3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 209,551

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.

209551 Responses

  3. evisa egypt
    | Reply

    Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better!

    Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate!
    He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this page to
    him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!

  6. Skype 網頁版
    | Reply

    现在Skype 網頁版提供免費通話、視訊、即時訊息和文件分享功能，讓您輕鬆保持聯繫，隨時隨地共享精彩世界。https://www.telegramppo.com，https://www.whathkapp.com，https://www.linawin.com

  7. michigan cannabis prices
    | Reply

    Wonderful site you have here but I was curious about if
    you knew of any discussion boards that cover the same topics discussed here?
    I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get comments
    from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest.
    If you have any recommendations, please let me
    know. Bless you!

    My website – michigan cannabis prices

  11. beli dildo murah
    | Reply

    Hi there, constantly i used to check weblog posts here
    early in the daylight, for the reason that i enjoy to gain knowledge of more and more.

  12. spotbet
    | Reply

    Heya fantastic website! Does running a blog like this take a lot of work?
    I’ve no understanding of computer programming however
    I was hoping to start my own blog soon. Anyways, should you have
    any ideas or tips for new blog owners please share.
    I know this is off topic however I simply had to ask. Thanks!

  15. オンカジ 誕生日ボーナス
    | Reply

    Do you have a spam issue on this site; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation; we
    have developed some nice practices and we are looking to trade techniques with others, please shoot
    me an email if interested.

  20. Jetton казино
    | Reply

    Jetton Casino – это ваш билет в мир настоящего азарта и захватывающих побед.
    В нашем казино представлены только лучшие
    игровые автоматы, покер, рулетка и многое другое.
    Присоединяйтесь прямо сейчас,
    чтобы испытать удачу и воспользоваться выгодными бонусами.

    Jetton телеграм – это не просто казино, а целая вселенная для любителей азартных игр.
    Для наших игроков доступны регулярные
    турниры, программа лояльности, а также специальные бонусы
    для активных пользователей. Гарантируем безопасные транзакции,
    а также удобные способы пополнения счета и вывода
    выигрышей.

    Огромный ассортимент развлечений для всех любителей азартных игр.

    Ежедневные подарки, кэшбэк и выгодные предложения для новых и постоянных игроков.

    Быстрое пополнение счета и мгновенные выплаты без скрытых комиссий.

    Соревнования для любителей больших ставок и незабываемых эмоций.

    Jetton Casino – это надежное и современное казино для тех,
    кто хочет испытать настоящий азарт. https://ligapark.ru/

  24. evisa egypt
    | Reply

    For most up-to-date news you have to pay a visit world wide web and on world-wide-web I found
    this web page as a best web site for newest updates.

  30. سئو سایت
    | Reply

    When someone writes an paragraph he/she maintains the thought of a user in his/her brain that how a
    user can understand it. Therefore that’s why this article is outstdanding.
    Thanks!

    Also visit my web page: سئو سایت

  34. evisa egypt
    | Reply

    I am actually happy to read this webpage posts which
    includes plenty of helpful facts, thanks for providing these
    kinds of data.

  38. GAPTEKIN
    | Reply

    Hey! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to
    give a quick shout out and tell you I truly enjoy reading your articles.
    Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums
    that go over the same subjects? Thank you!

  49. click over here now
    | Reply

    Its such as you read my thoughts! You seem to grasp so much
    about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you just could do with some % to pressure the message house a bit, but other than that, this is
    great blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.

Leave a Reply

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