Message of Encouragement Monday (MOEM #020)
I want to share a story with you that changed my life some years ago. This story is a beautiful example of how God wants us to go through this life, and of what it looks like not to grind our way through life, but to really steward the life and the things that God has given us. You can YouTube this story; you can watch the original full version and first-hand account from the gentleman who actually went through it. He came back from being a missionary in New Guinea and he told the story. And I encourage you to do that. It’s well worth the watch.
His name was Otto Koning. He and his wife – I don’t know if it was in the 1970’s or 80’s – they were called to be missionaries in New Guinea. So they went to the island and they had been there for about seven years. That’s a long time to be missionaries in a foreign country. And they were living among a native tribe. They were preaching to them every week, telling them about God’s love, and what it means to follow Christ. During those seven years, there were no conversions. Nobody gave their life to Christ.
This particular tribe had a problem. They were prone to stealing from each other; they would steal anything of value that they could get their hands on. So, they would go to Otto’s house to visit him and they would steal his jewelry. One of the things that he could grow on the island there was pineapples. So, he made a pineapple garden to provide sustenance. The tribe would come at night time when he was asleep and rob his ripe pineapples right from under his nose.
He would see the tribesman walking around weeks later, wearing his wife’s jewelry and using his tools. So, they were robbing him constantly. There was nothing but heartache and frustration for Otto. He even bought a German Shepherd and flew the dog onto the island to protect his pineapple garden and his property. But, that actually backfired on him, because it just further alienated the tribesman from him. It just made them angry. So, here’s a guy giving his life to tell people about Christ and he is met with nothing but obstacles and frustrations. Otto had built up so much anger and bitterness, probably even to the point of hatred.
So, he decides to go home to the United States and go to a conference. And it’s at that conference that he realizes that the source of his frustration is that he had taken personal ownership of the garden and of his possessions. So, he decides he has to try something different. So he gives the garden to God. He dedicates it to God. And he tells God, “From now on, if they steal these pineapples, they’re stealing from you, not from me.”
He goes back, some time goes by, and they’re still stealing his pineapples constantly. Nothing has changed as far as he can tell. But, what had happened during this time is that Otto had learned not to be upset. He had learned to leave it in God’s hands. He had learned that he is just a steward now of the possessions that God has blessed him with. And what that did is it took the burden off of his shoulders. He was now able to sleep and to rest, and he tells in his testimony that his nervous system, in those seven years, was basically shot. Now he was feeling his nervous system starting to come back; he was starting to feel like himself again.
So, the men of the tribe came to visit him one day. They didn’t call him Otto; they called him Tuan. And one of the spokesmen for the men who were there said, “Tuan, you don’t get angry anymore when we steal your pineapples. Does that mean that you became a Christian?” That really struck Otto hard. After seven years of preaching and teaching, they never associated him with actually being a Christian. They thought he was talking about some people from another place and another time.
Long story short, Otto told them that he gave his garden to God. That if they stole pineapples, they were not stealing from him, but they were stealing from God. They proceeded to tell him that they were experiencing calamities in the village. They believed it was his fault because he had given his garden to God. Their women were not getting pregnant, people were getting sick, their crops were not growing. They said, “Tuan, how long ago did you give your garden to God? How long ago did this happen?” And he said, “About five to six moons ago.” And they got all flustered and started talking amongst themselves, and it turns out, that is around the same time that the calamities started to happen; five to six moons ago. That was the same timeframe that all of this started to happen.
They begged Otto to take his garden back from God. And he said, “No way. I haven’t had this much peace in years. I’m not taking it back. It’s right where it belongs, in God’s hands.” As a result, the tribe began to post guards through the night to protect Otto’s pineapples. They took shifts protecting the garden. People began to get saved and to give their lives to Christ.
You see, it was at the point of submission that the real fruit began to blossom. It wasn’t Otto’s preaching that reached people’s hearts. It wasn’t Otto’s hard work or his own plans that caused the breakthrough. It was Otto getting out of the way and allowing God to be God. It was Otto learning his proper place in God’s kingdom. And that’s one of a steward. And allowing God to take His proper place on the throne as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. All Otto did was adjust his view of his role. And that’s what God is asking of us as well in our lives and our circumstances.
Don’t forget God today!
Please share our message with your loved ones who would benefit from it. We can be found on the following platforms:
X (Twitter): @TheEncourageGuy
Telegram app: https://t.me/encouragementguy
Share this post