Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
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 …
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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.
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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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In our day, we frequently hear the words inclusion, diversity, and equality. Should missionary teams also be like that? Were Jesus and Paul ahead of their times in developing diverse, multi-ethnic, teams made up of both genders?
Much of what we see in the world seems to be tokenism. I was asked to be in a leadership team, not because I was the best fit for the role, but the rest of the team were all men. They needed a woman to balance things out.
Is this what God wants in our teams? Token appointments, so we look good?
If we are doing things for appearance, on the surface we may have a diverse team make-up. But if our hearts are not embracing one another, we will just have factions in one body. There should be a genuine desire to represent Jesus in His embrace of others. Jesus was often misunderstood when he accepted foreigners, prostitutes, tax collectors, beggars, and people of color into his group.
So how can we have such diversity and still work and live together as one?
It is only the love of Christ that makes it possible. If you see this diversity as a problem then you will work alone, or only with people who are like you. I don’t know if it is possible to have a loving, diverse team without the love of Jesus flowing through us.
“Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
John 13:1 NIV.
This was written the night He was betrayed.
How did he show his love? He got up from the table, took off His outer clothing, wrapped a towel around His waist, filled a bucket with water, and washed His disciple’s feet. He took on the lowest job, but it was also what His team needed. He met the needs of His team in serving them. He was not looking for the position or praise of others. His love moved him to service. He then says to his team,
““You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
John 13:13-15 NIV.
Paul’s instructions to his team are: “Greet one another with a holy kiss…. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Romans 16:16, 20 NIV
The word greet is actually embrace.
When you embrace someone, your arms are open. You are not protective, with your arms crossed in front of you. Nor are you passive with your arms hanging limp at your sides. As we develop this attitude of embrace, backed up by actions, we will be a unified team.
Our relationship interactions should be holy. This means completely good. Completely honest and true. Free of selfishness and pride. Holiness is what is pleasing to the Lord. It is not the absence of evil, but active goodness.
And it should be a greeting kiss. This is a sign of belonging and intimacy, given one by one. It is not enough to get on with most people in our team but reserve enmity for some.
We are meant to be able to be affectionately trusting with everyone in our team. Culturally, it may not be appropriate to physically kiss the members of your team, but the meaning is essential. We should have this bond of affection and love between all of us.
Confess those to God, repent, ask forgiveness as needed, and turn from that behavior.
Diverse teams are definitely biblical. We see the example of both Jesus and Paul in the kinds of teams they built. It doesn’t happen without intentional effort.
Take one step this week to improve your team relationships.
*This is a guest blog written by R.M.
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