Five More Lies Workers Believe

Plus some Gospel hope to comfort you as you minister to the least, lost, and last 

Being a cross-cultural worker can be exciting at times, but it’s also a lot of hard work. From language learning, building friends, figuring out what to do with our time, and having vision and strategies, there are many pitfalls we can fall into. 

Here are five more lies workers believe (I have struggled with all of them over the years). 

1.  The language will come by just being in the country 

I don’t need to study the language because I will just absorb it being in the culture. I’m not here to study the language; I’m here to preach the Gospel. Everyone speaks English, so there is no real reason for me to learn it anyway. 

The lie here is that language is less important than it actually is and that I don’t need to work hard to learn it. Language learning is hard for singles, harder for married couples, and probably the hardiest for families. You are not going to learn the language by osmosis, you will have to study it for a long time, and it will be hard and humbling. Keep learning! 

2. If I become like the locals, they will believe 

If I can just become more and more like the locals, they will all believe. If I dress like them, eat like them, hang out in the places they hang out, use their slang, everyone will listen when I tell them about Jesus and believe. 

The lie here is that contextualization is what makes people believe the Gospel. This, of course, is not true. God saves, not our contextualization. Contextualization is good, but you can become just like the people you’re serving, and they may still not receive the Gospel. Our hope ultimately is not how good we are at observing and absorbing the culture but in God showing mercy on our adopted communities. 

3.  The “Just If” lie 

If I just spoke the language better. If I just had a local leader. If I just had better training. If I just had a coach. If could just find the Person of Peace. If I just had better team members. If I was just married. If I was Just single. If…

The lie here is that the issues you are facing are not your fault, but the fault of your environment. I usually hear the “what if” lie when people are either lazy or at the end of their rope. We use this lie when we want to blame circumstances for our lack of effort, or when we have given it everything we’ve got, and still don’t see the results we want. It must be someone else’s fault! Rather than blaming others, if you think you need help in some area of ministry, take the proactive steps to get it. And remember that the fruit of your ministry is in God’s control. 

4. The Rest/Work Lie

Missions is so exhausting so I need to binge-watch Netflix for four hours a day. I need to be on Facebook, and Instagram all the time because I’m just so tired. Or the opposite happens; I can’t take any breaks, watch movies, take holidays, or hang out with foreigners because I’m supported by people back home and I have to be accountable to them. 

The lie here is excusing laziness or workaholism. We want to be careful not to fall into the ditch on either side of the road. Hard work is good and laziness is bad. Workaholism is bad and rest is good. This is a hard balance to find, but we need to find it. Most people either need help resting or working. 

5. Being friends with locals is my goal 

As long as I have friends with locals, I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. 

The lie here is that merely by being with locals I’m being a great worker. You can be with locals for 14 hours a day and still not really be doing anything. The goal is not just to have fantastic relationships with locals, the goal is to share the Good News with them, disciple them, and help them live out their Christian faith.

6. Things should go fast 

We want to see movements of Jesus followers, multiplying house groups, rapidly reproducing generations of new disciples, and all within the next five years!

The lie of speed is a massive trap and source of discouragement, anxiety, and burnout for workers. Culture doesn’t form overnight. Friendships are not built overnight. Discipleship and spiritual growth do not happen in a day, month, or year. Missions is sloppy, difficult, messy, and slow. It’s ok if things take a long time and don’t turn out the way you envisioned them. 

In Isaiah’s famous prophesy about the coming Suffering Servant, and not only beautifully prophesies the atonement, but he also adds these words, “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied.” Isaiah reminds us that Christ will be completely satisfied with this redeeming work. Christ is not sitting at the right hand of Father worried about who will make it in and who will be lost. In the end, Christ will be absolutely pleased with his redemptive work. 

Let that prophecy comfort you as you seek to make Christ’s name known. Not a drop of His blood will be spilled in vain. His sheep know his voice, and they WILL come to him. As you work with all your might, rest in Christ’s good and sovereign control over salvation.