“Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.” (Luke 10:7, NIV)
It’s not hard to picture what Jesus is referring to here. A missionary arrives in a town or a village, he or she is welcomed into a home, and makes that the base of ministry.
But after a few days, he wonders if there isn’t a better place. There is a larger house on the other side of town and the folks there have shown interest. Maybe that would be better?
Jesus warns us against the restless spirit that is always looking for a better place to do ministry. The person who is always looking for the ideal home, the ideal church, or the ideal ministry setting will never be of much use to Christ. Jesus is warning us here about a discontent that arises from a constant search for a better situation.
This is why so many people keep moving on. There is a restlessness in their spirit. They cannot settle. They are easily upset. We live in a day of “short-termism.” We want to change the world for Jesus and we would like to give two weeks to it.
You can’t mix a bit of Christianity in with a self-centered agenda for life. You end up killing them both. They just don’t belong together. Eugene Peterson talks about the Christian life as “a long obedience in the same direction.”
Let’s receive this as a principle for ministry: If you want to make a significant impact for the kingdom of God, stick around one place doing one thing for long enough to make a difference.
Ask God for the contentment to stick around long enough to make a difference.