Are you feeling trapped as a tentmaker? Do you feel like any slip in your job will get you thrown out of the country? Do you feel like you might be prevented from returning to your host country if you travel because someone might have labeled you as a Christian?
This dilemma is what is defined as the tentmaker trap in D. Gibson’s book Avoiding the Tentmaker Trap. The problem is that many people use tentmaking as a means of establishing residency in Restricted Access Nations so that they can share the Gospel. This approach lacks authenticity in that the real purpose of being in the host country is not to do their best work in their occupation.
The trap is that the identity as a Christian is seen as a liability in order to maintain the assumed identity in whatever occupation is used. The occupation-identity becomes so important that it has to be protected at the expense of the Christian-identity. The result is that these tentmakers may not share the hope within them because it might threaten their platform of being in the country. Ouch!
Something I find refreshing about leading Global Intent is that our teaching is a far cry from platform tentmaking. We strongly focus on living authentic lives where our faith and work are integrated. When I do my best work as a tentmaker because it is my best contribution to the world, people will naturally ask, “Why does David care so much about the quality of his work?” Or, “Why does David treat women equally to men unlike everyone else?” Or, “Why doesn’t David take bribes like everyone else?”
These questions are open doors to sharing the reason for the hope that is in me (1 Peter 3.15). They are openings for exceptional ministry opportunities as an authentic follower of Jesus doing his best work as a linguist, author, developer, doctor, teacher, nurse, or engineer. That’s the power of an integrated life in tentmaking.
