a hireling ...

I was listening to an audio book called 'Brother Andrew'. It is about a missionay who made trips behind the iron curtain to distribute Bibles. We were in Chapter 11 and my 'motives' were tested!

While in Cuba Brother Andrew is telling those Christians who wanted to get away from the persecution and go to the US not to. He used the passage in John 10 verses 12 & 13 as his back up. A believer is like a shephard. You stay with the sheep. You stay in the country and be the light and the salt there. If you leave, then you are a hireling.

'But a hireling, he who is not the shephard, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. A hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.'

Brother Andrew felt that a believer who left because of persecution would have no divine protection any more and end up losing faith in God because of material things. When he put it like that, I was moved to tears. I had wanted a dear friend to come to my country for a bit of rest in 'hothouse faith'. I wanted him to get away from the pressures he was experiencing and rest up on all the faith stuff here. I wanted him meet my mom. My mom has a special way about her and I knew it would do him good. Now I have to take all that back. He is the salt and light in his own country! I cannot be selfish and take him away from that. He has kids and other family members who need salvation. God will protect his heart and soul. God always provide what we need even during suffering...

Are you a hireling? Are you there for your family? friends? Are you salt and light at work? home?