Listening to the Spirit?
About the Author
Ben spends most of his time working with underprivileged kids in Tijuana, Mexico, encouraging them to continue their education. He's an unofficial member of Iglesia Bautista Monte Horeb, which runs the elementary school, Centro Pedagógico Didaque.
This may not hit many of you, but as a missionary one sure receives a bunch of commentaries. Wow!, it seems as if everyone has the solution to the problem I didn’t know I had.
Case in point (well, a bit roundabout, but I’ll get to it!): Today I closed the doors to a little business I had. Three months back I started up a second-hand store selling dining room / kitchen tables that I purchased at a weekly estate auction. Going into it I guess I knew the odds were against me. It was very possible that it wouldn’t pan out and would lose a bit of change. But, at the same time I was willing to take the risk and devote my energy.
Man did the naysayers ever come out of the kitchen table woodwork. “No!, terrible location—you should be over there instead! Those tables will never sell, you should be selling x, y, and z. Why did you paint your store that color? That’s a lousy name!” And on and on it went.
Well, maybe they were all right, because today was the final clearance 50 percent off sale. However, I received more advice today then before I started! “Oh, you should stick it out longer; carry different products; lower your prices; raise your prices; find a new employee; work the joint yourself”…good golley, was it more than I was happy to lend an ear to.
Second-hand or no-hand, the same has occurred since I left my city of birth and moved to the “third world” as a volunteer. People show no embarrassment, no tact, and certainly haven’t read “How To Be A Gentlemen – A Contemporary Guide To Common Courtesy”, by John Bridges. Page 67 states: “A gentlemen has definite beliefs, but he thinks before voicing his opinions. He recognizes that other people’s beliefs are valid. He argues only over an issue that could save a life.”
I don’t know if I’d take this quote to the bank, but I do feel that I generally abide by THIS good advice. And long before Bridge’s quote, Christ’s brother James said we should be “slow to speak”. Of course in context that phrase can be turned around quickly with, “quick to listen.” And then even if you don’t like what you hear, “slow to become angry.”
Believers and non-believers and every denomination and race between will for sure tell the missionary how they should be doing it better (i.e. improving ones ministry). “Well at home, what I’ve done is…” I guess our job is to sift through the barrage of noise. Only then will one be able to find words of applicable wisdom or creativity. The rest of it is more worthless then the unsellable kitchen table.