God have mercy on me
I attend a little Bible study every second Thursday. There are 6 of us. Four are long-term missionaries. All have been Christians for some time. A month ago the topic selected by the leader (not me) was "seeking God". Two weeks ago, the question was "how do we become the servants and Christ followers we’re expected to be". Each time we conclude that we really don’t have the answers, but we’re sure it has to be a work of the Holy Spirit. And we leave the study unchanged. My guess is that we are not alone and that most people after years of church going have no answer to why they are unable to become the disciples they want to be.
I must say, somewhat immodestly, that most of my previous posts respond to the issues. Hopefully I have changed because I have recognized the unpredictability of life & the need to live with focus, better understood what love requires of me, and learned that I must exercise the freedom I’ve been given to make right decisions at crucial times.
Which brings me to my friend Matthew’s letter, set out in my last post. And this blunt question. How in God’s name can we live our ordinary lives, wondering why we can’t have an extravagant relationship with God, when the opportunities for that lifestyle stare us right in the face? Opportunities such as pledging substantial support to committed native Christians as they attempt to help their desperate countrymen; supporting organizations who seek to alleviate poverty, to address injustice or to rehabilitate child soldiers; giving substantially to our friends who have given up a “normal” lifestyle to venture out in a serious mission effort; meeting people’s social and spiritual needs in the neglected areas of our communities; or to any other issue that we know God would care about?
There are I think three reasons.
First, and I’m sorry if this offends someone, but for many, including myself, the fact is we don’t really care enough. I love the things of this world, and maintaining my comfortable lifestyle and providing for my present and future security is more important than sacrificing for God’s purposes and the people He loves. I can’t imagine the shame we will have one day when we reach heaven unless we change.
Secondly, our lives for the most part have no purpose. I am convinced that if we are to live the way we were meant to, that we must live missionally. We must have a personal, articulate mission statement for what we as individuals want to accomplish - this year, and in this life. In other words we must each become missionaries – people with a mission. If we have a single minded day to day purpose, then this will become a part of our daily lives, such that we take it into account when we plan our time, when we decide how to spend our money, when we kneel to pray.
Finally, good Christian people give substantial amounts of their income to the church they attend, thinking that by doing so they are "doing their part". Now I love the church, I love going to a dynamic church, I love her people (well most of them anyhow), but I believe we have created an organization that is not the bride of Christ at all, but rather is something designed almost solely to meet our own needs, and as it does so, it consumes our funds which should be used for mission. Attending church, being involved in its activities and supporting it financially is NOT a mission. We however, think that it is, and the church has encouraged this. We need to rethink church and what it is to be.
I must say, somewhat immodestly, that most of my previous posts respond to the issues. Hopefully I have changed because I have recognized the unpredictability of life & the need to live with focus, better understood what love requires of me, and learned that I must exercise the freedom I’ve been given to make right decisions at crucial times.
Which brings me to my friend Matthew’s letter, set out in my last post. And this blunt question. How in God’s name can we live our ordinary lives, wondering why we can’t have an extravagant relationship with God, when the opportunities for that lifestyle stare us right in the face? Opportunities such as pledging substantial support to committed native Christians as they attempt to help their desperate countrymen; supporting organizations who seek to alleviate poverty, to address injustice or to rehabilitate child soldiers; giving substantially to our friends who have given up a “normal” lifestyle to venture out in a serious mission effort; meeting people’s social and spiritual needs in the neglected areas of our communities; or to any other issue that we know God would care about?
There are I think three reasons.
First, and I’m sorry if this offends someone, but for many, including myself, the fact is we don’t really care enough. I love the things of this world, and maintaining my comfortable lifestyle and providing for my present and future security is more important than sacrificing for God’s purposes and the people He loves. I can’t imagine the shame we will have one day when we reach heaven unless we change.
Secondly, our lives for the most part have no purpose. I am convinced that if we are to live the way we were meant to, that we must live missionally. We must have a personal, articulate mission statement for what we as individuals want to accomplish - this year, and in this life. In other words we must each become missionaries – people with a mission. If we have a single minded day to day purpose, then this will become a part of our daily lives, such that we take it into account when we plan our time, when we decide how to spend our money, when we kneel to pray.
Finally, good Christian people give substantial amounts of their income to the church they attend, thinking that by doing so they are "doing their part". Now I love the church, I love going to a dynamic church, I love her people (well most of them anyhow), but I believe we have created an organization that is not the bride of Christ at all, but rather is something designed almost solely to meet our own needs, and as it does so, it consumes our funds which should be used for mission. Attending church, being involved in its activities and supporting it financially is NOT a mission. We however, think that it is, and the church has encouraged this. We need to rethink church and what it is to be.
So this is what I think. Am I right, wrong, or somewhere in-between?
posted by Howard and Judy @ 9:42 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Hey Howard,
Your thoughts challenge us as "missionaries" living and working in Canada. We still struggle to live missionally. It seems that it would be easier if we were in a developing nation rather in the Western world. We live in constant tension between our old life and life now.
Your blog is a real encouragement to us.
Hi Ywam,
You know, I worried when I chose the picture I did, that it spoke too specifically to the 3rd world,but I wanted to impact any readers there might be, as a way to move them to action and so went with it. I hope the point was made that a missional mindset is the important thing, not the actual mission. I have no doubt that there are both physical and spirtual needs in the developed world that must be met. Ultimately God will approve or redirect the mission each person chooses. By the way, I think he is saying "well done" to you guys in your work! You are examples to the rest of us. And thanks for reminding me that for the missionally minded living in the 1st world there is a significant challenge to avoid slipping into the old habits of living.
Howard and Judy, MY name is Zac Shepperson and I am a friend of Matthew Kyalo in Kenya. He is in some trouble these days in Machakos and I was wondering if you were still supported him or were in contact with him. Thank you, Zac
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