Daily Devotion

“I know there are those who care at home, but do all who care, care deeply enough? Do they feel as Jesus feels? And if they do, are they giving their own? They are helping to send out others, perhaps; but are they giving their own? Oh, are they truly giving themselves? ... "Worthy is the Lamb to receive!" Oh, we say it, and we pray it! Do we act as if we meant it?”

Amy Carmichael · Amy Carmichael, Things as They Are: Mission Work in Southern India (1903), ch. XXXII

Scripture

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love each other with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.

Reflection

The biggest pitfall in missionary work is approaching others with the superiority of a "teacher" to correct their mistakes, forgetting to wash their feet with the humility of a "servant." John reminds us that love that remains merely on the tongue is an empty performance; true missionary work is about living a life that inspires curiosity in the locals, even when faced with weariness, cultural barriers, or offense in a foreign land. That light lies not in our eloquence, but in the honesty in our actions. Reflecting on our upcoming journey: are we going to deliver a theory, or to share a living, loving life?