Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
I can’t remember the last time I heard a sermon on holiness. In some ways, the move away from hellfire and brimstone preaching has been so important. We don’t want to coerce people to put their trust in Jesus because we’ve scared them to death! …
It’s Christmas Eve here in Thailand. The sun is about to rise. I’m drinking my morning coffee and gazing at the candle glowing on my living room table. The lights on the Christmas tree flicker. Soon I’ll begin baking and cooking, preparing a special meal …
“Change will be a constant,” the speaker said. My mind knew what he said was true, but my heart rebelled. “I don’t like change!” a voice screamed inside my head. Our missionary lives are filled with disruption. It is the reality we face as Christian …
I’ve always hated fish. Since I was a little girl, it was the one thing I really didn’t like to eat. My mom would serve it, but it remained on my plate. This wasn’t much of a problem until God called us to a people …
Missionary teams go through hard seasons. Disagreements, leadership crises, or a high turnover of staff can leave everyone feeling insecure. Or, you might experience a major traumatic event that shakes everyone’s foundations. Another difficulty can be when there is a lack of focus or momentum. No matter how wonderful your team is, you will eventually face some struggles.
I have experienced all the above situations in teams I’ve been part of. I’ve also come through them, still loving God, and my fellow missionaries.
Why do these difficulties happen? How can we overcome and even grow through these seasons ? How can we avoid becoming part of the statistic that leaves the mission field because it is too tough?
Let’s look at some answers to the questions above.
We are all susceptible to making sinful choices. Perhaps someone on your team does something and you get offended. Choosing to hang on to perceived or real offense is also a sinful response.
Each of us (as leaders or followers, older or younger, new or experienced) continue in the growth process of becoming more like Jesus.
Our selfish or foolish choices often hurt others. The solution is to recognize your own part, not the other person’s problems. Repent, forgive, and ask the Lord for his “love that covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8). Choose practical ways to show love and kindness to that person who has offended you. This helps our hearts to turn toward reconciliation with others.
Another cause of struggle is a season of testing. This could be caused by demonic resistance to our mission. We are told to not give the devil a foothold by our choices (Eph 4:27).
Guard your own thought life carefully, “for as a man thinking in his heart so he is.” (Prov. 23:7).
Even Jesus’ team was split in this manner! Satan inspired Judas to betray Jesus, and he gave in to that temptation.
When we notice testing going on, we should strive to be like Jesus. Look to God to vindicate and be like a sheep that doesn’t shout, bite, or attack in return. We overcome this not by fighting the others on our team but by choosing unity. In prayer, resist the devil so he will flee.
Pain comes in normal life circumstances. Departures from the team can cause hurt. Team members leave because of sickness, mental stress, or a change in their life and sense of call.
The loss of team members is stressful.
Remind yourself of how God called you, and the reasons why you do what you do. Trust God that even if your closest friends on the team move on, it is not rejection. It is an opportunity to grow more dependent on Jesus who never changes.
Traumatic events can demolish a team. Evacuation, a physical attack on a team member, or an investigation by the government for your activities are examples of traumatic events.
If these things happen, have a team debriefing session. This can either be facilitated by the leader or an outside coach depending on the severity of the incident.
If we do not process trauma well we end up with “wounded soldiers.” When everyone on the team is in pain, our focus becomes inward. A survival mentality grips us and the team’s efforts come to a full stop. This is appropriate for a time, but you don’t want to get stuck there.
Lastly, there is great pain when division between team leaders and followers occurs.
It often starts with small things that build into major mistrust issues.
Realize that both leaders and followers are imperfect. Adjust expectations to avoid disappointment. Then, do your best to invest in open, clear communication, and active listening to bridge gaps.
Teams, like families, also need quality time together not only working but being friends. Talking together and shared experiences- like going on a retreat, camping, having regular meals and games, can make a big difference. How long has it been since you planned a fun time for your team?
Another great team-building thing can be to practice simple church. Do a Discovery Bible Study together so you hear and connect with each other. Share communion so you stay in fellowship and sweet relationship- confessing sins to one another regularly.
As a team we are an expression of the body of Christ. Just like Jesus’ physical body was battered and then rose again by the power of the spirit, let’s ask God to knit us together to be a witness for Him. Jesus said, ”By this will all men know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Let’s love each other with Jesus’ love and be a witness of what it means to be disciples of Jesus.
Which of these five areas do you and your team most need to consider?
Let us know in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group.
*This guest post was written by R.M.
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“I can’t believe it! That’s not what I understood from the website,” my husband exclaimed. We’d just gotten a response from the embassy saying we were not eligible for the type of visa we’d applied for. A few days before, a friend planned to go to another country for training. At the last moment, he was told the borders had closed due to the pandemic. He’d sacrificed much to take this trip. Now the door was tightly shut. Visa issues are a big deal for missionaries. They create great stress. It is important that we actively guard our hearts in the midst of them.
Our hearts are fickle and vulnerable. They are the place our feelings and emotions are housed. What happens in our heart impacts the rest of our lives significantly. That is why the Psalmist spoke so strongly.
Most people are predominantly thinkers or feelers. Even if you are primarily a thinker, feelings matter. Both to you and to those around you. We all must learn to guard our hearts.
Our thoughts impact our feelings deeply. As we learn to control our thought life, it has an impact on our hearts.
For years I was quite unaware of my feelings. I’m predominantly a thinker. Suppressed feelings can lead to depression. It’s important to allow ourselves to feel. We can grow in our ability to notice what is happening in our hearts. I did, anyway!
I’ve written about this before, but I learned in the midst of a marriage crisis, to do something called an Emotional Jug. Doing that each day was part of paying attention to my heart.
When visa situations cause frustration and anger, it’s good to acknowledge that. When we decided to serve God cross-culturally, we might not have known we would face difficult visa issues. We were ready to eat strange food, to face persecution, and to suffer physical hardship. But visa issues? Really? You might be saying “I didn’t sign up for this!” I know my husband and I have felt that way at times.
The following are things we can do to guard our hearts at any time. They are especially important when we are facing visa challenges or fighting immigration battles.
Don’t supress your feelings. We need to give room to them, without giving them control. We don’t gain by a “stuff it in” or “suck it up” mentality. Instead, we need to find a safe person or safe way to let these things out so they don’t destroy our hearts. Emotional jugs have served me well in this. Finding a friend who can do this with you works well. Or, you can do this just with God by journaling.
God created us in His image. This means that like Him, we feel. Jesus felt sad and angry at times. This is not sin, it is part of being human.
Our feelings however are just that…they are feelings. They are not fact. They are not truth. Our feelings do not need to control us. We can control them.
“I can’t help how I feel,” you might say. Actually, you can. Your feelings are controlled and directed by your thought life.
As you acknowledge your feeling, ask yourself what thought was prompting that feeling. For example, I might feel angry because my visa was denied. As I acknowledge my anger, I see that I’m mad at the government for not letting me back in the country. I’m thinking judgmental things like “This government is stupid! Why can’t they be fairer? Their website is not up to date. They are inefficient and incompetent!” Hmm. I need to take control of my thoughts and examine them, these thoughts are triggering my feelings.
I ask God to help me see what is truth and what isn’t.
To continue with that example, I then say to myself something like, “Actually, this government is not stupid. They are trying to protect their nation against the wrong people coming in for the wrong reasons. This is part of good governance. Yes, sometimes these rules are not helpful to me, but they are trying to help their country and their people.”
Truth turns my feelings around. I’m able to feel more gracious toward that government.
I go on to remind myself of the truth about God. He is sovereign over governments. All throughout the Bible, I see Him raising up and bringing down leaders of nations. God is the One who opens and shuts doors for me, His servant. He is more than able to open the visa door for me at the right time. I don’t need to be angry with any government. I can trust God to work as I pray. When it is time for me to go, if it’s the right place for me, God will open the door.
Speak the truth to your heart about who God is.
Whether it is a visa issue, or another stressful issue, such as a health or financial problem, be good to yourself in these times. It is okay, and even right and good, to be nice to yourself! Is there some way you can do something special for yourself to boost your emotions?
I will sometimes go for a walk in a beautiful garden. I love flowers and this is a special treat for me. Make yourself some kind of special food, or schedule a long phone call with a friend you enjoy talking to. This too is part of guarding your heart.
Whether you are going through a visa issue now or will face one in the future, perhaps this blog has given you some fresh ideas. I wish I could tell you that visa issues won’t be part of your life as a missionary, but I’d be lying. Almost everyone faces them at some point.
When you do, guard your heart well.
What can you do this week to guard your heart?
Let me know in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group.
This is a busy time of the year. I won’t write a full blog post today as I am traveling to visit my parents and wish them a merry Christmas. I do want to take this moment to wish you a very Happy Christmas. A …