Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
Let’s face it. Not everyone is a gifted language learner. It’s frustrating when your peers seem to race ahead toward fluency. They leave you behind, battling to get a normal sentence out without stuttering. Many very real factors affect our language learning abilities. Things like …
I was surprised (and a bit embarrassed) by the exercise. A seminar leader asked me to write down the names of 15-20 people I knew who were not believers. They were supposed to be people I interacted with in the course of my normal life. …
Are you an intentional learner? Your answer is likely yes, or you wouldn’t be reading this! Here is my next question. How will you take your learning to the next level in 2019? One way is to commit to consistently reading books that enrich and develop your skills and life.
This past year, I read around twenty books. There are many people who read more, but I achieved my goal for last year.
I value learning from a wide variety of books. I also like Audible. While exercising, gardening or driving, I listen to books.
What do you do to intentionally learn and grow?
Below are short summaries of the top 10 books I read this past year. Included are my take-aways.
Some of these would be good books to put on your 2019 reading list. Even if you aren’t going to read them, check out the summaries and glean something from my takeaways. Buy them on Amazon using the button below and I get a small commission that will help me maintain this website and blog. Thanks for considering
Enjoy!
This is one of the more detailed books I’ve read on setting goals. It helped me to gain clarity and focus to set up a system to monitor progress. Hyatt takes the reader through 5 simple steps as you design a plan for growth for the year. 1) Believe the Possibility 2) Complete the Past 3) Design Your Future 4) Find your Why and 5) Make it Happen.
Take-Aways:
1) It’s important to clarify my top motivations for the goals I set. Write these down and refer back to them.
2) Set high enough goals. They need to stretch me (and those I lead). This is key to seeing the
3) Get started immediately with something that is relatively easy and in my Comfort Zone. Then build from there after gaining momentum.
Every leader experiences pain. “Pain is inevitable, misery is not,” this book says. The basic premise of this book is, “You only grow to the threshold of your pain.” In other words, if you aren’t willing to endure pain, you won’t grow.
At the point where you decide that you’ve had enough pain and difficulties, you will hit your “ceiling” as a leader.
One of the things I liked about this book was that each chapter started with real life stories of leaders. They faced major struggles, suffered relational pain and came out on the other side. I could identify with them and learn from them.
Take-Aways:
1) Don’t try to avoid pain as a leader- it is a natural part of growth for both me and my vision/organization.
2) Allow pain to develop me: my understanding of God and myself. Expect it to be a stepping stone for the greater things God has for me ahead.
The author encourages us to acknowledge that we, as leaders, are our organization’s “chief sinners.” Leading from this kind of transparent humility is the opposite of how the world operates. It carries risks. The book does not minimize it, but helps the reader understand why this risk is worth taking.
Take-Aways:
1) My personal weaknesses and the cost of leadership must be embraced.
2) Allow disillusionment and the death of idealism to birth a new realistic hope within me.
3) The description of the prophetic aspect of leadership was very affirming. “Prophets disrupt complacency and awaken desire through dreaming,” he writes. They call people to dream about going to a new level in God’s plans and desires for the organization. They aren’t always welcomed but are needed for God’s purpose to come about. Click here to read a more detailed reflection on this book.
Shame researcher Brene Brown shares her unique humor and powerful insights. Throughout it, she writes about what it means to live as a “whole hearted” person.
We must be willing to own our stories. Learning about our own shame triggers is key. So is being able to call shame what it is. We then must walk into it rather than running from it. This requires vulnerability but is key to living as a whole person. This is an expensive book. I recommend you get it free or for a credit on Audible.
Take-Aways:
1) At the end of the day or year, like Brown, I want to have “contributed more than criticized.”
2) Insights into what she calls foreboding joy. This is when we have moments of joy and find them triggering fears about tragic things happening. A key to overcoming this is the regular practice of gratitude.
I read this book right before starting a 3-month sabbatical. Mark is a skilled writer which makes this book a joy to read.
According to Buchanan, Sabbath is a time to play, rest, remember, listen, and to anticipate. We reject the world’s standard that busyness is a sign of importance and embrace a more kingdom way of life. That is one where we enter the Rest of God. We stop trying to serve or be God. Humbling ourselves and letting Him carry the world (without us) is practicing a Sabbath discipline.
Buchanan describes Sabbath as liturgy, a rhythm, not a law.
He encouraged a Sabbath golden rule: “Cease from what is necessary, embrace what gives life.” This is a very freeing book that gave good parameters for both my sabbatical and for future Sabbath habits.
Take-Aways:
1) Sabbath is not a law but a habit and rhythm.
2) Playing is part of my Sabbath worship.
I have not read a more profound and transformational book this year. This wasn’t a quick read. It took me seven months to finish it. I’d read a chapter, then
Allender says that as we listen to what is referred to as our “dark” emotions, we can experience God in powerful ways. He writes, “Every emotion is a theological statement.” What we feel reveals what we believe about God.
The book has separate chapters on; anger, fear, envy, jealousy, abandonment, despair, contempt, and shame. It then ends with chapters on the mystery and goodness of God.
The biggest impact on me came from the chapters on shame.
We feel shame when we feel unworthy, ugly, stupid…when we don’t belong. The author explains that is because we are looking to those things (our self worth, beauty, intelligence, family, etc) to fulfill us. They give us identity. Instead, we must only look to God for this.
When our “false gods” let us down, we feel shame. This was an important revelation. When I experience the trauma of shame and shame triggers, I can run to God for comfort. I also must repent of my idolatry. This brings true freedom, transformation and hope.
Take-Aways:
1) Shame reveals my idolatry.
2) Ugly, dark emotions can help me know God better.
This book is broken into three parts. The first part looks at suffering from a philosophical, cultural and historical viewpoint. The second part moves from theoretical to practical. It looks at what the Bible says about suffering. The final section of the book contains “down to earth” help for the sufferer.
There is a radical contrast between how society today views suffering and how it was historically viewed. Keller unpacks this well.
Take-Aways:
1) Christian explanations for suffering in the world are far more reasonable than any other philosophy or worldview.
2 In times of suffering, the world sees this contrast in dramatic ways. Suffering can cause our light to shine brightly.
This true story is inspiring, encouraging and thought-provoking. It is the true story of an international art dealer (Ron Hall) and his unusual friendship with a homeless man.
In the book, Hall displays a genuine love and respect for Moore. The homeless man shows himself to be wiser than the educated, rich, mature, Christian. Also interesting in the story is the struggle Ron faces as his beloved wife battles cancer.
This is a hope-filled, authentic tale. The story makes a case for authentic ministry and friendship with people who are different than we are. It was an uplifting easy read for evenings and holiday time.
Take-Away:
1) Reaching out beyond my set of natural friendships leads to great treasures.
2) There is a great example in the book of authentic relationships with God and others in the midst of grief and loss.
This is a classic I’d heard many other authors refer to. It is a metaphor about people who have dreams but feel they are impossible. A boy who goes in search of his treasure, starting in Spain and traveling to Egypt. It is brilliantly written, a delight to read, and has a great message.
Take-Away:
Dreams must be pursued. There is no time like the present to get started on them!
This book is about women in Afghanistan. It gives powerful insights into what it is like to live as a Muslim woman in times of war. I found it well written and engaging. I enjoy learning about other countries, peoples and their situations even when reading novels. If you are like me in this, you will enjoy this book!
Take-Aways:
I have gained greater compassion for those who have suffered through the tragedies of war. This book only increased my love for Muslim women who need Jesus.
Start now. Make a wish list of books you want to read in 2019. Why not join me in writing a summary about each book? That way you can recommend them to others like I have to you.
Is there a great book you read last year that you’d like to recommend to me? Let me know in the comments below!
“People are feeling pressure.” I hear this from missionaries and leaders sometimes. Or I get an email from someone saying they feel pressurized – especially at the end of the year when reports are due. Others express genuine feelings of being overwhelmed by their work. …
It is predictable. Every spring when school fees are due in India, the messages and emails come. “We don’t have enough to pay for our kid’s fees this year!” Desperate missionary parents send out appeals. Often they come in inappropriate ways. They beg people to …
“The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” Ps 29:11- NIV
As a missionary kid, I always knew my parents loved me. In that way, I was fortunate.
I love working with brand new believers! Like toddlers, they say hilarious things. My neighbor who recently accepted Jesus posed a question the other day. I was teaching her about prayer. “Do you think God understands Chinese?” she asked. “Of course He does! He is …
“Missionaries arrested and jailed” were the newspaper headlines. What caused this? Unwise use of social media on the mission field. This headline referred to a group of short-term missionaries. These missionaries were working with an organization I provide training for. The girls suffered quite a …
Recent events at Willow Creek Church have saddened the global Christian community. I considered Bill Hybels one of my mentors from afar. He was a leader to many. I had never met him, but I’d gained much from his books, especially the one called “Courageous Leadership.” You may not be familiar with Bill’s writing, the Global Leadership Summits, or recent events at Willow Creek Church. I’ve been processing what recently happened there. I am struck again by the dangers of the public ministry pedestal. There is a tremendous need for authentic accountability in our lives as ministers.
Some years ago, someone I deeply respect made big mistakes. I wrote a journal entry at that time. It was titled-When Heroes Fail. There is also a journal entry in my archives called- Leaders Are People Too. As devastating as fruitlessness is in our lives, ministry success can be a very real danger too.
I have no place from which to condemn Hybels or the others whose mistakes have become public. Honest humility, when we hear of others’ failures says, “It could have been me. Father, please keep me from sin.” Human nature wants to criticize and condemn. This is especially true when faced with disappointment in the people we admire greatly. This is, however, not the proper response. Bill is not the first, nor will he be the last respected Christian leader to go through a public demise.
What must we learn from this and other similar tragedies? We can have zero tolerance for inconsistencies between our public and private lives. There must be a deep, steadfast commitment to authentic peer and upward accountability. The more success you have in ministry, the more you need it!
It was pretty intoxicating, being a public figure in the limelight. I walked to the stage and stood in the pulpit. Ten people jumped to the front to take my picture. Wow. That had never happened before. After I spoke, crowds waited to be prayed for by me. People wanted my autograph. It was a strange feeling. In all honesty, it felt kind of good.
Then there was the airport pick up. Someone carrying my luggage, being taken out for nice meals and put up in a fancy hotel where I spoke. Again, wow. Had I arrived or what? There was a temptation to think I was finally getting the recognition I deserved. It was a very real threat to my vulnerable heart.
Another time, we were home on furlough. We attended counseling training at our church. My husband and I had issues we needed to work on. We needed healing and help. As in most of those types of training, before you can help others, you have to look at your own issues. I knew it would be good. I looked forward to the chance to face some of these problems in our lives.
Until we went into our small group at least. The first words out of one of the member’s mouth were “We are so honored to have real missionaries in our group!” I knew I was in trouble. Was I going to be honest with people here? I’d been put on a pedestal of perfection. I was a missionary! A leader whom others respected! Not because I had necessarily earned it, but just because of the type of work we did in Asia.
Would I hide and pretend I didn’t have any issues? Go into “ministry mode” and help the others there? They definitely would have let me. It was in fact, what they seemed to expect. It wasn’t easy, but most of the time in that group, I chose to be honest about who I really was. I climbed down off the pedestal.
I wish I could say I’ve always done that. The temptations are great and it isn’t easy to be a public figure. It can be in a small way, like when you are a missionary home on furlough. Or it can be, in a bigger way, as a best-selling author and speaker. Choices must be made to maintain authentic accountability.
What does authentic accountability look like? How do we find it?
It has to be a life value. It must be something you go after with great intentionality. Missionary life, with all its transitions and changes, lends itself toward isolation. So does leadership. So does travel. It is as if missionary leaders are set up to fail in this area. It is a bit of “swimming upstream”, but it can and must be done.
Bobby Clinton wrote an excellent, though a bit technical book called The Mentor Handbook. He describes four types of mentoring relationships. They are; upward, downward, internal peer and external peer relationships.
My main take away on this was the importance of having all four of these relationships in our lives. We need a broad spectrum of people we walk in mentoring-type relationships with. We are in danger when all the mentoring happening is downward. Prayerfully pursue and invest in upward and peer mentoring relationships.
People are often too busy to do that. Instead, find specific people to help and advise you in specific ways. Find a different mentor for fund-raising and for your marriage. Look for someone else for evangelism skills, spiritual transformation, or leadership areas.
What are the top 3 areas you want to grow in this year? Look for upward mentors in those. When you are specific about what you want from someone, they are much more likely to make time to meet with you.
Do this both with missionaries, but also with mature Christian leaders in the national church. It is easy to get a bit calloused after many years in missions. People come and go. We often experience a bit of “relationship building fatigue”. Don’t let that stop you from continuing to build friendships. Isolation is a dangerous option.
You can use these to have intentional relationships that give you authentic accountability. I have a particular friend I Skype with almost every week. Others I meet face to face.
If you can’t name three people you feel comfortable to call and share a personal struggle with, you may be facing the danger of the pedestal. Take action now. Schedule an appointment with a potential upward mentor. In spite of busy ministry demands, make time to phone a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time. Ask questions that give the opportunity for honesty and transparency.
In public ministry, you may not want to share your deepest, darkest secrets with everyone. That is not wise. But, you must be committed to having an inner circle of people you can be real with. Authentic accountability is not an option!
“I can handle quite a lot of difficulty and pain. I just don’t want my kids to suffer!” Most missionaries feel this way. If we couldn’t handle significant levels of discomfort, we wouldn’t have chosen this life. In my experience, missionaries have a higher than …