Just last week (8-10 Dec), I attended a conference in Bangkok called “Mission In Action”. There were about over 600 participants from different south-east Asian countries. Missionaries like myself were called to help facilitate small group discussions and the goal was to encourage locals to step out of their comfort zone and put mission into action!
One of the speakers, Rev. Jamie Taylor, shared about a speaking engagement he had at another mission conference in Philippines that was held specially for Christian overseas contract workers (OCW) such as domestic helpers, hotel staff, workers in the F&B industry and so on.
After he spoke, a Filipino lady went up to him and asked him to pray for her. She said that she was about to go to work as a domestic helper in a country that Jamie Taylor would never be able to set foot in because of his missionary status. She would be working for and living with a family whose people believe that Jesus is only a prophet. Events in history have caused a deep divide between their people and Christianity. She, a believer in Jesus, would be in the midst of this family, serving them and loving them.
This Filipino lady was not a Bible scholar nor a senior pastor. But as a believer in Jesus, she knew that her call was to live out her faith wherever she went, and the gospel was to remain central as she worked as a domestic helper in a cross cultural setting.
There are many like this unnamed Filipino lady. Families in the Middle East are hearing about who Jesus really is and knowing Him because of the testimonies and lives of Christian domestic helpers living in their households. “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8.
We don’t have to be sent overseas to work before we can live out our faith and share about Jesus. If the gospel is central in our lives, we will seek to live for Jesus and serve and love the people around us right here right now.
Where has God allowed you to work at? Who are you studying with? Who do you meet with every day? Could God have brought you together so that the person could get to interact with a Christian?
This Christmas season, how can we intentionally share Jesus with the people we meet on a daily basis? Choose 1 person and start to pray for him or her. What is one way to love and serve that person this week? Is there any Christmas event that you could invite the person to go to together with you?
May the Lord enable us and use us to advance His Kingdom!
Sister Cherlyn Oh
