3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 79,406

I am always amazed at the excitement and nervousness from those going on their first short-term mission trip, most of the time they don’t know enough to know what they need to be nervous about. There is an excitement in their eyes as they head into the unknown. They prepare testimonies and lessons, not knowing how God will use them or if they will be effective. They pack what is recommended and wonder if it will be enough. They comfort their parents and loved ones, and try to reassure them everything is going to be alright, while at the same time not knowing what the future holds. But through leading and prayer, the journey begins.

 

A lot of mission team members, especially those who have never been on mission before usually become broken spiritually sometime during the week of the trip. They discover a new outlook on sharing, faith, trust, and God. Why is this? It is simple, during the week they are constantly hearing the word of God either from others sharing or through the preaching or their own study. They also see the word of God come to life. That doesn’t mean that the bible gets up and starts walking around. But they see the Spirit of God begin to work in the lives of the people they come in contact with. They walk the streets with a single purpose, to find the person of peace with whom they can share the good news of the gospel. Some are hit with the hard truth that not all will accept the gospel, so they plant a seed not knowing the condition of the soil. Other times they begin to pour out water onto unknown soil, unaware that a seed exist and has been waiting for the moisture that God will use to bring it to life. They get excited and don’t know what to do when out of the ground springs forth life. A miracle, they get to see cold dead bones come to life. After that experience, they have a drive to share and no longer need to be pushed in front of people to share with. Oh what it would have been like in Acts to walk the streets and see God work, bringing people to life through the proclamation of the Gospel. But wait, could that still happen? And could it happen here?

After returning home and a couple weeks of rest, life returns to normal. The mission was accomplished, people were saved and now we are back comfortable, safe, fed, and loved. Or are we? There is always a sense of completion at the end of a mission trip. Not that that would be wrong in the short term, but there is a since of that was where we were on mission at, but now we are back and we have things to get done. Real stuff, school, work, friends, problems, and you know life. Right?

One of the greatest tragedies we have is short-term missions. I know you saw a bunch of people get saved, and God really “showed up”, but stay with me. There is a since of awe and wonder during the week of a mission trip. And we look forward to the next year when we can go and feel that same since of awe and wonder. But let’s compare it to a race shall we. Anyone who runs foot races understands that you have different splits. These are markers throughout the race to gauge your progress, and to ensure you are on pace. A short-term mission trip is sort of like a split. It is a time to see if you are where you need to be in your spiritual life, in your reading and study of the word, apologetics, doctrines, and if you can articulate them to the world around you. The shortness of the week gives you the opportunity to push yourself hard and to evaluate yourself. The tragedy is that the short-term is looked at, as the race itself. We return with a sense that we ran and will rest up to run again next year.

The race however is not over. In fact it is just beginning. When you return home, it is like passing the first mile marker. The street is no longer filled with cheering fans, the road narrows, and the reality of the race sets in. Here is where we must work our hardest. This is where we must pull from prayer and scripture, the strength to press on. Where most might sit and rest, we must run to win. We don’t just return to normal life, we return with a renewed sense of awe for what God has been doing and we must now trust even more so that He will continue His work. We saw on foreign soil God work in others lives. Now we must trust that He will work in ours for His glory and to reach those around us. We are home; this is where we must turn from our sins, where we must love God more than mother and father, more than friends and things. This is where we live out what we preach, if we believe that which we have taught. Did we believe it? Do we believe it? If so, then are we disciplined for the miles ahead? Paul tells the church at Corinth “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. Are we disqualified or are we still in the race?

There are no short-term missionaries; there are only missionaries in different context. When we return to our Jerusalem, let us seek the hope that is only found in Christ. Let us not lean on our own understanding, our own wisdom, which is foolishness. Let us not fall victim to busyness and the lure of shiny objects that promise fulfillment. Let our knees be worn out for those nearest to us. Let our time be determined by the cross and His call, trusting that He will provide the time for work, family, fun, and ministry, as we continue the race. We have found our greatest joy in walking by faith; let us not check our faith with Homeland Security as we return home. But let us be reminded daily where our ultimate security is found and where our joy is greatest. Wherever you woke up at, wherever you find yourself, wherever you stand today, then that is your mission field. Time to get running.

79406 Responses

  2. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    It’s actually a cool and useful piece of info. I’m satisfied that you shared this useful information with us.
    Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

  5. commercial contract solicitor
    | Reply

    I simply couldn’t leave your web site prior to suggesting that
    I extremely enjoyed the usual info a person supply on your guests?

    Is going to be again steadily to investigate cross-check new posts

  9. the growth matrix for men
    | Reply

    Please let me know if you’re looking for a
    writer for your weblog. You have some really great posts and I think I would be
    a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some articles
    for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
    Please shoot me an email if interested. Thank you!

    Look at my web-site: the growth matrix for men

  11. the genius wave
    | Reply

    Having read this I thought it was rather informative.
    I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this informative article together.

    I once again find myself personally spending way too much time
    both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

    Here is my webpage the genius wave

  12. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    What’s up colleagues, fastidious piece of writing and fastidious arguments
    commented at this place, I am truly enjoying by these.

  16. Safe tanning methods
    | Reply

    Explore the harmful effects of UV radiation on skin health and discover the advantages
    of safe sunless tanning as a protective
    alternative to sun exposure.

  17. slip and fall attorney
    | Reply

    Howdy, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar
    one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam feedback?
    If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me crazy so any support is very much appreciated.

  19. indo666 situs
    | Reply

    Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board
    and I find It really useful & it helped me out much.
    I hope to give something back and aid others like you helped me.

  21. mahjong dimensions
    | Reply

    I always used to read paragraph in news papers but now as I am a user of web therefore from now I am using net for articles or reviews, thanks to web.

  27. topup royal dream
    | Reply

    I do trust all the ideas you’ve offered in your post.

    They are really convincing and can certainly work. Nonetheless,
    the posts are very brief for newbies. May just you please prolong them a
    bit from next time? Thanks for the post.

  29. ทางเข้าเล่นM24
    | Reply

    Thanks for your marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it, you
    happen to be a great author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and will come back very soon. I want to encourage
    you to definitely continue your great job, have
    a nice afternoon!

  30. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    It’s actually a cool and helpful piece of info. I’m satisfied that you just shared this useful information with us.
    Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.

  32. bokep india
    | Reply

    My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net
    from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because of the expenses.
    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress
    on a number of websites for about a year and am anxious about switching to
    another platform. I have heard good things about blogengine.net.

    Is there a way I can import all my wordpress content
    into it? Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

  35. click now
    | Reply

    Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
    A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would
    really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your design. Appreciate it

  37. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    Hello there, just became aware of your blog through Google,
    and found that it is really informative. I’m gonna watch out for brussels.
    I will be grateful if you continue this in future.
    A lot of people will be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  39. latenitetip.com
    | Reply

    ยินดีต้อนรับเข้าสู่สู่บริษัท Cicon Interior ที่ให้บริการ บิ้วอินตกแต่งภายในครบวงจรในสไตล์ซึ่งไม่ซ้ำใคร
    ด้วยความพิถีพิถันและมีคุณภาพที่สูง หากคุณกำลังมองหาบริการเฟอร์นิเจอร์บิ้วอินที่จะสร้างความประทับใจให้กับบ้าน
    คอนโดหรือออฟฟิศของคุณ บริษัท Cicon Interior ที่คุณสามารถพูดคุยและให้คำปรึกษาเกี่ยวกับการสร้างเอกลักษณ์และความเป็นตัวคุณของงานบิ้วอินที่คุณต้องการ ด้วยประสบการณ์และความเชี่ยวชาญของทีมงานที่มีคุณภาพ คุณจะได้รับการดูแลอย่างใกล้ชิดและครอบคลุมทุกขั้นตอนของงานบิ้วอิน
    จนถึงการสร้างบิ้วอินเสร็จสิ้น กับ Cicon Interior คุณจะได้รับผลลัพธ์ เฟอร์นิเจอร์ชิ้นในอาคารที่มีคุณภาพทั้งมีการออกแบบที่ดี และความทนทาน และการบริการสูงที่จะเป็นประโยชน์ต่อคุณในระยะยาว.

    My blog บิ้วอิน ครัว (latenitetip.com)

  46. huge boobs
    | Reply

    Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i
    was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses?
    If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can suggest?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any help is very much appreciated.

  50. realtor in Frisco TX
    | Reply

    Fantastic blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
    I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
    Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress
    or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m totally confused ..
    Any tips? Bless you!

    My blog; realtor in Frisco TX

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *