My Call to Missions

Engine cowling at 35,000 feet.  I took this photo out the window on a recent flight. 

My call to missions flowed out of a desire to serve God with my whole life.  In the early 1980’s, when I was just entering college, I entered a time of personal conflict and struggle as I sought God’s will for my life.  Out of that time of seeking God and His will for my life, I had a God-moment, when my heart cried out to God, “Just tell me what you want me to do and I will do it.”  God gave me a clear answer to the crisis of the moment, but God also spoke in a larger way, that part of my life service would include cross-cultural ministries or missions.

From that point on, I made a commitment to seek God, always in the direction of serving Him overseas.  In my service to God, I ran smack into one of the difficulties in hearing God’s voice – His revelation does not always equate action on the revelation, sometimes it means waiting.  So, while I was proactive in my giving and in doing short-term trips and directing others to service overseas, it would be more than 10 years until I realized the call of God in my life to serve full time on the mission field.

But, from the time I understood God's call on my life, I was dedicated to following a path that would lead to the mission field.  This included seeking out a simple life style, debt free living, broad reading, study of missionary stories and biographies, serving in whatever capacity that I could within the context of the local church without regard to professional opportunities.  All of these things were conscience decisions that acted upon the faith I had in what God was calling me to do with my life.  I also match my words up to that call, often telling people that it was my desire and plan to serve overseas.  I turned down a couple of solid job opportunities out of University, because it would limit my availability to serve.

God’s call will lead us to a moment when we need to make a commitment.  And, when we make that commitment, He will lead us to a crisis point.  A point where we will have to decide to follow through on the call which God has placed in our hearts.  That crisis will be the fruit of our making a commitment to follow through on God’s call in our life.  And, by intentionally acting out our faith through our actions and words, we will see the fruit of what God is doing in our lives.  We will move forward in our walk with God.  That is what makes the positive difference in our walk with God, putting our feet onto a path that is “Higher up and Further in”.

Comments

[David]

Hey Bud, thanx for posting this testimony and thoughts on following God's call. Very insightful and encouraging post.

[Roxanne]

We met today at Whitton. It was great to finally meet you and your family and hear you preach, to put faces with the names in my prayers. This blog reminds me so much of my own desire to serve Him in Russia. Thanks for the encouragement.