Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
“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 …
“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 normal pain tolerance. But we love our kids. We don’t want them to be negatively affected by our calling. Yet, as much as we hate it, sometimes they are. This is particularly true when we face missionary visa challenges.
The transitions and stress that are a part of these take their toll. How do we minimize the negative effects on our children?
Much of how our kids are affected, depends on how we, as parents, handle these situations. Our kids are often like mirrors. They reflect back our own internal struggles. We want our kids to feel safe and secure. This is crucial for their mental health and development.
But how do we create that environment in the midst of missionary visa challenges?
External stability can be hard to find. Sometimes it’s close to impossible to achieve. As parents, we can provide for our kids an inner stability. We can give them a firm foundation. This security flows directly from our own inner life.
Let me share a short excerpt from my soon to be released book- God Encounters In The Wild Places.
My heart was confused and I was grieving. I was angry with my situation and with God. Why did it have to be so hard? Why were we even here? And most of all, why hadn’t He come through for us in providing the visa for Nepal?
We missed our friends in that Himalayan nation. We missed our home…our lives. India wasn’t easy and this particular plains city was harder than most. The Lonely Planet Travel Guide had only a few lines listed about our city. It said “Get out of there as soon as possible.”
The place we were now in was around a million people (including the outskirt areas). But there were only a handful of foreigners there. That didn’t bother us so much. It did make cooking challenging.
What was available to purchase now was very different from what we had been used to in Kathmandu. The market in our new home, simply wasn’t big enough for foreign goods. Even simple things like cheese, various kinds of cereal, or different types of juice were scarce. These were things our kids had liked to eat.
As I cried out to the Lord in the early mornings, I was honest with God. “I don’t understand You! You didn’t lead us here like when You led us to Nepal. I don’t like this city and I don’t like India. Please help me God! If You want us to stay here, I need You to give me Your grace. I can’t do it on my own.”
Before I could help my kids feel safe in the midst of our missionary visa challenges, I first needed to “have it out” with God. It was a process, journeying toward a place of trust, acceptance, and peace. It took time, but I got there. Our kids got there too.
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:3- NIV
Here are a few things we did in that transition time that helped us and our kids. I hope these suggestions benefit you today!
First of all, be real with God. Admit your fears and frustration. Don’t try to “suck it up” and “stuff it down.” That only leads to a prolonged struggle and possible depression.
Tell God what you feel about the situation you are in. Maybe you haven’t lost your visa, but you are sick to death of having to worry about it, year after year, month after month. You might be tired of having to make that “border runs” again and again. Don’t try to be a “good missionary” who never complains, even to God. Believe me, He knows about it anyway and you aren’t impressing Him when you don’t admit your struggles! God can handle your frustration. He won’t get offended or punish you for expressing what is going on inside.
It’s also good to find a few friends to be honest about your missionary visa challenges with as well. Share what you are feeling inside. Don’t have a friend nearby? Get on Facebook or Skype and find someone! Or, feel free to write to the Missionary Life Facebook page! But get it out, don’t hold it in!
Often, I’ve had to simply choose trust over worry. It’s not easy but it can be done.
Meditate on Ps. 56:3 or Philippians 4:6-7.
Even if you have to make that conscious choice a hundred times a day, do it. Say to yourself, “I’m choosing trust. I won’t give in to fear and worry. God, I trust You in this situation.”
It is powerful to speak to our souls and tell them what to choose!
Gratefulness has the ability to change our emotions. Make a “thankful list” and keep it in a prominent place like Anne Voscamp’s “1000 Gifts” book suggests. Train yourself to notice the good things.
Talk about things that are good and lovely.
We feel more strongly the things we talk about often. Do you find yourself complaining about the heat? The adjustments? The things you don’t like about your situation? Guard your mouth. It is transmitting and transferring those sentiments to your kids.
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things and the God of peace will be with you,” (Philippians 4:8)
As parents, you set the tone in your home. Much of the family atmosphere comes from what you as parents speak about. Choose to talk about good things. It will help your kids. It helps you too! 🙂
I’d like to share a bit of an older song with you. It’s called My Heart Will Trust. As you face your visa related challenges, will you choose to trust Him? Make that decision again today as you listen to this song.
We all desire to be fruitful in the mission field. What does it take to live a fruitful life? Consider this (slightly foolish) story. The Foolish Goat Farmer A foolish farmer was struggling with her goats. Her flock was getting smaller and smaller. One …
In last week’s blog, “Why Sabbath Needs to Be One of Our Spiritual Disciplines“, we discussed how Sabbath is a crucial habit if we want to live faithful, fruitful and fulfilled lives on the mission field. It is so easy to make Sabbath a low …
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! The gospel is a message of love and relationship, not fear. It could be though, that we’ve swung too far, in wanting to make the gospel attractive. Have we drifted away from calling people to something important to God?
God is holy. He is concerned that His people live holy lives. When we allow sinful behavior and influences to creep into our lives, we no longer reflect His glory and nature to a world that needs to see who He is – through us. It’s important to instruct ourselves (and those we disciple) to live as those “set apart” from the world. We are called to live and act in radically different ways from those who don’t yet know Christ.
When I was a teenager, I liked music. My favorite style was jazz. There was an artist named Al Jarreau, whose music made me feel happy and alive. He was not a Christian, nor did he play hymns and worship songs. Sometimes, when with my friends, I listened to music on the radio. The words were often ungodly. Some of the songs encouraged one toward drugs, sex, alcohol abuse, and worse.
My youth pastor at church invited a speaker to come and talk with us about rock music and the dangers of its influence. I remember them well. They talked about back-masking and all kinds of surprising things. When they played a popular band’s song backward you could sort of hear it saying “Worship Satan. Worship Satan.” We were shocked!
I loved God and vowed not to listen to that band anymore. Though I agreed with some things these people said, there was also something in me that didn’t like what they shared. “Not everything in the world that isn’t Christian is evil,” I thought to myself. I love Al Jarreau’s music. Do I have to throw away my albums and only listen to Christian bands? If I want to be holy and please God?
Perhaps there was a balance to be maintained. How could a person stay engaged with the world enough to relate to unbelievers well, while being holy enough to come before an awesome God?
My pursuit of the answer to that question has taken varied twists and turns since my teenage years. It is still a valid question to ask, though, one I return to once again today.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
The Bible is clear on this topic, whether we emphasize it or not. God is holy and He calls His people to live holy before Him. But what does that mean?
Let’s start with a quick review of some Biblical passages.
· You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. Leviticus 20:26 NIV
· As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”… 1 Pet 1:14-16 Berean Study Bible
In the Old Testament books of Exodus and Leviticus. there are many references to holiness. The Israelites were set apart from other nations around them. They were to be holy.
This is not only an Old Covenant command. It is repeated in the New Testament. We are not to conform to the world but to be transformed. Sanctification is the theological word for that process in our lives.
The Bible Project describes holiness this way, “Holiness is about more than being good and morally upstanding. … God’s holiness is his defining characteristic. It’s a term used in the Bible to describe both his goodness and his power. It is completely unique and utterly all-powerful, radiating from God like an energy.”
This is a big one in a day and age when there is so much division in both the church and in political settings. How do we treat those who have a different position from ours? Are we good listeners? Able to dialogue and show respect for other people’s viewpoints? Even learn from them?
Kindness is a very high value in the culture of Thailand, where we live. As Jesus followers, are we kinder than those who don’t know Jesus? Harsh and unkind attitudes do not reflect the goodness and glory of God. Let others see our love!
While being kind, it doesn’t mean we are comfortable around sin. As we walk in holiness, we must hate sin. What we need to be careful about is that we do not hate sinners too. When you hear God’s name taken in vain, does it make you uncomfortable? What about when we see things in films or T.V.? It is easy to grow accustomed to sin and stop even noticing it. Our conscience can become desensitized to things we used to feel were wrong. We can even become numb to perverse sexual behavior when we participate in them by silently watching those things in films or on TV.
We are in the world but not of it. This means we have a completely different set of values and priorities. It is easy to be influenced by materialism or the obsession with status and climbing the ladder of achievement. Money and the making of money need to take their rightful place in our lives as believers. If all our extra time is spent on pleasure, or making enough money to get ahead in life, are we that different from the non-believer down the street?
As the New Year begins, I’ve been particularly challenged to consider this. What do I put in my mouth and what do I put in my soul (through what I watch)? Am I feeding my body what it needs to be healthy or a diet of junk food that satisfies for a short time only?
Our soul food comes through what we watch, what we read, and what we expose ourselves to. Pornography is a huge problem, even among Christian leaders. If that is something that’s been a challenge for you, seek help and freedom. There is support for this issue available and the Lord desires to set you free.
As we pursue holiness we say no to things that are not good for our minds and hearts to absorb.
Have you drifted away from a pursuit of holiness? We cannot say we are pursuing God and not pursue holiness. Nor can we pursue holiness apart from God.
Start the New Year with a fresh commitment to holy living. Let’s reflect the love, glory, and purity of God to a world that is desperate to see it’s possible to live free and whole. We are set apart!
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 …
Needing a visa to live in the country you call home can be a huge pain! Visa related issues cause tremendous stress in the lives of many missionaries. “You have 24 hours to leave.” These are the dreaded words every missionary hopes to never …
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 the bills? Where would the money come from?
Some people think it is more spiritual to live in poverty or to live hand-to-mouth. What that phrase means is, I only have in my hand what I need to put in my mouth.
That is a very stressful way to live! If we live this way, and disciple others to live this way, we establish something called community poverty.
God may call some people to this lifestyle for a specific purpose or time. Like when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. Most of the Biblical account teaches financial management, planning, and increase. This is called wisdom in God’s Word.
There are different seasons in our ministry, and various approaches to support raising. God may speak different things at different times. One thing we can be sure of. He does not want us to live in fear or worry about money. Living in stress is the opposite of trusting our loving heavenly Father.
I have fostered orphans in the past. Often if a child has not had a loving family, they struggle with hoarding. They may hide food in their bed, or take far more than they can eat. They are fixated on food. Because they have experienced a lack, and not having someone faithful to care for them, they save and hide food.
We should not behave like spiritual orphans. We have a loving Heavenly Father who does care for us. A loved child does not worry if he/she will be fed. He/she may need to work with the parents to grow or cook food, but there is no worry about surviving.
Living in a poverty mentality can come from a faulty understanding or application of Jesus’ teaching. In Matthew 7, He said, “Do not worry about food or clothes, because God knows what you need.”
I have regularly seen how God miraculously provides for His children.
For many years, we started churches among people who had no Christian background. Some of these believers wanted to become missionaries. Their unbelieving families did not support them, and their sending church was made up of 4-5 young people. Where would the money come from?
One of these girls, we will call her L.F., was such a witness to me about what it meant to trust God. Although she had no visible means of support, she would ask God what to do, and then follow His instruction. She told me once when she had no money to buy food, she was asking God what to do and was walking along praying. As she walked, she looked down in the gutter and a packet of tissues caught her eye. She felt prompted to pick it up, and as she opened it she found a few 100 notes inside it. She took it to the police station nearby to ask if anyone had lost it. Amazingly the police did not take it for themselves. They told her no one had lost it, and that she should take it. That money was enough for her food and rent for a month!
Maybe you have your own story like that. I have some I could add here. Its important that we remember how God has provided for us in the past when we are struggling with our present. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!
L.F. demonstrated that it is possible to trust God to provide. We trust, pray, and then listen and obey Him in detail to “find” where and how He wants to provide for us.
Turn to God with your financial fear and stress. Listen to Him. Jesus said that God cares for the birds. You are far more precious to Him than swallows or parrots. Your Father cares deeply about you.
Be honest with God and share with Him what you are worrying about. Ask Him for His wisdom about what to do.
Do you have a story of God’s guidance or provision? Share it in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook Group! We’d love to hear and be encouraged by your testimony. We will share more on this topic next week so stay tuned!
*This is a guest blog written by RM.
“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 …