#40: Making God Known In the Real World

My Dad is pretty much my hero.

I know that, as a good Christian man, this is something I’m supposed to say, but even beyond the usual “Wild at Heart” kind of father/son connection, I can honestly say that my Dad is an incredible person, and a great role model.

When I first went into missions, he wrote me a letter–3 pages, by hand, back-to-back–which encouraged me to keep God at the center of my life, and that no matter where I was, as long as I was living for God, I was a missionary.  I still have that letter, although I admit that I’d have to do some digging for it.  And through the years, whenever I’ve needed sound advice from someone who I know understands my situation well, I’ve known that I could always rely on my Dad.

Both my Mom and Dad have worked extensively in missions, and have also practiced in-depth pastoral care for missionary alumni.  If you’ve ever been encouraged by anything we’ve written on this blog, you can thank my parents for it.

Recently, Joelle, Levi and I went to California to visit my family.  My brother and his wife paid our way and planned a few activities for us.  The second night after we arrived, my Dad, brothers and I went to a baseball game–the LA Dodgers vs the Diamondbacks (side note, our seats were so good, I think I’m forever ruined for Major League Baseball).

On the way to the game, with my brother weaving through LA traffic, we all got to talking about work and life.  My Dad had left a pastoral position at a church about a year before, and was back at a 9-to-5 with the school district.  I asked him how he was handling the transition from a traditional ministry to a “regular” job.

He thought about it for a while, and then he told us that he was coming to the realization that he’s still in ministry, but it just looks different.  He mentioned that after a few months of working there, he got the chance to encourage a coworker, and give a bit of a Biblical perspective to this person’s situation.

“The opportunities to minister aren’t as obvious, because it’s not what’s expected of me in my job.  I’m not a pastor here.  But everyone still knows who I am, and I’m kind of getting a reputation there as a Christian.  So if I keep my eyes open, I can see that the opportunities are there; I just have to be more alert and take advantage of them when they come up.”

I admit, this is one facet of re-entry that I haven’t always excelled at.  I tend to act like a chameleon at work.  I’m not saying that I shy away from my beliefs or my principles at work, but I tend to keep my head low when matters of faith come up in the workplace.  Given that work is by far my biggest point of connection with non-Christians, I think this is something that I need to work on.

When we’re in full-time conventional ministry, it can be a lot easier to make God known.  If it’s literally our job, then it’s like we have an added layer of mental accountability.  We know that if we’re not ministering to people, we’re simply not doing our jobs.  However, it gets a little fuzzier when our day job isn’t in ministry.

I do recall a few times when I have taken advantage of the opportunities that God has presented before me.  Several years ago, when working at a group home, I felt compelled to give one of the teenagers a Bible.  I went and bought a Spanish translation, and wrote out a few verses for him to look at.

I remember giving it to him in the car on the way to his school, and talking about how God sees him.  This macho, smooth operator-type teenager was in tears.  He told me several times in the months following that he read that Bible every night before going to bed.  And I saw a change in his behavior.  He didn’t turn his life around completely, but he had made steps toward God, and it started when I listened to what the Lord told me to do, and for once obeyed.

I know all too well that it can be extremely awkward and uncomfortable to bring up God or matters of faith among our friends, family, or coworkers.  But here is where our history as missionaries plays to our advantage.  All we need to do is mention something, even casually, about our history, and conversational doors can be opened.  St. Francis of Assisi once famously said, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”  Our reputation, our history, and our actions can speak volumes, especially when an opportune word is added.

If we look just a little past the surface, and we ask God to show them to us, we’ll be able to see the opportunities that exist all around us.  Maybe your friend is having relationship issues, or a family member is having difficulty at work.  A wise word can turn them on to God; we just need to recognize the right time to speak and have the courage to do it.

It’s important to note here that making God known isn’t limited to evangelizing to non-believers; you can point those who already know God into a deeper relationship with Him through your words and example.  The point is that, regardless of where those around us happen to be in their walk with the Lord, we ought to be pointing people to Him.

If we ask God for eyes to see, we can continue to live out our passion for leading people into a deeper relationship with Him.  It’s reassuring to know that this is not a thing we have to leave on the field, but it’s a lifestyle we get to keep when we return home.

And, when necessary, we may even use words.