Missions Launch

I’ve always enjoyed listening to missions stories. Some of them amuse me like when I learned that the McDonald’s in India serves chicken curry instead of hamburgers. Other antidotes about communities coming to Christ are inspirational. However, some of these tales are intimidating.  The wingspan of insects in some foreign countries or the rumors of illness can cause us to panic, not to mention the thoughts of self-doubt that may arise in our minds about our own insufficiency. Our job as missionaries is not to be perfect, but our main tasks are to trust and obey God. This post is dedicated to offering encouragement to any missionaries that may be feeling nervous about his or her impending trip and to offer some advice.

New surroundings call for new levels of trust. Keeping God first in our priorities reminds us that He is in control, instead of us, and eliminates our fear or doubt. Mother Theresa would spend several hours in prayer and Scripture reading in the mornings before she saw anyone who needed her assistance. She spent time refueling in the presence of God and then went to the streets for the rest of the day. She was able to rely on God’s strength to help people and not her own. 

Obedience to God sometimes means that we will experience discomfort, but these are great opportunities to go deeper with God. Most of us feel nervous or afraid before going on missions because we are entering into something unknown. The good news is that God knows everything about the people and the nation that you are going to and he also knows exactly how you will handle every situation before it happens. He is your greatest guide to the adventure you are going on. Take comfort in knowing that God is with you and He is in control.

Photo by world_waif