Missionary in Our Midst

by CHANG LI YIN

Christians are called to be missionaries in our community. We are called to be salt and light in every sphere of our life. Perhaps we have heard this being preached over and over again. But how can we as Christians be directly involved in missions today? How do we respond to the call to be a missionary where God has placed us? Through his own life story, brother Wang Gee Kiang shares with us how he is doing it.

Business Vs Faith

We live in a world that is riddled with corruption and bribery. This is an area where Christians are constantly challenged and tempted, especially those who are businessmen. "I must say, standing firm in the marketplace is often easier said than done," acknowledged Wang, who owns an industrial system integrating company in Klang. He recalled the obstacles he faced when he applied for a business license to start his business. The application was rejected several times and delayed intentionally. "Sometimes people tend to give you more trouble, when you refuse to give a bribe. Things could have been much easier, if I had chosen to compromise. But still I chose to honor God. Eventually God opened the way, even though I had to wait," he said.

In running his business, Wang holds firm to one principle-no bribery. "Sometimes I think I could have earned ten times the profit of what I have now. But over the years, God has guarded my heart well by showing me that He will stop whatever deals that dishonor Him. There was once when I was caught in such a situation. The job was worth more than one million ringgit. We were desperate. And I gave in. I colluded with the purchaser in order to secure the deal. But God said no, and we did not get the job," Wang recalled. "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Indeed, you will see that His provision is bountiful. He will provide other opportunities for you."

Wang is an example to his staff in practicing the Christian values he has instilled in his company. For example, to make sure that he doesn't cross the fine line between entertaining guests and bribery, he strictly cut off all such entertainment. "The most we can do is to bring our clients for dinner. Just an ordinary dinner, nothing grand. No hanky-panky. No bribery. This is my stand. And I hope to influence my staff with that," Wang said. He also started praying for all his staff as well as the company. Every Monday morning, he would gather all his staff together and pray for each of them. "I let my staff know that I'm a Christian. I want to pray for them. I want to bless them," Wang continued.

Witness among Friends

Wang was brought up in a typical Taoist family. He started going to the church after befriending a Christian lady, now his wife. In 1991, God convicted him and he accepted Christ. Yet, he remained merely a church-goer who was always the last to come but the first to go. It took a few more years before his mind was renewed and God began molding him into who he is today. His transformed life became a powerful witness to his friends around him, testifying to the work of the Lord. "I used to have this habit of gambling. Even after accepting Christ, I was still buying lottery tickets. But God convicted me by opening my eyes to see my weakness in coveting after money and I eventually stopped gambling," he related.

One of his former classmates was interested in the Christian faith but he told Wang that he could not accept Christ because he knew Christians cannot gamble. The lottery game gave him the hope of gaining more money. "What is the best prize you have won all these years?" Wang asked his friend. "Consolation prize," he answered. "Over the years, I've actually won the third, second and even the first prize. But now I have stopped gambling. God has changed my perspective towards material possessions. Everything I have right now is all God's blessing," Wang testified to him. "His jaw nearly dropped, hardly believing what I had just shared with him. But that is how I hope to influence my friends, by sharing with them how God is working in my life."

Like Father Like Son

Wang has a heart for the poor and needy. "During one of our church mission week, our church invited a few mission organizations to conduct some workshops. One of them was Crisis Relief Services and Training (CREST). I was deeply touched by the speaker's sharing. For the first time since becoming a Christian, I felt that this was something I could be a part of. So I signed up with them," Wang recalled. Since then, he has been regularly involved in crisis relief work and almost every year, he is a volunteer with the CREST team to Cambodia.

As a father, he sets the example by inculcating Christian values in his children from young. During one of his crisis relief trip to Cambodia, he brought along his son, Danny, who was then only 14. From that time on, all that is close to Wang's heart has somehow been imparted to his son. Last year, Danny saw a video on Youtube regarding a fund raising project to help some poor people have access to clean water. Inspired by that, Danny did something similar on his 21st birthday last year. "He decided to give up his birthday celebration. He made a video and posted it on his Facebook. Instead of gifts, he asked his friends to give RM21 for his 21st birthday so that the money collected could be channeled to build wells in some remote villages in Cambodia." Wang's fatherly pride was obvious as he recounted his son's project.

When our interview ended, Wang handed us some handicraft he bought in Cambodia. "Choose one, or more. These are all handmade by Cambodians to raise funds for themselves," he said.

Everyone a Missionary

Wang is an ordinary man, just like you and me. But God often uses ordinary men to do extraordinary things. Becoming a missionary right where we are does not require us to have a handful of skills, nor a calling to fly thousands of miles across the borders. We can make a difference in our own community by living out our faith in our daily life. It can be a simple act of love, standing up for a just cause, or simply lending a helping hand. Look around you, see the needs, and meet the needs. You too can be a missionary in our midst.

Watch this video which inspired Danny to launch his fund-raising project for clean water.

Chang Li Yin serves in the Publication Department.