A while ago, we posted a survey to help us better understand what our readers would like to see from this blog. You can find it here. One reader suggested that we write about how to live out missional values in an off-the-field context. While Ben and I spent our time in YWAM, we realize that not all of our readers are affiliated with this organization. We don’t want to make this blog about any one particular institution or specific location. In saying this, we feel that many of the core values of YWAM span beyond that organization to all missionaries. With that in mind, we’re starting a series on how to live out these missional values once you return from the field.
My family had a very specific pew (yep, an actual pew- we were old school) that we sat in every Sunday morning at the church I attended while growing up. Every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and any other event that took place during the week, we were sure to be there, fourth pew on the right. I vaguely remember a few times when we squeezed our family of 5 next to visitors who didn’t know that that particular pew had been claimed, and that it was not available to them. It was our spot, and I’m certain that there were more than a few times that I let these unwelcome visitors know that they were seated in the wrong location.
I say this to emphasize the fact that I grew up in church. It was not an option. For a long time, I was convinced I was a Christian because my family was; it was easy to claim their faith as my own. But as I got older, I started attending a youth group at a different church and even went to a Christian high school. Both of these establishments were, let’s say, slightly more charismatic and progressive, than my pew-sitting, hymnal-singing congregation.
Now, I’m not bashing more traditional churches; in fact, I’m very thankful for the church I grew up in, because it set a wonderfully Biblical foundation, as well as a reverence for history and tradition that would not have taken hold in my life anywhere else. But during this time, I began to be exposed to a different kind of God than the stuffy, distant, old man up stairs that I had always thought Him to be.
When I was 15, I went on a mission trip to Romania with my youth group. There, on a floor of a meeting room in an old hotel, I met the Creator of the Universe face to face for the first time in my life. I was awestruck by the fact that this all-powerful, almighty God knew me, inside and out, and even more that He wanted me to get to know Him. Like, really, really know Him.
I then began a lifetime journey of discovering who this God, His son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, are. No longer was my faith one that I gleaned off of my family or my numerous religious groups I was a part of, but rather my faith became my own, and this time it was personal.
While on the field, constantly being surrounded by like-minded, passionate, individuals with the same goal in mind, it can sometimes become easy to let our faith coincide with those around us, instead of pursuing a deeper, personal relationship with God on our own. After returning back to the everyday life of non-traditional missions, it can be easy to succumb to the thought that your relationship with God is good, and doesn’t need to be worked on as much as when you were on the field. This pattern of thinking is a slippery slope that can often lead to distancing oneself from a meaningful relationship with a loving God. Here are a few ideas to help you keep pursuing knowing God more.
Make it a Priority
It is safe to say that I know Ben pretty well, and yet we are still constantly surprised at how little we actually know about each other. Within the last few weeks, there have been a time or two when one of us has said “I didn’t know that about you.” (although I must have already absorbed this information, because I can’t even recall what it was about now).
As time goes on, our relationship has continued to grow and strengthen. However, this is not done without effort or without time. There have been numerous times in our marriage when we have stopped with our “responsibilities” for the day to work on us. Whether we needed to resolve some issue, or we felt that we need some quality time together, our marriage takes priority over just about any other of our duties. This is not unlike our relationship with God. Taking the time to get to Know Him better needs to be the priority in our lives, even if it means overlooking another area in our life for the time being.
Daily Devotions –
God is so incredibly big that even collectively, we can never run out of more things to know and learn about Him. The more we pursue a relationship with Him, the more we discover His infiteness and our own finiteness. We should never assume that we have arrived at some point in our lives that we know as much about Him as we ever will. There is a constant need for pursuing Him on a daily basis. This is why having a daily time of devotion is so important.
God wants to speak to us daily, and the easiest way for Him to do this is through His already written word. Do not neglect to read the Bible for guidance, direction, and discovering who this amazing God is.
Ask Questions
When Ben used to meet people, he would often introduce himself and then ask, “So, what’s your life story?” Asking people questions about themselves is a great way to get to know someone. The same is true for God. It’s important to remember that He is not afraid of our questions, as long as we are willing to hear his answers. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you, and then wait for His response. I have never known Him to disappoint, even if it takes time, or the response may be different than what I had originally assumed.
Be Observant and Participate
A good way to invest in any relationship is to be observant with how the individual acts with other people. Likewise, a great way of discovering who God is, is by observing and interacting with His people on a large scale, the Church. He will often communicate about His attributes, nature, and ways, through what He is leading His people to do.
When we are an active member of a church body, we undoubtedly will learn and grow in knowledge of who God is, based on the fact that we get to see how He is dealing with others. Do not forget to spend time with other members of the faith and ask them what they are learning about God.
Be Present and Persistent
One can never fully expect to appreciate being with someone else if we are constantly distracted when we spend time with them. This is why it is important to remain present and steadfast in our pursuit of God. We need to set aside earthly distractions to focus on Him. Just like a runner, we also must be persistent in our pursuit of Him so that we may finish the race and hear “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
We need to make a point of continuing to grow in our knowledge and understanding of who God is, quite simply, because He is worth it. We will not obtain this relationship with Him unless we are relentless in our pursuit of Him. He desires for us to have a personal relationship with Him, and He wants to have one with us too! To do this, we must stake our claim and proudly say, “That’s my spot!”
Life After Missions 