Serving God Overseas Doesn’t Make Me Better

Righteousness has nothing to do with geography. This may seem obvious, but I think that sometimes we who come from an area of the world that is so “blessed by God” can forget this. Also, as we often revere those who “give it all up” to serve Him, we start to think that righteousness may have to do more with what country you’re in. Even more so, if you’re one of those people in another country. I’m in Taiwan.

Righteousness has nothing to do with geography. This may seem obvious, but I think that sometimes we who come from an area of the world that is so “blessed by God” can forget this. Also, as we often revere those who “give it all up” to serve Him, we start to think that righteousness may have to do more with what country you’re in. Even more so, if you’re one of those people in another country. I’m in Taiwan.

It occurred to me the other day that my life can be just as insignificant here as it was in the States. I can still get lost in watching  TV/movies, reading books, and keeping up with what everyone else is keeping up with. Moving half way across the world wasn’t some magical formula to a closer relationship with God or increased righteousness.

In some ways, it can actually have the opposite effect. Culture shock, lack of communication skills, misunderstandings, stress, and plain old tiredness can bring out the less than righteous in us all. When you move to another country and you encounter the daily challenges of dealing with the post office, ordering food, and getting from here to there, you find that righteousness definitely doesn’t automatically come with the territory of moving overseas to serve God.

I wanted to mention this because I know some people can feel that they are doing less by following God’s call to stay home. I felt this way for years. Thinking I would do missions, I went off to seminary, only to have God tell me to stay home when it was all over. I was devastated and a little angry. Finally, I saw that half the reason I had to stay home was because of my anger and the fact that I felt less useful staying in the States and doing God’s will. When you feel God’s will makes you useless, you’ve obviously got a warped view of what is best (or at least I did). I wanted the exciting life of serving overseas, not serving Him in my boring hometown.

I can see now why I needed to stay home. My attitude was all messed up, confusing righteousness with a geographical location. (There were other reasons I see now like helping take care of some sick family members and meeting my husband).

So, as we consider where God would have us live and serve, take time to consider your  real motives in hearing God’s call to one place or another. There’s nothing better than being where He’s placed us. We can endure the hard times, the culture shock (that sometimes comes just from switching states), and the loneliness knowing we stayed or went because of Him. Without Him, well, it’s just not worth it at all.

Serving God overseas doesn’t make me better than you, or even necessarily a better me. It just means at this point in my life, this is where I am as I live out my Christian life. The struggles for quiet times, the need to pray more, and desire to be more Christ-like, I brought that all with me and will probably take it with me wherever I go. Righteousness is not found in a location, unless that location is a simple move closer to God.