3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 146,741

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.

146741 Responses

  2. slot demo
    | Reply

    I’m gone to inform my little brother, that he should
    also go to see this blog on regular basis to obtain updated from latest information.

  5. Website Agentur
    | Reply

    I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
    Did you make this Website Agentur yourself or did you hire
    someone to do it for you? Plz reply as I’m
    looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from.
    appreciate it

  7. External SSD
    | Reply

    You are so awesome! I do not suppose I’ve read
    anything like that before. So good to discover someone with unique thoughts on this subject matter.
    Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This website is something that is needed on the web, someone with
    a little originality!

    Here is my blog post – External SSD

  10. 진주출장안마
    | Reply

    I think this is among the most significant information for
    me. And i’m glad reading your article. But should remark on few general things, The website style is great,
    the articles is really great : D. Good job, cheers

    Feel free to surf to my page: 진주출장안마

  17. turkey visa application center mumbai
    | Reply

    Fantastic blog! Do you have any suggestions
    for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own blog
    soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There
    are so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
    Any recommendations? Thank you!

  22. spg138 alternatif
    | Reply

    Hello, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your site in web explorer, might check this? IE still is the market chief and a good component to other people will leave out your wonderful writing because of this problem.

  24. High capacity SSD
    | Reply

    I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
    Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
    Plz reply as I’m looking to create my own blog
    and would like to know where u got this from. many thanks

    Here is my web page – High capacity SSD

  25. Fast transfer SSD
    | Reply

    Amazing! This blog looks just like my old
    one! It’s on a completely different subject
    but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!

    Feel free to surf to my web page :: Fast transfer SSD

  27. Microsoft 365
    | Reply

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

    Also visit my webpage … Microsoft 365

  28. slot spg138 com
    | Reply

    I am extremely impressed together with your writing skills and also with the format to your weblog. Is this a paid subject or did you customize it yourself? Anyway stay up the nice high quality writing, it’s rare to look a nice weblog like this one today..

  33. best realtor in west chester oh
    | Reply

    Hello! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
    My website looks weird when browsing from my iphone4. I’m
    trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to correct this
    problem. If you have any suggestions, please share.
    With thanks!

    Here is my web site best realtor in west chester oh

  35. check this out
    | Reply

    hi!,I love your writing very a lot! share we be in contact more approximately your post on AOL?
    I require an expert on this space to resolve my problem.
    Maybe that is you! Taking a look ahead to see you.

  38. slot gampang scatter
    | Reply

    I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your weblog. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems?
    A couple of my blog audience have complained about my site not
    operating correctly in Explorer but looks
    great in Chrome. Do you have any advice to help fix this
    issue?

  43. realtor in west chester oh
    | Reply

    May I simply just say what a comfort to discover someone that truly understands what they are
    talking about on the internet. You certainly understand how to bring
    a problem to light and make it important. More
    people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story.

    It’s surprising you are not more popular given that you
    definitely possess the gift.

    Review my webpage … realtor in west chester oh

  46. Portable SSD
    | Reply

    Very great post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to mention that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your weblog posts.
    After all I’ll be subscribing for your feed and I hope you write again soon!

    Also visit my web blog … Portable SSD

  47. online casino market analysis
    | Reply

    Greetings, cohort enthusiast. I must compliment
    you on your astute analysis of the subject matter presented in this blog post.
    Your piercing observations and eloquent commentary have
    echoed with me, and I conclude myself in unity with the opinions you have verbalized .

    Given your discernible involvement in the realm of virtual finance, I would be careless
    if I did not present an solicitation for you to investigate the exciting world
    of Crypto Casino. This pioneering platform offers
    a one-of-a-kind and immersive escapade , fusing the fervor of established casino gaming with the innovative architecture
    of cryptography . I suspect you would uncover it a
    most captivating escapade . I implore you to be a
    part of us and encounter the perpetual avenues that await you.

    Feel free to visit my webpage – online casino market analysis

  48. realtor in west chester township oh
    | Reply

    My coder is trying to convince 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 Movable-type
    on a variety of websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform.
    I have heard fantastic things about blogengine.net.
    Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Stop by my page … realtor in west chester township oh

Leave a Reply

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