3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 118,328

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.

118328 Responses

  2. penipu
    | Reply

    I absolutely love your site.. Great colors & theme.

    Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to
    create my own personal blog and want to learn where you
    got this from or exactly what the theme is named.
    Appreciate it!

  3. Generic Viagra
    | Reply

    whoah this weblog is wonderful i like studying your posts.
    Stay up the great work! You already know, a lot of individuals are looking round for
    this info, you could aid them greatly.

  4. best realtor in Meridian Ms
    | Reply

    May I simply just say what a relief to find somebody that actually understands what
    they’re talking about over the internet. You certainly understand how to bring an issue
    to light and make it important. More and more people need to look at
    this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you
    are not more popular given that you most certainly have the gift.

    Also visit my page … best realtor in Meridian Ms

  6. learn here
    | Reply

    Wow, incredible blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?

    you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is great, let alone the content!

  17. pln88
    | Reply

    Hello my family member! I want to say that this post is amazing, nice written and include almost all vital infos.

    I would like to look extra posts like this .

  18. Bästa krypto casinon
    | Reply

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was
    wondering what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming
    having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
    I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly
    appreciated. Thank you

  19. check this link right here now
    | 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.

  20. realtor in Meridian Ms
    | Reply

    I’m really enjoying the theme/design of your site.
    Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility issues?
    A handful of my blog visitors have complained about my website not
    operating correctly realtor in Meridian Ms Explorer but looks great in Safari.
    Do you have any advice to help fix this issue?

  22. lekkerbets
    | Reply

    excellent issues altogether, you just gained a brand new reader.
    What would you recommend about your publish that you made some days ago?
    Any certain?

  23. realtor in ponce inlet
    | Reply

    Hey would you mind letting me know which webhost you’re working with?
    I’ve loaded your blog realtor in ponce inlet 3 completely different internet browsers and I must
    say this blog loads a lot faster then most.
    Can you recommend a good hosting provider at a honest price?
    Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!

  32. LLC
    | Reply

    Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that
    I have truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
    After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write
    again soon!

  34. Golden visa Portugal
    | Reply

    Thanks for a marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it,
    you can be a great author.I will make certain to bookmark
    your blog and will often come back very soon. I want to encourage
    you to ultimately continue your great posts, have a nice evening!

  40. link porn
    | Reply

    Thanks for some other wonderful post. The place else may
    just anyone get that kind of information in such
    an ideal manner of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I am on the
    look for such info.

  41. ukuran kursi makan balero
    | Reply

    Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the internet
    the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to
    you, I definitely get annoyed while people consider worries that they
    just do not know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and also defined out the whole thing without having side effect , people could take a signal.
    Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

  43. how to spot fake dior clothes
    | Reply

    Hey there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this site?

    I’m getting fed up of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for
    another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

  47. Cherie
    | Reply

    Everyone loves what you guys are up too. This type of clever work and
    reporting! Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve added you guys to
    blogroll.

    my site … travel case stickers – Cherie,

  50. best realtor in tucson arizone
    | Reply

    Definitely believe that which you said. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the internet the simplest thing to be aware of.
    I say to you, I certainly get irked while people consider worries that they plainly don’t know about.
    You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole
    thing without having side-effects , people can take
    a signal. Will probably be back to get more.
    Thanks

    My blog – best realtor in tucson arizone

Leave a Reply

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