3 Jul 2017

Short term missions are not the race

by | posted in: Missions | 234,463

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.

234463 Responses

  3. click now
    | Reply

    Wonderful article! We will be linking to this particularly great
    article on our site. Keep up the good writing.

  4. esta usa visa
    | Reply

    Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I as well am an aspiring blog writer but
    I’m still new to everything. Do you have any suggestions for inexperienced
    blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.

  6. Fast Lean Pro
    | Reply

    I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good.

    I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!

  8. video mesum anak kecil
    | Reply

    Heya i am for the primary time here. I found this board and I find It really useful &
    it helped me out a lot. I am hoping to present something again and aid
    others such as you aided me.

  9. c54
    | Reply

    Wow that was odd. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked
    submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr…
    well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say excellent blog!

  10. Uganda Safari
    | Reply

    Whats up are using WordPress for your blog platform?
    I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you need any coding expertise to make your own blog?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

  13. Champion Slots casino
    | Reply

    Champion Slots Казино — это ваш путь к успеху. У нас представлено лучшее из мира азартных игр, включая рулетку, покер, блэкджек и новейшие слоты. Любое участие в наших акциях — это шанс испытать удачу, увеличив шансы на крупный выигрыш.

    Что отличает нас от других? Мы предлагаем высококлассный сервис, но и выгодные условия игры, которые экономят ваше время и деньги. Каждый турнир — это приглашение к яркому игровому приключению – https://championslots-fortune.website/.

    Когда лучше всего начать играть? Играйте тогда, когда хотите!

    Обязательно ознакомьтесь с нашими основными правилами.
    Для опытных игроков, у нас есть специальные VIP-программы, чтобы максимально наслаждаться игрой.
    Если вы возвращаетесь к играм после паузы, начните с бесплатных версий игр, чтобы снова войти в азартный ритм.

  18. kvtoto
    | Reply

    Fastidious response in return of this question with real arguments
    and describing everything regarding that.

  19. Used cars Thetford
    | Reply

    Pretty nice post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to
    mention that I have really enjoyed surfing around your blog
    posts. In any case I will be subscribing on your
    rss feed and I am hoping you write again very soon!

  21. Dentafend
    | Reply

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog
    and was curious what all is required to get setup?
    I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a
    pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100%
    certain. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Many thanks

  24. esta usa visa
    | Reply

    Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this blog loading?
    I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
    Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

  28. esta usa visa
    | Reply

    I’m gone to inform my little brother, that he should also pay a quick visit this web site on regular basis to obtain updated from
    most recent gossip.

  31. learn the facts here now
    | Reply

    Unquestionably believe that which you said. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the web
    the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people consider worries that they just
    don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people could take a signal.
    Will probably be back to get more. Thanks

  39. Унлим казин
    | Reply

    Анлим Казино пresents всем любителям азартных игр возможность познать истинное
    удовольствие от азартных игр. Здесь вы найдете широкий ассортимент слотов,
    настольных игр, а также регулярно проводимые
    акции, что позволяет игрокам увеличить свои
    шансы на выигрыш и приносит
    массу удовольствия от процесса.

    Анлим Казино – это не просто место для игры, но и потрясающий опыт для всех пользователей,
    независимо от того, играете ли вы с
    мобильного устройства или с компьютера.

    Мы гарантируем постоянное обновление ассортимента игр и проведение увлекательных турнирных состязаний.

    В чем преимущество игры в Анлим Казино?

    Быстрая регистрация — всего пару шагов, и вы
    уже готовы начать играть.

    Большие бонусы для новичков — мы дарим
    бонусы на первый депозит для старта с большими шансами на победу.

    Ежедневные акции и турниры — для
    каждого, кто хочет повысить свои шансы на
    победу и дополнительные призы.

    Профессиональная поддержка всегда
    готова помочь с любыми
    вопросами о процессе игры.

    Богатый выбор игр доступных как на компьютере, так и на мобильных
    устройствах.

    Не упустите шанс В Анлим Казино вас ждут яркие эмоции и шанс выиграть внушительные призы.
    Не ждите — начните выигрывать с нами
    прямо сейчас! https://unlim-casinomirage.yachts/

  41. Family-friendly apart hotel Dalyan
    | Reply

    What you composed was very logical. However, think about this,
    suppose you were to write a awesome post title?
    I am not saying your information isn’t good, however suppose you added something that grabbed a person’s attention? I
    mean Short term missions are not the race – The Hus Report is a little
    plain. You could look at Yahoo’s home page and watch how they create post
    titles to get viewers to open the links. You
    might add a related video or a related pic or two to grab readers interested about what you’ve got to say.
    In my opinion, it might bring your posts a little livelier.

  44. ngentot anjing
    | Reply

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

Leave a Reply

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