Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
Two billion people on our planet are born, live and die without even once hearing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! That’s an injustice that doesn’t end with death. Many Christ-followers want to help right this wrong. Why not personally share the good news …
Frontier missionaries are usually risk-takers. Courageous and bold, we go where others wouldn’t. We stay when others leave. Deep commitment to the task of reaching the lost motivates us to a life of sacrifice. What risks are unwise to take? Does missionary safety matter? If …
Some contemplatives live in a monastery cloistered far away from a broken world. Others engage with it believing that God’s transformation is not only for us but for many. Rich Villodas and his co-author Peter Scazzero live into this tension well. The Deeply Formed Life: 5 Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus was the winner of the Christianity Today Book Award last year. Reading it, one can see why. The breadth and depth of this book make it one I’ll not read once, but be planning to re-read every few years.
Villodas writes on page 173, “Our most effective strategy in reaching a world for Christ is grounded in the kind of people we are being formed into.” I agree. We cannot apply good ministry and disciple-making strategies and hope for good fruit. Our very lives must reflect the Jesus we work so hard to share.
This means we must be willing to take a journey of spiritual formation that involves our whole person-our sexuality, racial prejudices, mental health, areas of anxiety, relationships, and more. Villodas’ book speaks boldly to them all showing a breadth of understanding of spiritual formation I’ve not seen elsewhere.
Our spirituality, as Villodas says, is often “shallowly shaped” rather than deeply formed (p. 27). This causes us to be unaware of places where we need His transforming power and life to flow.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
– Romans 12:2 NLT
My takeaways follow three main categories.
I wish I could say I’ve conquered busyness and learned well how to slow down. It isn’t as if I don’t know of its importance. Yet this remains a constant challenge where if I am not vigilant, I find myself too busy and with too few margins in my life once again. The result is always less connection with the One who gives me life. The great danger is that if I am not deeply connected to Jesus, I’ll begin to strive in the flesh. I will work hard to produce, and doing will overwhelm being.
Villodas says, “the problem before us is not just the frenetic pace we live at but what gets pushed out from our lives as a result; that is, life with God” (p. 5). He goes on to say, “As long as we remain enslaved to a culture of speed, superficiality, and distraction, we will not be the people God longs for us to be.”
He then describes his own ways of slowing down to be with God in silence, solitude, and Sabbath. To live a fruitful life, we must learn not only to do this once in a while but to build it into our spiritual rhythm and practice of life. Apart from it, we are apart from God. And apart from God, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Villodas writes, “Racial justice and reconciliation remain two of the most urgent matters of faith and public witness.” When the Church doesn’t get this matter right, the way the world sees us as Christians is greatly affected. At first, I was surprised to find a chapter on racial reconciliation included in a book on spiritual formation. That would not have been my first thought.
The author goes on to say, “Sadly, there is often a hyperspiritual perspective held by many Christians who see racial justice and reconciliation as optional or ancillary to the gospel.” The more I read the two chapters included in the book on this topic, the more I agreed. It is indeed part of our formation as Jesus followers that we deal with personal prejudices and issues of the heart. We must also, however, be willing to engage with this issue in our world.
When working in North-east India, I remember teaching in a Discipleship Training School for YWAM. I taught the Jonah story and called them toward mission engagement with the plains Indians that were so unreached. As I taught, hatred and racism against the rest of India surfaced. Dark-skinned Indians were not honored or liked by light-skinned North Indians. Tribals were often looked down on and thus looked down on others. There was deep pain and a need for reconciliation between the varied people groups around us.
“At the core of racism is the lie that some people are superior or inferior to others. This happens across all different people groups” (p. 56.) All of us must be willing to consider where our history and upbringing have sown seeds of racist thought in our individual hearts. But it can’t stop there. As Villodas writes on page 56, “Individual racial prejudice is about how we negatively and often violently perceive others, but institutional racism is about how power is used.” Examining how we use power in our Christian institutions is not easy. Yet it is vital to our witness and formation. It takes great courage and humility to be willing to examine and evaluate this. Many are not willing to go there and resist defensively. Instead, let’s be open to the Holy Spirit’s work in us and our ministries too.
Chapters Seven and Eight address issues of sexuality with wisdom, vulnerability, and transparency. There is much here to learn from. He writes, “When sex is reduced to the moment, our lives with each other become transactional and potentially objectifying. When it is seen as simply an act, our spouses’ bodies become means to an end and we are in danger of having marriages shaped by using and not communion.”
Earlier in the chapter, it says, “lovemaking takes practice, and it begins outside the bedroom.” The book also addresses issues of sexual abuse, trauma, and singleness. These chapters give the reader, whether married or single, much to consider and prayerfully apply.
I recognize that many of my readers do not have the ability to buy the books I review. If you do, this is one I’d definitely encourage you to grab a copy. If the book is not available where you live, or you don’t have the means to get one, I trust this short review will give you food for thought.
Spiritual formation is vital to our lives as Jesus’ followers. It must not be ignored or shoved in a corner while we pursue ministry goals. This is true for me, and it’s true for you.
Have you been paying enough attention to your inner life with God? Are you distracted by ministry pressures and priorities? If that is the trajectory you are on, don’t wait to make a course correction. Make time for your own transformation into greater Christ-likeness.
Take a Sabbath. Begin a journaling habit. Go on a retreat where you don’t think or pray about ministry stuff. Instead, you simply enjoy Jesus and allow Him to speak to you about who you are and who you are becoming.
Villodas calls our inner life, interiority. I’ll close with this quote. “A life with God for the sake of interiority requires time.” Let’s make time to let Christ be formed in us, to be, not only do.
Borders closing. Food shelves bare. Churches unable to meet. Never in history have we encountered anything quite like what our world is facing. How we respond as Jesus followers says a lot about who we are. As missionaries, will we seize this opportunity to share …
One of my friends has a coffee mug that says, “I don’t like morning people- or mornings- or people.” It brings a smile to my face. Yep. I’ve felt that way before! Some people are terribly difficult to deal with. This can be especially true …
“Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” Have you ever read Matt. 5:48 and thought, “Does God really expect me to be perfect?” He does have a high standard of holiness. Our Father wants us to become like Him. This can feel heavy and impossible. That’s not like our Papa God. How do you know the difference between a desire for excellence (which is healthy), and an unhealthy perfectionism? What does God actually ask of us in this area?
In missions, we often err in two extremes. Some are legalistic and demanding. They expect an unreasonably high time commitment of themselves and others. On the other extreme, some Christian workers are lazy. They become lax in their work ethic. The quality they expect of themselves is far lower than would be expected in a secular job. Neither of these extremes pleases the Lord.
God wants to teach us to walk in excellence. We give Him our very best effort. He is worthy of that. Our love for Him compels us to do an even better job, than if we were working for a company or human institution. At the same time, we live in the understanding of His great love for us. He is not demanding and freely forgives us when we make mistakes. We too must learn to be gracious with ourselves and others.
My heart was sad as I listened to her share. She described a missionary training center where those living there rarely worked. A quality person, she was passionate about the vision the center professed as their purpose.
The work ethic had gotten lax, however. People received outside support with no accountability. It wasn’t a lot, but their basic needs were met. Days were spent doing routine activities. They maintained the training center- cooking food, cleaning the property, watching their children.
What frustrated my friend was how infrequently they went out to “do ministry.” They only went out once or twice a week for a few hours. No company in the world would stand for this low level of work output. Especially from employees who were having their food and housing provided for them!
Another conversation revealed the opposite. My friend said he woke early for prayer. He ate, showered and left the house. Then, he didn’t return until 11 pm at night. All-day long he was out meeting people, making disciples, visiting the sick, praying for new believers. His busy schedule concerned me. When I asked him about taking a sabbath, it seemed a foreign idea. He and his wife had been in ministry for more than ten years, but had never taken a real vacation.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…
Colossians 3:23 NIV.
He gave His very life for us, how could we not do our best for Him? When we take this verse to heart, our work quality and efforts should improve. Be sure that the reason you work so hard or long is because of your love for Jesus. It must not be because you feel God will only love you if you work hard! His love is not earned by your performance. You are already His beloved son or daughter!
Sometimes I struggle with this. My passion overtakes common sense. We are created in His image, but we live in human bodies. They get tired and need rest. Our spirits need time to connect with God as well. When we are too busy or working too hard, our intimacy with God dries up. We become fleshy in our thinking instead of being in tune with His Spirit.
Taking a weekly sabbath and setting boundaries for when you will work (even in ministry) is critical. There are emergencies and special seasons when we work more or harder. Those times can’t go on forever though or you will not be able to finish your ministry race well.
If you were raised in a family with demanding authority figures, you could be struggling with performance orientation. Do you struggle to finish tasks? Feel they have to be perfect before you can move on? This is another indicator. Learn about these perfectionist tendencies. Seek counsel and healing.
Striving for excellence is different. You do your best, but realize that mistakes get made and it’s okay. God covers a multitude of our mistakes with His great love. Forgive yourself and others when things don’t go perfectly.
Most companies around the world expect their employees to work forty hours a week. They expect you to show up on time and be diligent when “on the job.” If you are only going out for ministry a few hours a day, maybe it’s good to re-evaluate.
Would you turn in an assignment to a teacher without editing it first? Why send emails, or create tracts with spelling errors? It’s easy to download free software called Grammarly to help you with making corrections when you write.
Whatever we do in ministry, we represent our Savior. Let’s represent Him with excellence in all we do!
Some years ago I read an excellent book by Philip Yancey called, “What’s So Amazing About Grace?”
I recommend it! If performance and perfectionism are a struggle, intentionally study grace this year. Read books about it, do a word study on it, take note of the word grace as you read the Bible. Ask God to teach you what His grace is all about.
As we pursue a deeper walk with Jesus, His excellence rubs off on us. We become like Him and He is perfect! The verse I started this article with can become a reality. His perfection, not ours. His holiness expressed through us.
How does this tension (excellence vs. perfectionism) look in your life and ministry? Share in the comments below or on the Missionary Life FB group.
Peace be yours as you strive for excellence in all you do!
“I’ve told him how I feel so many times. It’s like I am talking to a brick wall. Nothing I say sinks in!” These thoughts circled through my mind, making me feel miserable. My husband and I were talking, but definitely not communicating. It was …
“Hope is hard sometimes,” I thought, contemplating the impossible situation before me. “I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment. Is it worth hoping things can change?” Semi-hopeless thoughts ran through my mind. It is important not to put our hope in the wrong …
“The police are raiding our offices,” said the Whatsapp message. “I got a phone call yesterday. We are under investigation,” another leader fearfully announced. The same day, a different leader sent me pictures. They were distributing thousands of gospel books at a religious festival in his area. Prayer for the sick, sharing their testimonies, they were bold. Many heard the gospel for the first time. Two leaders. Very different responses. How do we balance boldness and wisdom when persecution is increasing?
It may be different for foreigners and nationals. Visa issues affect foreigners differently than nationals. Many issues though are the same.
How would God want us to respond when faced with these security challenges? The first is to acknowledge that fear is not bad. It’s a God-given response to threat. Staying fearful, however, or living in fear is not God’s plan.
Living in constant anxiety and fear is not His way. The Bible says God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love, joy, peace and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). He also tells us not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything (Phil. 4:6-7). A further scripture tells us, though, to “be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16)
What does it mean to use both wisdom and boldness in our witness under threatening circumstances?
I was traveling to a high-risk country. I’d been invited to speak in an underground discipleship training there.
Boarding the plane, I found my seat. Next to me sat a mother with her daughter. We started a conversation. I too was a mom. She and her husband had gone outside of the country on holiday. They’d had a great vacation there. She was friendly and well-spoken.
It didn’t take long before we were chatting like old friends. I shared with her about my three children, now grown. We laughed about funny things kids do. She told me her family was involved in the government.
The country I was flying into was very anti-Christian as far as the government was concerned.
Taking a bold step, I shared my testimony with her. Feeling nervous, I toned it down a bit. As I spoke, in the back of my mind, I wondered who else might be listening to me on that plane.
I worried even as I was speaking to her about who she might be related to in government. What would they do if they found out I was a boldly witnessing Christian?
My heart turned heavenward, “Lord, do you want me to continue to go for it with this woman? Or is that foolish?”
She listened to my testimony politely and with interest. “I visited a church in England once,” she said.
When the plane landed, she walked with me to the exit. An invitation was extended as we parted to come to her home for a meal. It was a dilemma and I needed to think fast. Uncertainty filled my mind. If I said yes, and made plans, would it put my hosts at risk? I shot up a quick prayer. “What do I do Lord?”
Having to decide on the spot, I chose not to proceed with a visit to their home. In this high-security context, I was a newcomer. I decided not to pursue a relationship with her. Was I too timid? Or was I being wise? I still am not sure.
Peter is a great Biblical example for us of what Holy Spirit led boldness looks like. Was I more like Peter or more like Thomas that day?
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:12-13 NIV.
We look to Scripture for answers. What can we learn from the response of Paul and others in the New Testament? They certainly faced threats much like ours.
After the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2), there was a new boldness in them. Peter (who had been afraid and betrayed Christ), preached in front of thousands.
He walked into a temple and stepped out boldly to pray for a lame man.
God rewarded that faith and a miracle took place. The power of the Holy Spirit was obviously prompting Peter to take the risk, in spite of the difficult political and religious climate.
Jesus taught his disciples to expect to suffer. In Matthew 5:10-11 Jesus told them they were blessed when persecuted. He said to expect it to come. “Blessed are you when people insult you…”
Though at times they feared these trials and all it would mean, they were not surprised by suffering. Missionary life includes hardship, as does normal Christianity. If we accept this from the beginning, rather than expecting “the good life,” we will not be shocked when it comes.
When God spoke, or the Holy Spirit prompted them, they obeyed. Circumstances didn’t determine what they would do, the leading of the Holy Spirit did. Paul heard the call of the man from Macedonia. He responded, changed his plans, and went.
Paul and Silas, arrested and jailed, didn’t moan and groan. They didn’t wonder why God had allowed this terrible thing to happen to them. They rejoiced and worshipped God. As they worshipped, an earthquake shook the prison, opened their chains, and led to the salvation of the Philippian jailer.
At times, God instructs us to leave. There is a time to flee. In Acts 9:25, we read of Paul’s friends helping him escape over a wall because there were threats against him. It is not always right to stay and be martyred. Sometimes, it is best to get out of there. This is what it means to exercise wisdom with discernment.
This is not an easy topic and there are no simple answers. When do you boldly go for it and share with someone when you are in a risky environment? There are no formulas.
It is clear in scripture though, that the gospel spreads when God’s people are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the lost. History backs that up. Wisdom and boldness are both necessary if we want to reach the least, last and lost around us.
When do you think it’s appropriate to take risks? When should we be most cautious to share the gospel? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group.
“Soon I will be going home. I am excited to see family, but I am dreading the support-raising part of it. I really need God’s help to get into the right mindset.” These words flowed out of my friend’s mouth a month or so ago. …