Picture a family living in the middle of nowhere as "missionaries". That word is sorta strange because it has a lot of connotations. But how is their life defined by? A lot of prayer. A lot of "believing in faith." Needing stuff for daily living. Needing stuff for long-term living. Where is this going to come from? Where is that going to come from? You get the idea... A lot of us would say, 'Man that's a tough way to live.'
Now picture a family with a husband and a wife and their three kids. The husband goes into work every day, and his wife takes care of the kids at home. He has to be at work at 7 every morning, and work till 4. His work is OK, but not terribly stimulating or challenging. But it's how he provides for his family.
Who do you think is more challenged? I would posit that it's the latter family. In my own experience, I find that it's more difficult to be faithful in the everyday grind of life. When one day of the week looks very much like the next. When you have to drag yourself out of bed and go to work regardless of how late you were up the night before ministering to someone. When you live for the weekends and praise God for "hump day."
Nothing against my hypothetical missionary family. These thoughts are meant to be an encouragement for those of us who are employed in the secular world and look to those in "full time ministry" as people on the cutting edge of the gospel. Far from it. God's grace, mercy and enabling is just as active, and sometimes needed in greater capacity for the secular workers. When the daily grind becomes unbearable, we call it a mid-life crisis. But mid-life crises come for people at all points of their life. And that's where it helps knowing the difference between quitting, and pressing on.
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