Several years into serving internationally my wife and I were exhausted and on the verge of burnout. I found a really cheap last-minute cruise online. We got a balcony on the ship for the same price as an inside cabin. Then, for some reason, first class seats were the cheapest way to get us to our destination using frequent flier miles. To top it off, the place the cruise left from was itself an exotic destination.
The whole thing reeked of excess. But in reality we were spending less than $1500 for a 9-day trip.
A few days before the trip one of our financial supporters called to see how we were doing. He asked the dreaded question:
“So what do you and Emily have planned in the next few weeks?”
Gulp. “Well, we are going to take a brief break.” I didn’t dare use the word vacation. Everyone knows missionaries don’t get vacations. They have to work all the time leading people to Jesus. That’s what people supporting them think they do.
I’m ashamed to say that I slyly omitted our plans to take a cruise from the vague explanation I gave to our supporter.
One of the hardest parts of depending on the generosity of others to fund the ministry God has called you to, is the stewardship element. It’s such a gray area.
Just what are we allowed to do with the money that people have sacrificially given to the ministry? If we do something to take a break – how do we explain it? How frugal do we need to be?
I knew for a fact the financial supporter who called had never been on a cruise. How was I going to explain to him that we, the poor missionaries, were about to do what could be considered a trip of a lifetime for him? Sure it was very reasonably priced, but still…
I’ve scoured through scripture trying to find a rule about missionaries and cruises. Regretfully, there don’t seem to be any. But I think the big issue for me in this story wasn’t the cruise. It was fear. And here’s what I know about that kind of fear:
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. —Proverbs 29:25
We need to be wise and frugal with the Lord’s money. We need to be wise about not flaunting any blessing God sends our way. We also need to be transparent.
But when you start making decisions based on what people will think, you will find yourself in the worst possible kind of bondage—bondage to the fear of man.
Your ultimate provision comes from God. As you seek him he will guide and direct you in the best way to use the blessings he sends your way. Be wise. But don’t be afraid.
Now go use those frequent flier miles!
By Jöel Malm
Joël Malm is an author, speaker and life coach who leads outdoor expeditions around the world through his organization Summit Leaders. He has extensive experience abroad with missions and international humanitarian work.
@joelmalm summitleaders.org
Original article: www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/when-missionaries-take-firstclass-cruises
