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The Dentist Leaves It All
The year was 1825. Anthony Norris Groves, an Englishman, was living what we might call “the American Dream.”
At 30 years old he had a beautiful wife, three healthy children and a flourishing career as a dentist. But the call to missions would not vacate his mind. After ten years of pleading and praying with his wife, the Groves family surrendered to missions. Mary finally submitted to give their all for Great Commission work around the world.
The battle wasn’t over. Questions remained. Should stay and give or go and preach? Should they remain behind and support foreign missionaries, or give it all away and proceed themselves?
It was unusual in Groves’ day for the educated and wealthy to enter foreign missions. The same is true today. The larger the bank account in San Francisco, the smaller the interest in the Bambara in Mali. The more letters after one’s name, the less chance he’ll assail the Khmer in Cambodia.
Groves broke the mould. He and Mary left their steady income and skilled profession to serve the Muslims in Baghdad, the City of a Thousand Mosques. No Protestant mission had ever attempted to reach this spiritually barren land.
Groves stands in a long line of godly men that have left all to reach the mission field. William Borden had inherited millions but resolved to serve the Hui Muslims in northwest China. He died of cerebral meningitis in Egypt. He was 25. On his grave in Cairo were etched these words: “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation of such a life.” Indeed.
Principles to Follow
But is going always good? Is leaving always legitimate? In the Great Commission, Jesus said, “Go…” (Mt. 29:19-20). bBut every member of the church does not and cannot obey this command in the same way. If would be chaos if everyone left their homes. Rather, some make disciples by going and others make disciples by supporting and sending the preachers—without whom no one will hear (Rm. 10:14).
Below are some principles wealthy Christians should follow when determining if they should go or stay.
1. Staying back and supporting missions is a biblical option.
Because Priscilla and Aquilla had considerable financial means (Ac. 18:2-3), they used their wealth to help spread Paul’s gospel message. They were so friendly, so hospitable and so generous with their wealth that they became some of Paul’s closest co-workers.
Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus (Jn. 19:38) that used his high ranking position (Lk. 23:50), honourable standing (Mk. 15:43), and considerable wealth (Mt. 27:57) to wrap the body of Jesus after the crucifixion and bury him in a new tomb.
Lydia, Europe’s first convert (Ac. 16:12-15), used her opulence derived from her clothing business to house the first church in Philippi and extend Paul’s missionary work around Asia Minor. Wealthy Christians that stay and give carry a tremendous burden to spread mission work around the world.
2. Selling all and crossing the globe is a biblical option.
Paul was a prominent Jew (Phil. 3:5) and highly trained (Ac. 22:3) before he gave his life to mission work. Moses left it all too, considering the reproachof Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt (Hb. 11:26).
In the 1850’s, Hudson Taylor studied to be a doctor at the London Hospital Medical College before leaving for China. C.T. Studd, the famous Cambridge cricketeer that left for China as a missionary, gave away his inheritance of $6 million to Christian causes. Giving it all away has happened, but it’s unusual.
3. Calling determines if you stay and give or go and serve.
You can determine God’s calling by asking three questions. First, what are your desires? What do you long to do? The first qualification of a pastor is that he “desires” the office (1Tm. 3:1). Paul longed to preach (1Cor. 9:16) and Jeremiah said he was like a volcano ready to burst if he stopped preaching (Jer. 20:9). Matthew Henry said that when we make God our heart’s delight, then we’ll have our heart’s desire.
Second, what gifts do you have? If a man can’t preach, he can’t proclaim the gospel (1Tm. 3:2). If he isn’t able, desire isn’t enough. Are we to think a boy will become a professional athlete simply because this is his childhood dream? Aspiration doesn’t cancel out ability. On the other hand, to stay when God has equipped you to go is to bury your gifts in the ground (Mt. 25:25).
Third, what advice do mature Christians give you? We know Timothy was built for missions, in part, because Paul said he could see the gift of God in the young man (2Tm. 1:6). Paul and Barnabas didn’t march off into missions as lone rangers. The church in Antioch first signed off (Ac. 13:1-3).
If a man or woman told me God had called them into missions, I would assume that the Almighty had told others about this calling as well. I would first ask: “What do the leaders of your church say about this calling?” If they agree, then God agrees as well, as we know the righteous men of the church speak for Heaven (Mt. 16:19).
Don’t be discouraged if step #3 isn’t immediately visible. Read your Bible, pray and follow steps 1-2. If God has called you, #3 eventually will follow.
Conclusion
It is rare to see the wealthy overwhelmed with missionary zeal. When the call of the Great Commission has gripped their hearts, they must decide if they should stay or go, both of which may be biblical options. Once they determine their calling, the rest is simply a matter of obedience.