R I G H T I N FR O N T O F M E
Living As A Missionary In Singapore
[ Michael (pseudonym) moved to Singapore more than eight years ago and has been working with
YWAM ever since. His heart burns to see God’s family care for our neighbours, and for us to live out our
faith in the practicalities of daily life. In this interview, he shares what missions means to him.]
Michael, you’ve been in missions for quite a while. What
does that mean to you?
Actually, it is quite simple. To me, missions is God’s invitation
to partner with Him, so that everyone can receive His love
and truth. When we say “yes” to His invitation, and take little
steps of obedience, God transforms our hearts. He changes our
perspectives and fi lls us with love for others and a longing to
make His truth known. We care for those we never considered
before, and stop for others, even if we don’t benefi t from them.
for forgiveness. An hour later, through a random person, I
received even more than what I needed for a meal!
What a great story! What might this way of life look like on
a regular day in Singapore?
This could mean accomodating to their needs in spite of your
schedule. Awhile ago, a friend and I were on our way to church.
Of course we didn’t want to be late. We had to get a number
of buses to make it in time. Just as we boarded the fi rst bus,
we saw an auntie fall off her bike and her groceries tumbled
everywhere. I was torn between helping her and making it to
church on time. It was inconvenient, but I was impressed with
the need to help her. We missed the bus to perform this simple
act of service. But Auntie was worth it! And God surprised us.
An unscheduled bus showed up just a minute after! We gave up
our agenda, and God honoured us. We need to move from thinking of missions as just one part
of our lives to embodying it as a holistic lifestyle. We are sons
and daughters of God, carrying His presence wherever we go.
Think about it, we all eat meals, we all use the MRT. There will
always be opportunities to stop for a person who is in need of
His love. Think of the uncles and aunties who clear our trays
in the kopitiams, or those who clean our garbage. I remember
spending some time talking to a migrant worker on my way to
work and he was so grateful for our conversation at the end
of it. Many of them leave their homes to work here—building
our Nation through their labour—but they often feel lonely.
Encountering a Singaporean who will stop and speak to them
will mean more than the words can hold. We can make this our
lifestyle by realising that the people around us are all made in
God’s image – made for relationship, not mere robots to fulfi ll
tasks.
You are talking about loving your neighbour? How can we be more intentional?
Yes, loving our neighbour as we are loved ourselves. Usually
when we think of missions, we think of things we need to do.
We assume the need to participate in a programme, or go for
a trip overseas. While this is important, missions is actually
about living in right relationships. It starts in our homes, caring
for those right in front of us—our family members, people who
live on our street, and our colleagues. Let us discern the difference between being busy and being
preoccupied, and allow ourselves to have heart-to-heart
conversations with others. We can dare to slow down. We can
practise living in the moment. We can appreciate and celebrate
those around us, and be thankful for them. As we do so, we will
certainly grow to see people through God’s eyes.
There was a special moment in my life when God taught me
this lesson. As a missionary, I trust God for my daily needs.
Normally, I always have enough to eat, but one day I didn’t. I
asked God, “Why don’t I have enough?” God convicted me then
that I did not have the right attitude towards one of my brothers
and was not treating him well. He used this moment of lack to
alert me to what was on His heart! God said, “This is important
to Me. Go, reconcile with him!” I went to my brother and asked It starts from knowing that I am loved, tasting how good He is,
knowing that He is much better than I can ever imagine. If I
believe that I am loved and valuable, then I am free to give to
others so that my neighbours can experience God’s goodness
too! There are so many people who destroy themselves by
building their lives on empty promises. Only He is the real deal.
Why would we hold back from doing all that we can, to point
people to God’s love for them?
What motivates you to love people in this way, Michael?
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