my co-workers and children to have these things in this insecure world. But what is the perspective of life? Let me quote what Paul said in Acts 20:24 (The Living Bible.) and say a big AMEN for it: But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. The primary aim, the perspective of life must be doing what the Lord has designed for us to do in this world. It must not descend into the rat race of ‘prosperity craze’ to have all we can on this earth. I ask members of the churches I visit, “why don’t you all give one child, your best, to the service of the Lord?” Ex 13:1. “When was the last time you prayed, ‘Lord call one of my children, at least one of them to your ministry, anywhere, anytime’, in your family prayer?’ I know people who bring their pay packet, place it before the Lord and say, “Lord, tell me how much I give you? The rest I will take for my needs, family needs and savings.” I know people in my congregations in Kashmir and Punjab bringing their tithe straight from the office on the pay day and give me before he/she will take his portion back home, saying, “I won’t take God’s money to my home.” I know a man who used to bring the whole pay packet to me and say, “Here is what God gave me for this month. Will you please take whatever God will ask you to take for His work? Give me the rest. If there is any left over, I will take back home and will be happy.” (Of course I took only one tenth and one rupee more, and hand over him back, the rest.) Why there is a shortage of able, dedicated, intelligent top level doctors, engineers, pilots, managers, teachers, professors, scientists in the Kingdom of God? Why? When I was talking to the CEO of Emmanuel Hospital Association (the umbrella organisation of mission hospitals in India), he said that they are being forced to close hospitals one after the other because they don’t have doctors, nurses, lab technicians and even good administrators. Not because their pay is less because people don’t have a passion to serve God. We all need God is to prosper us and serve in our committee but we don’t want to serve Him where there is a need. There is a Marthoma mission hospital at Palakkad, Kerala and there is no doctor. Why? Where are the parents who asked me to pray, “Brother, pray that my child may get admission in a medical school so that she will become a medical missionary doctor and serve the people?” Where is that child who stood before me asking me to pray like that? We all want to become like our neighbour – rich, big house, big car… but the missionary DNA from us disappeared … the zeal to serve God disappeared… the passion to become like the Master disappeared. We lost our values to become prosperous. When the Holy Spirit speaks to us, we put our conscience in silent mode. God, turn us around and walk us to the Cross to surrender. Let your Spirit overpower my unwillingness, that I MUST do what you want me to do.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 09:56:54 +0000
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