Answering tough questions

What do you consider a tough question?

When I’m teaching about God’s Word, the toughest questions are actually the easiest to answer. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to say, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

The really difficult questions are the ones I think I can answer, because usually it’s best to just go back to the Word and see what God says.

That’s what missionary Steve Crockett did when Kendaya opened a big can of worms with a simple observation about his time in a nearby city.

Chatting with his fellow Moi believers in Indonesia and Steve, Kendaya mentioned that when he went to church, they passed around a plate that people put money in.

Piyando said he had seen the same thing when he went to church in the city, and he wasn’t sure what to do because he wasn’t sure the practice came from God’s Word.

This was followed, of course, by everyone turning to Steve, their local expert on God’s Word, and a period of silence as Steve formulated what he should say. Of course, in Steve’s culture – our culture – there are a variety of teachings on giving, and some vehement proponents and opponents of each. How could Steve possibly know what to say?

Actually, Steve knew what to say years before this conversation ever came up. He knew because missionaries are often in similar situations, and New Tribes Mission’s specialized training prepared him.

Rather than tell the Moi believers what they needed to do, Steve talked with them about some of the things God’s Word says about giving – not telling them what that means, but giving them the opportunity to listen to His Word and His Spirit and decide for themselves what to do.

The Mois decided to immediately start pooling their money to celebrate together.

Now, the point is that not that you should tell your pastor to turn over last week’s offering so you can beef up your next potluck. The Mois will over time learn a lot more about giving, just as we all do. And the point is, they’ll learn what God’s Word says, and then have the freedom that He gives us all to apply that with the wisdom the Holy Spirit gives all believers.

And the Moi church will be just that – the church that worships God among the Mois, in a uniquely Moi fashion.