Why Prepare?
Ever dream of becoming a missionary? Too far-out? Ever thought of going on a short term mission trip? Ahhh, now we’re talkin’.
Once we allow ourselves to go to that place of first thinking and then actually believing that we could be a part of affecting the Kingdom of God by sharing His love with others, we almost instantly start to have thoughts and visions about what that work will look like. About what we can expect to experience.
For several years in a row I went to a third world country expecting to save everybody. And I even had many “missionary experiences.” I played volleyball in my long missionary skirt using an electrical wire for a net. I had my picture taken with all the cute, brown-skinned children. I visited the garbage dump and railroad where people in third world poverty lived. I craftily got out of eating food that I thought would make me sick. I talked down the shop keepers to get the best possible price for my handcrafts, I put my toilet paper in the bucket, I hand washed my clothes, I signed autographs for the children in the boarding schools, I , I , I… I didn’t lead one person—not one person to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in any of those first years of short term missions.
My thoughts and visions of what I expected were not met. My expectations were high and the outcome of each missions experience was low.
Why? My character.
I didn’t know it then, but my character flaws were preventing God from using me the way I wanted Him to. I was focusing on my missionary “experience.” It was all about me. I was going to go “help” people. I was going to go tell people about how they needed to change, grow, to become more like Jesus. But the pride of my heart had deceived me. God needed to get my attention and prepare me to be… the most effective missionary I could be within my call.
He sent me to Youth With A Mission (YWAM) to do a Discipleship Training School. I took classes on comparing God’s nature and character to mine. I saw how my pride manifested itself, where my identity actually lay, and what the greatest consequence of sin is …and it changed my life - My CHARACTER. After that I went to India and God used me to lead several people into a relationship with Him!
God showed me that my call was to teach others what He taught me. To teach foundational truths in a practical way so the missionaries who go each and every year will be the most effective missionaries possible.
Focus on the Missionary experience and you’ll miss it. Focus on Jesus, and the experience will happen naturally.
Once we allow ourselves to go to that place of first thinking and then actually believing that we could be a part of affecting the Kingdom of God by sharing His love with others, we almost instantly start to have thoughts and visions about what that work will look like. About what we can expect to experience.
For several years in a row I went to a third world country expecting to save everybody. And I even had many “missionary experiences.” I played volleyball in my long missionary skirt using an electrical wire for a net. I had my picture taken with all the cute, brown-skinned children. I visited the garbage dump and railroad where people in third world poverty lived. I craftily got out of eating food that I thought would make me sick. I talked down the shop keepers to get the best possible price for my handcrafts, I put my toilet paper in the bucket, I hand washed my clothes, I signed autographs for the children in the boarding schools, I , I , I… I didn’t lead one person—not one person to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in any of those first years of short term missions.
My thoughts and visions of what I expected were not met. My expectations were high and the outcome of each missions experience was low.
Why? My character.
I didn’t know it then, but my character flaws were preventing God from using me the way I wanted Him to. I was focusing on my missionary “experience.” It was all about me. I was going to go “help” people. I was going to go tell people about how they needed to change, grow, to become more like Jesus. But the pride of my heart had deceived me. God needed to get my attention and prepare me to be… the most effective missionary I could be within my call.
He sent me to Youth With A Mission (YWAM) to do a Discipleship Training School. I took classes on comparing God’s nature and character to mine. I saw how my pride manifested itself, where my identity actually lay, and what the greatest consequence of sin is …and it changed my life - My CHARACTER. After that I went to India and God used me to lead several people into a relationship with Him!
God showed me that my call was to teach others what He taught me. To teach foundational truths in a practical way so the missionaries who go each and every year will be the most effective missionaries possible.
Focus on the Missionary experience and you’ll miss it. Focus on Jesus, and the experience will happen naturally.
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