Getting a defeatist attitude (it won't work here)

It’s easy for the missionary to believe that his field is the most difficult. He can start to see his situation as hard and even impossible. This is not to say that there would not be some places where it could be more difficult. We all know that every place will be different. The idea here is to try and focus on having the right attitude. One person says that something cannot be done while someone else just did it. The missionary should not live with a list of excuses and always bring out why something will not work. One could say that it’s hard or impossible to reach the world in this generation, but our God would not give us a commandment to do something impossible.

I have the opportunity everyday to live with a defeatist attitude. There will always be something that we can complain about. Here are a few things to think about.

1. Live by faith - When the missionary has the wrong attitude, this reveals their lack of faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” - Hebrews 11:1-3

2. Have the right goals - When the missionary has the right goals or focus he is less likely to fall into the trap of believing everything around him. He is able to keep the right focus.

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;” Hebrews 11:24,25

It seems that Moses was able to do what was right in the midst of having the opportunity to lose focus of what truly mattered. May we let the Word of God guide us and in turn stay focus on the correct things.

3. Have the right company - The missionary must decide who he will spend time with. He also must choose who he will get his advice from. This can change his way of thinking. Someone once said, “If you want to know where you will be tomorrow, look at who your friends are today.”

“Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17