God wrote His moral law on every person’s heart. So, when we do something wrong, we feel shame.
When someone cannot help their family, small group, or community in a visible way, others may say, “You are eating without working.” Then people may ignore them, push them away, or even reject them.
At that time, shame becomes strong. It makes people feel nervous and sad. Sometimes they may want to leave home. They think, “Living on the street may be easier than staying in this hard relationship.”
The apostle Paul said, “If you have the gift to marry, then marry. If not, it is better to stay single.” (1 Corinthians 7) This is true. Serving God in marriage is often more difficult.
Serving the Lord means your time is not your own. Your income may not be steady. If you give your life to serve God but do not earn money, people may think you are lazy or afraid of hard work. These painful misunderstandings often come from close family members—especially when the family is poor.
For many years, I got up at 5 a.m. and went to bed after midnight. I spent my time organizing spiritual resources for Chinese Christians who cannot find Bibles or good teaching. Now I am also quietly building websites like http://77-7.net/books/. I plan to build many more, because Christian websites in China are becoming fewer and fewer.
But some of my family think these “spiritual projects,” which do not make money, are not as useful as a simple labor job.
So, I became quiet. I felt coldness at home. People questioned me. Even speaking a little felt dangerous. When I talked, it felt like I was disturbing them. I thought of leaving, but I have many responsibilities. And I cannot leave this server, which carries the work God gave me.
I know I am weak. I know I am not perfect. But I believe the Lord does not forget His workers. He sees the work we do in secret.
I will keep going. Because I serve the Lord, not people. I wait not for people’s praise, but for the Lord to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
May God have mercy on those who serve quietly in their homes and are often misunderstood. May He give us strength—not to give up, not to lose heart. May He help us stand firm and stay faithful until the end.
Amen.