Sacrifice

My last time on the mission field 4 years ago, I used to talk to people from back home and they would say ‘thank you for your sacrifice’ or ‘I could never do what you’re doing’. The general sentiment I got and came to believe was that there were some (pastors and missionaries) called to sacrifice and the rest of the church was called to support them. I didn’t really know what to respond to that so I said thank you and moved on. However, I started to believe I was sacrificing a lot and looking at the things I gave up. I began to get bitter. God had called some of my friends to have great jobs and good ministries while I was sweating constantly and was living on beans and rice most of the time. The bitterness increased at God until I felt like a common vessel in 2 Timothy 2:20; God had chosen many for amazing ministries but someone had to live in poverty and take out the trash and that was me.

Several years later, I’ve totally worked through this mindset and realized how dangerous it was. The truth about sacrifice is much more freeing:

Sacrifice points to priorities

You can say that Christ is first in your life, but it’s only the sacrifices you make that will truly reveal your priorities. Likewise, you can say you love others, but if you’re not sacrificing anything for them, it’s empty words. In a world that despises giving things up, sacrifice is a clarion call that you are not of the world.

If your eyes are on the sacrifice and what you’ve given up, you’ve missed the reason behind the sacrifice. Sacrifice should point to something greater. Jesus demonstrated this clearly on the cross, and it was because of the joy set before Him that He went through its shame and mockery (Heb 12:2). If He sacrificed for us, shouldn’t we sacrifice for Him?

Sacrifice is necessary for Fruit

If you want fruit in your walk with Jesus, you are going to have to sacrifice. Jesus talked about that in John 15 with the vines that are trimmed and pruned. Sacrifice itself doesn’t produce fruit but it makes room for it in your life. If you’ve ever wondered why the western church is so sloth-like compared to its peers in the 3^rd world, this is the biggest reason. While the church in the West spends most of its time wondering how much of the world they can still hang on to and get to heaven, much of the church in the Rest pays a high price even to enter set foot in a church.

Who ever heard of a star athlete who never practiced and ate fast food for every meal? While sacrifice doesn’t make star athletes, it is certainly a necessary part of the process. It’s equally ludicrous to believe that Christians can change the world without changing their own lives first.

Sacrifice Brings Freedom

God’s way brings unparalleled freedom, but it’s going to cost you something. Anyone who has been in debt and was able to get out will tell you that. If you want out of debt, you’re going to have to change your lifestyle somehow. It can be so easy to get into bondage but can be a long slog back out. If you want out of an addiction, you often have to change the places you frequent and sometimes even your friends. It’s totally possible, but only if you keep your eyes fixed on the freedom ahead and not the things you are sacrificing.

Yes, we go for many hours without power, the places we stay aren’t always safe, we rarely know where our finances will come from, and there are few of the comforts of home here. But that’s not the point – the point is that those things pale in comparison to what we’ve chosen instead. The point is that, regardless of what the commercials say, I was made for something greater than living comfortably and drinking the best coffee. When someone says to me that they could never do what we are doing, I want to ask them what price they would pay for a life full of purpose. The next time you see someone who has sacrificed greatly, don’t thank them for their sacrifice but look at what they’ve sacrificed and know that there is something in their world that is more important.

5 Mozambican Phrases and What They Actually Mean

Pobreza Não zanga

(Poverty Doesn’t Get Angry)

I thought this was an intruging statement insinuating that it was the rich who made wars. Nope, I wasn’t even close. I first heard it when my friend was talking about his co-workers waiting around the shop for 4 hours after they were supposed to leave until the owner would pay them. “Oh well, poverty doesn’t get angry” they said. My friend had left because he had the money to get through the weekend and would pick up his salary on Monday, but his co-workers weren’t as fortunate. The Mozambicans use it to mean that when you are poor, you don’t have any rights. That people can do anything to you and you don’t have recourse.

This made me realize the importance of Lev 19:13 and a number of verses in Isaiah that speak strongly of paying your workers on time and not oppressing them.

Americanos tem roupas Moçambicano

(Americans have Mozambican clothing)

It took me a while to realize that they mean ONLY Americans have Mozambican clothing. This again was a touch-in-cheek way of discussing poverty; only the visitors could afford the traditional tribal gear. The Mozambicans themselves have to wear hand-me-down t-shirts and misprints from the US and other countries.

The problem with Mozambicans: we give flowers to dead people.

(told to me in English)

One of the most profound insights I received about the culture, this one also means ‘we ONLY give flowers to dead people’. When you’re there at the moment, no one will appreciate you. However, once you leave, everyone will think fondly of you. This definitely happened to us and these words were a comfort to know we weren’t the only ones. Thank you Pastor Supresa.

Prior to que Negro

(worse than a black person)

My least favorite phrase of all-time, bar none. This is used to describe terrible missionaries, and yes, they do exist. But what I hate most is that it assumes foreigners are better than nationals, which is a very common perception. It leads Mozambicans to buy from a stranger before they’ll buy from another Mozambican, and do business with foreigners before they do business with their own. Mozambicans also treat other Mozambicans terribly, if they are paying them to get a job done. It also leads to Mozambicans thinking that, because of their nationality, it’s ok to steal and lie. One of our overarching goals is to kill this mindset and bring integrity to the people.

Mazungu, Mulungu

(foreigners, specifically westerners)

I had to throw them in there because I love these. They don’t actually mean ‘white’. ‘Mazungu’ means The Restless People, and I can’t think of a better name for us. If you are an African and used to the African pace of life, the most obviously different thing about us has got to be the pace of our life; how we are always rushing around to get things done and rarely stop to smell the roses. When our day stops because of something unexpected, we don’t take it as a time of relaxation – we instead get stressed out and frustrated and the powers beyond our control.

Mulungu means ‘the holy people’ or ‘the godly ones’. You may think it refers to foreigners bringing Christianity to the area, but you’d be wrong… The Mozambicans insist that it was what they called the secular traders for introducing beer to the land!

I'm sure I'll remember more notable phrases, but I figured I'd share at least these now :).