Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
I lay awake at night thinking about some big bills, yet unpaid. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was overwhelmed by worry about money. There was a tightening in my stomach and a feeling of stress as I pondered. How would we pay …
Before I went into missions I had a grand desire to do something meaningful with my life. I think most of us long for something like that. Our search for meaning and purpose can leave us feeling disappointed with God or ourselves. Disappointment in how …
When I woke up this morning, I wondered what I should write. My first thought was, “Joy is a really big deal.” I didn’t understand this for a long time, actually, joy always seemed right out of my reach. It seemed others were in touch with joy in ways I had yet to experience.
I had moments of happiness, but the deep joy I longed for, seemed impossible. I grew up in a family full of dysfunction. We may have looked joyful on the outside, but in reality, we were really low on joy.
As a believer, I knew joy was possible because the Bible talked about it. I had experienced being with joyful people, but I felt very void of that true abiding joy.
I had an inner desire for joy. I wanted to know, truly know, what the joy of the Lord was; and I wanted to be sustained by the strength of it. I wanted to know what it felt like in my body to be filled with joy. Experiencing what it was like to live from a place of joy rather than just seeking it on occasion – that was my desire!
Do you know the song- I got the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, that some of us sang as children? Well, I can honestly say that I now have that joy and I am so grateful. This is why I now shout it from the rooftops and I write books about it for children.
I want children (and adults) to know from early on, that they can experience joy. It can give them the capacity for hard things.
Several years ago, I learned about the power of appreciation. When I began engaging this newfound skill, I discovered it was the key to unlocking joy.
Appreciation is packaged joy, a very powerful gift.
Joy means someone’s glad to be with me. Joy is a relational transaction. So, when I can remember times of appreciation, I can experience true joy. I use appreciation to build joyful capacity in my brain. Now as a coach, I use my joyful capacity to help others find joy and build it.
Appreciation is when I can recall times in my life when I felt joyful, peaceful, accepted, or connected. It’s the place where I train my brain to look for the good things in life. No matter how bleak our lives have been, we all have moments of appreciation.
At first, this exercise was hard. I didn’t think I had any moments to appreciate, but the more I practiced the easier it became.
An appreciation memory can be as simple as the flower growing wild in the garden, or a smile from the cashier at the grocery store. It could be that first sip of morning coffee. Or it might be a big life-changing event or experience such as a wedding, birth, or baptism.
It is not the size of the memory that rewires the brain. It is the intentional focus on how it feels in our body and emotions to be joyful, peaceful, connected, or accepted.
Appreciation activated my relational mind, and it helped me better connect with God and people. We can literally “come into His presence” when we are in a state of appreciation.
The Bible tells us to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving (Psalms 100:4). Neuroscience has now discovered that by keeping our minds in a state of appreciation, it helps us stay connected to those we love. This includes God.
I love the way God created our brains! I now collect appreciation memories – some include memories with people or pets, some in nature, and others with God. Some memories bring high-energy joy and some bring low-energy peace. Learning to be intentional in this practice has helped me establish rhythms of joy and peace in my life.
Appreciation memories are meant to be shared. This is a great exercise for families, small groups, or friends to practice together. Sharing our memories turns our hearts and minds towards God and towards each other.
Your memories help my brain and my memories when shared help your brain. When we share our memories, it activates our relational brain and enables us to sense God’s presence and His thoughts. You could say that appreciation is a gateway into God‘s presence, His peace, and His love.
Appreciation is a skill that can be learned and practiced. It is never too late. God created our brains to keep learning and growing. Joy is achievable!
My brand-new children’s book, Switched on for Joy, is my offering. Learning about appreciation and the invisible switch in my brain has helped me find relational JOY!
What is one positive memory you can thank God for today?
Share in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group!
*This was a guest post written by Heather Meades.
I was out in my garden working. Suddenly there was a sharp pain on my chin. I swiped it off – it was a bee. Then there was another buzzing. I flapped my arms wildly but got another sting on my eyebrow. A few minutes …
Do you know how much money you need each month, and what you spend most of your money on? If you answered no to any of the above questions, you probably don’t have a working plan for finances. This is part of our discipleship, growth, …
When I was starting out as a missionary, I was quite concerned about my finances. This is a word that God spoke to me:
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Is 46:4.
It was such an encouraging promise! God does not want us to stress about money. We should not worry about it, or spend our lives chasing financial security. God wants us to partner with Him, as He grows our character through learning to manage the money He entrusts to us.
A friend of mine was teaching in India at a member care seminar. She was encouraging all the missionaries to have a savings plan for the future – for retirement and old age. At the end of the time one man came up to her and said “Sister, you need to have faith!”
Some people think that saving is not spiritual.
It is possible for us to have wrong motives in our saving. We can be greedy, or selfish with our finances. We can harden our hearts to the poor and refuse to give to others in need. We can be afraid of not having enough ourselves. We can put our security in having money in the bank and set our hearts on that. Jesus warns us not to do that. “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Lk. 12:33,34.
Saving is a Biblical principle! It is a discipline that can help families and communities out of cycles of slavery and poverty.
We are told this in Proverbs.
“Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-11
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.”
What are some lessons we are meant to learn from the ant? Ants save tiny bits of food. They store lots of small pieces, that become a big store. The same for us. Start a savings plan that is small enough to be in your budget. If you only get $100 a month try saving $10 of it. Don’t think – it is too small to make any difference. As you save up the small amounts, it will grow if you persevere over time.
Ants are willing to work. To go out and find the food. Sometimes we think the spiritual thing is to sit back and pray. We wait for God to miraculously bring money for us. Yet the ant keeps seeking until it finds.
This is the same with savings. Look at where you could save. We often say we don’t have enough to save. But, think through how you could squeeze more out of what you get. When we are tight financially I make it a game. I think – what could I make instead of buying? How could I cut out some expenses?
Hudson Taylor – a mighty pioneer missionary learned this as a young man studying in London. He found he could survive on a little, walk to work, and eat plain food.
This month is tight for us. I have a lemon tree full of fruit growing in my garden. There are so many uses for them: lemon juice, lemon curd, lemon marmalade, lemon cleaning product, lemon-scented hand oil, lemon cleaner, lemon freshener, lemon insect repellent.. the possibilities are endless. Diligent, creative, hard work brings reward.
Work and save because you want to, not waiting for someone to tell you to, or make you do it. We are all responsible for ourselves and our families. Sometimes, we can have a mindset of dependence. When we lack, we can blame it on; our organization, lack of supporters, God, our churches, our governments, corruption, or the injustice of the situation we were born into. When we blame others it makes us passive or pushes us to think and behave like victims. The truth is, no matter what our circumstances are, we still have free will. This gives us the ability to ask God for a way out, and as His image-bearers, we can be creative and find solutions.
Prepare in summer, because winter is coming. We should be forward-looking. Hopefully, your ambition is to continue to serve God in your calling into your old age. Or at least longer than the next 6 months! That means we should start now – not put it off till later – to save and prepare for the future needs that we will have. We should look to God, and listen to him. Do not worry about the future, but listen to Him. Let him direct your spending and your saving.
In a future article we will look at how to save, but for now, think about these questions:
We’d love to hear from you! As a missionary, we realize this are can be a major struggle. Let us know what solutions you have found helpful in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook group.
*This is a guest post by R.M.
A common missionary stereotype is a courageous single man hacking through the jungle with a machete, bringing the gospel to tiny hidden villages of indigenous people. That may have been a common expression a hundred years ago. Going solo as a missionary is not, however, …