Xiaoguang, a Christian man in his twenties, has worked for the Lord full-time for almost a year. If going back more than ten years, his actions would have been highly praised in his hometown; but now, he has to face pressure from relatives and friends for his salary, which is not high.
His hometown used to be a prosperous place for the gospel. In his childhood, the elders often cited full-time young church workers as examples for him: "Look, they went to study theology; they came back to their hometown to preach." Back then, it was difficult for a man to marry without studying theology, and it was glorious to marry with a low bride price and wedding cost.
Nowadays, many of God’s servants follow the ways of this world. Some pastors born in the 1980s and 1990s, whom Xiaoguang once admired, left their positions due to life pressures and started making a living in society. Nowadays, when they gather together, they mostly talk about buying houses, children's education, working to earn money, and paying off mortgages. Even the dowries for Christian marriages have aligned with society.
During the Spring Festival, he also worried that others might ask him: How much is your salary? How much money have you saved? How can you earn enough dowry money doing this work? Xiaoguang had thought about these factors many times before embarking on the full-time ministry, and he started serving through prayer before overcoming these concerns.
He felt sorry for the actions of his predecessors, who compromised with the secular world. He could understand that they have family burdens that cannot be avoided, but he believed that they should not lose faith in God and live like others.
When Xiaoguang saw these phenomena, he was not affected but chose to go against the tide. He said, "Because I am very sure that this is the path of promise in my prayers; secondly, I want to live as a witness, letting others see that there are indeed God's abundant blessings in my life."
He used to study vocal music and play the guitar, loving stage performances. He once dreamed of making much money through this to glorify God. After struggling in society for a few years, he longed for a life serving God. Because of his musical gifts, he joined a Christian organization with a music ministry. As time passed, his spiritual life showed progress. After experiencing the grace of serving the Lord, he also hoped that his mother, who had preached before, could rise again to serve the Lord.
During the Spring Festival, he also met with several roommates from the university who evaluated Xiaoguang's life differently from others; they didn't talk about salary or purchasing a house. They felt that Xiaoguang was enjoying life in a good state, which they envied.
During the Spring Festival, he also attended a meeting of small group leaders, pleasantly surprised to find that most of the members were younger than him. They discussed how to assist believers during the Spring Festival holiday.
His story reminds me of a Christian leader in northern Jiangsu who has served the Lord for thirty or forty years. He sighed and said that when he was young, most of God’s servants were men, but now there are very few young Christian gentlemen participating in ministry. He said that they often have to support their families, so they cannot serve in the church full-time. He believes that if the church wants to raise more manpower, it needs to help them solve this real problem.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
