Are you
able to say the hard thing? When the difficult conversation is necessary, are
you willing to engage? If the truth were to get twisted, would you be bold
enough to offer clarification? While Lottie Moon possessed many desirable
traits, her most valuable and admirable quality was that she could answer in
the affirmative to the above questions.
Lottie
was known for speaking her mind, for saying what was needed, for setting the
record straight. When Baptist funding was insufficient to supply the needs of their
foreign missionaries, Lottie challenged folks to give. There was a time when
people spoke in ignorance about the living conditions of her and her peers; they
falsely described missionary life as one of ease and comfort. They could not
have been more wrong! The work was grueling and at times, quite dangerous. This
prompted Lottie to write a response – one that painted a more accurate picture
of the realities she and others faced in the mission field.
Lottie
Moon was not afraid of people’s opinions, nor was she concerned with political
correctness. Yet what is abundantly clear in an evaluation of her life and
ministry is that she became incredibly fearful of the One that came to save men
from their sins. She was not fearfully scared of God, but fearfully filled with awe as she considered
the implications of Jesus’ cross. This is why she thought it best to encourage
fellow believers to respond to God’s grace with courageous obedience and
generosity.
I’ll
wrap-up 2015 and our LMCO blog series by sharing some of my favorite Lottie
quotes. Her words, taken from portions of letters, not only illustrate the
straightforward approach she employed, but they continue to encourage and
challenge believers today. Oh that we might be emboldened by the Spirit and the
power of the Word to faithfully fulfill our role in getting the good news of
Jesus to those who have yet to hear of His gospel.
"Oh!
That my words could be as a trumpet call, stirring the hearts of my brethren
and sisters to pray, to labor, to give themselves to this people… We are now, a
very, very few feeble workers, scattering the grain broadcast according as time
and strength permit. God will give the harvest; doubt it not. But the laborers
are so few. Where we have four, we should have not less than one hundred. Are
these wild words? They would not seem so were the church of God awake to her
high privilege and her weighty responsibilities."
Nov.
11, 1878, Pingtu
"Why
should we not ... instead of the paltry offerings we make, do something that
will prove that we are really in earnest in claiming to be followers of him
who, though he was rich, for our sake became poor?"
Sept.
15, 1887, Tungchow
"Please
say to the new missionaries that they are coming to a life of hardship,
responsibility and constant self denial. They must live, the greater part of
the time, in Chinese houses, in close contact with the people. They will be
alone in the interior and will need to be strong and courageous. If the joy of
the Lord be their strength, the blessedness of the work will more than
compensate for its hardships. Let them come ‘rejoicing to suffer’ for the sake
of that Lord and Master who freely gave his life for them."
Jan.
9, 1889, Pingtu
"Why
this strange indifferences to missions? Why these scant contributions? Why does
money fail to be forthcoming when approved men and women are asking to be sent
to proclaim the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ to the heathen?"
Oct.
3, 1887, Pingtu
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| Matt Fowler Associate Pastor of Missions & Students matt@nbchurch.info @fattmowler |
For more quotes and background information on Lottie Moon, visit imb.org.
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