3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 78,019

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.

78019 Responses

  4. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

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

  7. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or guest authoring on other sites?
    I have a blog based upon on the same topics you discuss and would really like to
    have you share some stories/information. I know my subscribers would
    value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me
    an e mail.

  8. sight care official website
    | Reply

    Hello would you mind stating which blog platform you’re using?
    I’m looking to start my own blog soon but I’m having a difficult time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.

    The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for
    something unique. P.S My apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!

    Here is my web site :: sight care official website

  14. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this
    I’ve found It absolutely helpful and it has helped me
    out loads. I’m hoping to give a contribution & help
    different customers like its helped me. Great job.

  15. learn more
    | Reply

    Have you ever thought about writing an e-book or
    guest authoring on other sites? I have a blog based on the
    same topics you discuss and would really like to have you
    share some stories/information. I know my readers
    would value your work. If you are even remotely interested,
    feel free to send me an e-mail.

  16. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
    I will make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info.
    Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely comeback.

  17. Venture Bridge
    | Reply

    Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort
    to make a good article… but what can I say… I put things off a lot and never seem
    to get anything done.

  20. hemp smart gummies
    | Reply

    Does your blog have a contact page? I’m having problems locating
    it but, I’d like to send you an email. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
    Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it expand
    over time.

    Also visit my homepage; hemp smart gummies

  21. Rodrick
    | Reply

    My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be precisely what I’m looking
    for. Do you offer guest writers to write content for you personally?

    I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on a lot
    of the subjects you write in relation to here.
    Again, awesome web log!

  25. Support workers in Cardiff
    | Reply

    We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
    Your site offered us with valuable info to work on. You’ve done an impressive job and our whole community will be grateful to you.

  28. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    I was wondering if you ever considered changing the
    page layout of your site? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say.
    But maybe you could a little more in the way of content
    so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only
    having one or two images. Maybe you could space it out better?

  40. alpha bites
    | Reply

    We are a gaggle of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community.
    Your web site offered us with valuable information to work on. You’ve performed an impressive activity and our entire group will probably be
    grateful to you.

    Here is my web blog … alpha bites

  42. prodentim reviews
    | Reply

    Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a
    new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided
    us valuable information to work on. You have done a
    extraordinary job!

    Also visit my blog post prodentim reviews

  44. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    I’ve been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting
    article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view,
    if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you
    did, the internet will be much more useful than ever before.

  47. evisa vietnam
    | Reply

    Hi, every time i used to check weblog posts here in the early hours in the break of day, as
    i enjoy to gain knowledge of more and more.

Leave a Reply

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