3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 248,795

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.

248795 Responses

  1. HepatoBurn Review
    | Reply

    Hi there are using WordPress for your site platform?

    I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set
    up my own. Do you need any coding knowledge to make your own blog?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  2. megapari güncel giriş
    | Reply

    Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to mention that I’ve really loved surfing around your blog posts.
    After all I will be subscribing on your rss feed
    and I’m hoping you write once more soon!

  4. 비아그라 효과
    | Reply

    Hi there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 3gs!
    Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts!

    Keep up the excellent work!

  6. dewi188
    | Reply

    Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet
    my newest twitter updates. I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for
    quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some
    experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything.
    I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  10. raffi777 login
    | Reply

    Its like you read my mind! You appear to know a lot about
    this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
    I think that you could do with a few pics to drive
    the message home a bit, but other than that, this is great blog.

    A great read. I’ll definitely be back.

  11. Uniform store
    | Reply

    Greetings from Idaho! I’m bⲟred to death at work so I decіdｅd to browse your website on my
    iphone Ԁurіng lunch break. I really like the кnowledge you
    ρrovide here and cаn’t wait to take a look when I get home.
    I’m ѕurprised at hоw quiсk your blog loaded on my phone ..
    I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, great
    site!

    Ηere is my web blog: Uniform store

  14. Jarred
    | Reply

    Wajib cobain slot resmi gacor di situs slot 88! Mereka punya trik slot gacor yang bikin mudah menang.

  18. mitolyn Reviews
    | Reply

    Hmm it seems like your website ate my first comment (it
    was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and
    say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to
    everything. Do you have any helpful hints for newbie blog writers?
    I’d really appreciate it.

  21. home decor shop
    | Reply

    Hiya! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa?
    My site goes over a lot of the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit
    from each other. If you happen to be interested
    feel free to shoot me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!
    Wonderful blog by the way!

  22. Humane Foundation
    | Reply

    Thanks for the marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it,
    you happen to be a great author.I will be sure
    to bookmark your blog and will come back sometime soon. I
    want to encourage one to continue your great
    job, have a nice weekend!

  24. สล็อต pp
    | Reply

    Thanks , I’ve just been searching for info approximately this subject for ages and yours is the greatest I’ve discovered till now.
    However, what about the conclusion? Are you positive in regards to the source?
    สล็อต pp

  28. steam espresso machines
    | Reply

    You could certainly see your skills within the work you write.
    The world hopes for more passionate writers like
    you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.

  29. esta application america
    | Reply

    I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your blog.

    It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a
    developer to create your theme? Fantastic work!

  30. furniture factory
    | Reply

    Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little
    changes that produce the greatest changes.

    Many thanks for sharing!

  32. Data Macau
    | Reply

    If some one wants to be updated with hottest technologies afterward he must be pay a quick visit this site and be up to date every day.

  42. تک بت
    | Reply

    May I simply say what a comfort to discover a person that truly understands what they’re
    discussing over the internet. You actually realize
    how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot
    more people have to check this out and understand this side of the story.

    It’s surprising you’re not more popular because you most certainly
    possess the gift.

  44. CoinSpire Scam Or Legit
    | Reply

    Hey I am so excited I found your blog page, I really found you
    by error, while I was researching on Askjeeve for something
    else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a incredible post and a all round entertaining
    blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be
    back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the excellent job.

  46. brazilian mounjaro
    | Reply

    Excellent goods from you, man. I have be mindful your stuff previous to and you are simply too
    great. I actually like what you have bought right here, certainly like what you’re stating and the way during which you are saying it.
    You’re making it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it sensible.

    I can not wait to learn much more from you. That is actually a great site.

  47. Click here now
    | Reply

    Hi everyone, it’s my first go to see at this website, and paragraph is really fruitful in support of me, keep up posting these types of posts.

  49. premium Reddit account
    | Reply

    Excellent read, definitely some useful tips! I’ve been struggling with growing my Reddit presence and found that buying an aged Reddit account is one of the best ways to get ahead. If you’re just starting out or trying to scale on Reddit, I highly recommend starting with a profile that has both post and comment karma. It saves so much time and effort!

    You’ve really hit the nail on the head. As we all know, building credibility on Reddit with new accounts is hard. After a lot of trial and error, I finally decided to purchase an aged Reddit account with karma. It completely changed the way I approach Reddit marketing. It’s far easier to get visibility this way.

    If you’re looking to promote on Reddit, I’d highly recommend purchasing a Reddit account with post and comment karma. Trust me, it really works when you’re targeting a specific audience.

    One of the biggest challenges with Reddit is how they treat new accounts. Aged Reddit accounts are often much safer and more effective when it comes to marketing and content promotion. After I switched to using a profile that had history and trust, I noticed a huge difference in my ability to post freely. If you want to promote content or a business without worrying about account bans, I highly suggest looking into buying aged Reddit accounts.

    This is definitely the way to go. Whether you’re promoting a business, an OnlyFans account, or just looking to gain karma for credibility, an aged Reddit account is a game-changer. I’ve been using accounts with karma, and I’ve seen better traffic in just a few weeks. You’ll notice the difference right away.

    Really appreciate the effort you put into these tips. I will definitely be following your advice and sharing it with others who are struggling with Reddit marketing. If you want to grow your audience on Reddit, I can’t recommend buying verified Reddit profiles enough. It really works.

Leave a Reply to Uniform store Cancel reply

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