Dr. Tan Tek Seng

DAILY REFLECTION
13 July 2026

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭

Mia, a young missionary from New Zealand, answered God’s call to serve in a city near the Thailand–Laos border, where crime, fear, and mistrust were part of everyday life. Instead of retreating from the challenges, she stepped into them. With faith and determination, she raised funds to open a café—not simply as a business, but as a place where broken lives could encounter hope, healing, and the love of Christ.

The road was anything but easy. Suspicion and hostility met her at every turn. Yet Mia never allowed fear to dictate her response. With patience, wisdom, and genuine compassion, she invested in relationships, earned the community’s trust, and partnered with local leaders to create a safe haven for young people. In time, the café became more than a gathering place—it became a beacon of hope, where lives were transformed and many hearts were opened to Jesus.

Her story beautifully reflects Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” Jesus never promised His followers an easy journey. Instead, He assured them of His presence and equipped them with the wisdom and character needed to fulfil His mission.

To be wise as serpents is to exercise spiritual discernment—to know when to speak, when to remain silent, and how to serve strategically without compromising God’s truth. To be innocent as doves is to live with purity, integrity, and love, refusing to answer hostility with bitterness, manipulation, or revenge.

Matthew 10:16 reminds us that we are not called to blend into the world but to influence it. Wherever God places us—in our families, workplaces, communities, or mission fields—we are to be faithful witnesses of Christ, combining wisdom with holiness and courage with humility. As we do, our lives become living testimonies that draw others to the hope and salvation found in Jesus Christ.

“The world is not changed by louder voices, but by wiser lives and purer hearts that faithfully reflect Christ.”‬‬