Day 12: Positive Perspective – Humility

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which
you have ordained,” writes the psalmist, David, “What is man that you are mindful of
him, and the son of man that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than
the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor.”30
If there is any doubt as to the inferiority of man in comparison to God, this passage of
scripture clears it up well. We serve a great and powerful God who alone can grant
honor and glory to men. But unlike the world of men in which inferiority breeds hurt and
pain and jealousy, an acceptance of humility before a deserving God fulfills the best in
us personally and enables the best kind of ministry in a way that our own arrogance
and pride cannot.
Perhaps in the studies on paternalism the last few days you have begun to form in your
heart and mind a positive replacement for notions of paternalism that too often
accompany foreign missionary service. But to make sure there are no weak points in
your foundation, know that the hole that the absence of paternalism leaves must be
filled with something.
And that something is humility.
This is at the core of doing effective ministry – both spiritually and materially – in
Cambodia, and thus the reason humility is addressed more than once in this guide.
Dealing with different economic markets, worldviews, leadership styles and cultural
expressions of time and commitment can be frustrating to a foreigner. To successfully
navigate cultural barriers and demonstrate the best love you can to the people of
Cambodia, you must embrace an attitude and heart of humility.
In her book, Brokenness: The Heart that God Revives, Nancy Leigh DeMoss outlines
characteristics of prideful people compared to those who walk in humility. Since pride is
at the root of many manifestations of hurtful ministry, it is imperative that prideful
attitudes be uncovered and substituted with humble ones. Below are a few points she
makes that are poignant in their application to your ministry in Cambodia.
“Proud people feel confident in how much they know. Broken people are humbled by
how very much they have to learn.”31
Whether it is your knowledge of economics, construction, or theology, you will probably
want to share. And to desire to do so could be of great use in certain ministry settings But a failure to listen to locals and understand cultural context could render your advice
unheeded or disallow a community from building for themselves. Being willing to listen
and learn could enhance your knowledge and help a community, both economically
and spiritually, even more.
“Proud people are self-protective in their time, their rights, and their reputation. Broken
people are self-denying.”32
Short-term missions make it so that time is of the essence to prideful missionaries who
want things done a certain way. Humble missionaries will lay down their plans and way
of doing things for the sake of being true servants of God and His people. They are
willing to include locals, listen to permanent staff members, and use wisdom that might
previously have been unknown to them.
“Proud people desire to be known as a
success. Broken people are motivated to be
faithful and to make others a success.”33
Home churches might want pictures and
statistics to justify their financial investments in
their mission teams, and team leaders crave
positive testimonies to report every day and
confirm progress, but this is not to be the
heart and core of ministry. Humble missionaries will put the needs of the people and
guidance of the Holy Spirit first, recognizing that fruit may not become evident until they
have returned to their own homes. This is not to say that ministry tactics shouldn’t be
evaluated and adjusted, but they should not be judged purely on a Western definition
of success. Instead, missionaries should mark success by how much the ministry enables
the community for future progress.
“Proud people have a feeling – conscious or subconscious – that ‘this ministry is
privileged to have me and my gifts.’ They focus on what they can do for God. Broken
people have a heart attitude that says, ‘I don’t deserve to have any part in this
ministry’; they know that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing
through their broken lives.”34
This is perhaps what points most directly at the heart of what often defines foreign
ministry work and what ought to define it. Remember who did the real work of
salvation: Jesus. It is Christ who prepared good works in advance for us to do,35 who strengthens our hands and minds and puts breath in our lungs in order to be able to
give and serve. These are gifts given to be freely poured out in recognition of the
power, love and grace of the gift giver.
Your skills and knowledge may find a place of use in Cambodia. Or they may not. Are
you prepared to just do the dirty work? Are you prepared to learn and adapt and
admit ignorance? Are you going into ministry with a genuine heart and plan to serve
the Cambodians according to their needs, or according to what you desire? Do you
think you can do it on your own?
It is God who will enable you to effectively minister to His broken people in Cambodia,
so long as you are a humble and willing vessel. You were and are in as much need of
restoration and redemption as those who you will minister to. You are a tool in the
hands of God who does the real work of bringing the dead to life and restoring
individuals, communities and humanity unto Himself.