While in Thailand, I’ve met some missionaries who made some ridiculous decisions. Almost foolish if you think about it. But this is what you’d expect according to the Bible…

One of the missionaries, Dr. Lee, was an economics professor in Korea. He gave that up and went to China with his two young children. If you know how tough it is to become a professor in Korea (or anywhere), you’d call him crazy! Another missionary, Mr. Kim, was a 19 year veteran teacher in Korea. I emphasize 19 years because had he stayed one more year and made it to 20, he would’ve gotten pension for life. But he gave that up, with just one year left, and went to Thailand with his three young children.

Aren’t those some ridiculous choices they made? Irresponsible, even! Why would they give up the good things God has given them? Upon closer examination, they were merely following the patterns they see in the Bible of those whose utter trust was in the Lord.

In Mark 12:43, Jesus speaks of a poor widow who gave all she has (one penny!) to the offering box in the temple. And Jesus commends her for her sacrificial giving. But think about it practically. What would she live on? Shouldn’t she have kept it for herself? Surely, God would have understood if she kept the last dollar for herself and bought herself a small meal! Shouldn’t Jesus call her foolish? Where is the prudence in this?

God never calls it foolish when our trust is absolutely in Him. The world will call it foolish. But then the cross was foolish in this sense. 1 Cor. 1:18, “And the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…” How ridiculous was it that the Son of God, who had everything and more in heaven, would give up His position and come to be one of us? Especially, knowing that we would brutally beat Him and kill Him! But that is what He did. So foolish in the eyes of the world. And we see that those who know Him act like Him…

Are you foolish in the eyes of the world? Are you unbalanced? Have you made some reckless decisions? Good! You have shown that you belong to Jesus.

PH