For the Long-Haul

 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐥

 

Last month I was asked to speak to a group of missionaries on the subject of “𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯
𝐢𝐭𝐲.”  This group of cross-cultural workers in West Africa were honoring a couple who had just completed 40 years on the field.  In their presence, I felt I was speaking theoretically before those who lived it.  From my perspective, here are the 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲 tips necessary for serving long-term on the mission field.

 

𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 …for the work, the people they work with and, of course, for the Lord they serve.  Hardly anyone will stick it out, in any profession, if they are “lukewarm” in their convictions for the task.  Four-hundred and eighty-five years ago yesterday, William Tyndale was strangled and burned at the stake for his passion in translating the Bible into English.  A far cry from the statement I heard from one of my students who said, “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just come home.”  𝑰𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓.  

 

Missionaries serving many years in another country are those who have a passion that what they do, great or small, and 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.  My friends working in secular Europe for over three decades are there in spite of the spiritual coldness because they have a passion to be light in midst of secular darkness.  “How can you live in a country of idols and lost people” a visitor asked my friend in Asia?  The answer is simple, God’s calling on their lives does not hinge on receptivity of the lost, but on the conviction, the passion, if you please, they had when their Lord moved them to that country many years ago.  Those who serve Him for the long-haul are passionate about their work.

 

𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - In the twelve “gifts” mentioned in the Scriptures, you will not see the gift of being a missionary.  Probably the closest gift, not the office, is the gift of apostleship.  The Apostle Paul had both the office and the gift that is necessary for cross-cultural ministry.  Missionaries, like the twelve apostles, are 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨.  

 

There used to be a rather derogatory remark in church circles when I went out as a missionary that went something like this… “If you can’t be a pastor, you can always be a missionary.”  I love pastors and I honor their ministries, but it could be equally said, “𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫.”  Those who have a long shelf-life on the mission field is due to the fact they are gifted for that task.

 

𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 – I have always believed that the reason many people don’t survive on the mission field is because they have never found their niche, their nook, in service.  Not everyone can do the work of an evangelist or church planting.  Those who have the gift of hospitality can bring as many people to know Christ as those who stand up and preach.  In fact, in places where people are resistant to the Gospel, those who are hospitable and who make friends can be much more effective in telling people about our Lord.  You can call it “job satisfaction,” if you like, but serving Christ in the area where we are gifted, in all areas of life, is the key to longevity. 

 

𝐏𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 – If a missionary makes it through 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 on the field, barring sickness or political unrest, they will probably be there throughout their career.  Until that time, cross-cultural workers will struggle with language and culture.  𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.  A missionary will always be a foreigner, always an outsider.  The easiest and the most common reaction to stress is to head home and call it quits.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  From time-to-time, missionaries need to pump the breaks to find equilibrium.  That may be finding place for physical and spiritual refreshment, or being engaged in an activity that is not ministry related. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a vacation outside of your country.  If you live in Africa, go to Europe for a few weeks.  If you, live in Europe, go on an African safari.  Go somewhere to escape the cultural weight of being an outsider on your field.  It’s impossible to be on-the-go in ministry 24/7.  Paint, write, play golf or, as my friends in Senegal do, go surfing. Do something that allows you to escape the pressures of daily life in a strange land.  If you pump the breaks from time-to-time, and then you’ll find that when you do get back in the work 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 and energized for the good work God has called you to.

 

I met a missionary in South America who was well past retirement age and had lived in Bolivia for over forty years.  When I asked him if he ever thought about returning to the states his answer was simple.  “Why would I do that?” he said wryly.  “My siblings live in Florida, but I have no real ties to the U.S. anymore.  We bought a little hacienda here a few years back and, though I am physically unable to work in ministry like I used to, I still meet with our pastors and church leaders often, mentoring and encouraging Christians every day.  No, I don’t think about going back to the states.  I’m content to have coffee with friends here each day, serving the Lord here until He calls me home.”

 

Serving overseas is not for the fainthearted, but those who make missions a career, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

 

(Pictured – Marjorie Browning, served in Brazil for over 40 years, murdered in 2014).

Will 2020 Be The Good Old Days?

New Year Resolution

𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙 ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕆𝕃𝕌𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ

No doubt there will be many posts today expressing good riddance to 2020. Truly, it’s been an ugly year.

However, it’s very possible in 2021 we will look back at 2020 as "𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔." Why? Because of the continual inordinate fear in this world, cruelty, political power grabs, spitball science, medical profiteering, media manipulation and scare tactics, shaming and neurosis. I do hope I’m wrong, but I am dubious.

Speaking with a friend of mine in Delhi yesterday he said there are two types of people he interacts with, the “𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀,” and the “𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀” as it relates to the CV. That pretty well sums it up for people I know as well. (The over cautious are the guys I saw in the Paris airport in September. I’m pretty sure that some people I know here in the states would do the same if the CDC told them such outfits would “slow the spread” of the virus.) There may be some people who are callous, but I really haven’t met anyone like that. Being skeptical doesn’t make one hard-hearted, just one who is leery of drinking the socially accepted and humanistic Kool-Aid.

My resolution for 2021 is Psalms 90:12, putting into the personal pronoun “(𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅) 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎.” Meaning…we need God to reveal to us the brevity of life. That revelation will help us grow wise, and 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.

I am assuming people know that everyone is going to die. And, since God is sovereign, each one of us will not die one second before His appointed time for us, nor the people we come in contact with. 𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓. 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒊𝒎. If I catch the CV and die, I’m quite certain the Lord is not going to be surprised and say to me, “Gee, Richard, I didn’t expect to see you so soon! Did you not wear a mask?”

The overly cautious might tell this story differently. “Richard, I expected to see you here because you didn’t social distance yourself.” No matter how you envision the story, it doesn’t negate God’s sovereignty. 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀.

Being cautious, but not overly cautious, does not suggest foolishness, reckless behavior or tempting fate, whatever that is (only fatalists believe in fate). I don’t walk down the middle of a road expecting God to protect me from getting hit by a car. Wisdom dictates a balanced approach to life, knowing that there are some things I can control but a whole lot more in life I cannot control.

And how does one get such wisdom to live? Solomon says, “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙊𝙍𝘿 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢. 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙮 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩” (Proverbs 9:10).

I think I understand that. That I am not to fear COVID nor the uncertainties of life, but to fear, respect, be in awe, in submission to the One who created me.

As I write this, another passage of Scripture comes to mind, again, written by Solomon, the wisest man in the world who said, “𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗽” (Ecclesiastes 4:11). 2021 will have a lot of head-winds and no doubt there will be days of dark clouds. If I live my life in the fear of the “𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗳’𝘀,” I will never seize the opportunities God has for me, I will never reap the rewards of living life to the fullest in spite of the obstacles.

My prayer for this new year is that people may know the true and living, all good, all power God. By knowing Him they will have wisdom, which will give them peace, and enjoy life for the days ahead.

𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥!