Serving and Missionary Life (aka 5 Principles of Missionary Living - Part 5)

This is the fifth and final installment in this series on missionary living. The sharing has been in various blog posts and the links are below. If you have not read them before, you can take a look and read them all.

Calling - Part 1

Convience - Part 2

Uncertainity - Part 3

Finances - Part 4

Serving – being a missionary is humbling. It is for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. From setting up chairs to sweeping floors to changing diapers to fishing for your supper. I have two degrees and read widely and deeply. But, I still mix concrete with a hoe when needed and change tires and do all those “boring” things that are needed. Some people see that as poor delegation. I see it as doing what needs to be done. Serving one another in the grace of the Holy Spirit is as magnificent and powerful as any miracle. Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet is as wonderful as raising Lazurus from the dead and more challenging to us. We are included and commanded in the foot washing and serving each other. It is accessible and necessary to our spiritual walk, growth, and disciplines.

When someone goes as a missionary, they must take a servant heart. They seek out opportunities to serve. They don’t say, “well I didn’t know” or “No one called me” or “No one told me”. They are on the mission field as servants.

The most valuable questions are:
“What can I do to help?”
“How can I help?”
“What needs to be done?”
“How can I make you more successful?”
“How can I lighten your load?”

Clearly, the words are a reflection of the attitude. This is by far the toughest hurdle to jump. We come as missionaries thinking we will do something important. We forget that our King of Kings came “to serve, not to be served”. People focus on efficiency and impact and strategy and adding value and what the latest church growth guy has to say or the latest guru has to impart. We all need to look back at the example of Christ. The shadow Jesus cast stretches to this day. Serve, serve, serve. There are many more things to say and discuss on these points, but I pray that these few thoughts will be used by God to stir up your spirits.

Comments

[Isaac Downing]

So much wisdom in this post. I'm going to have to think about it and come back and read it again.

Thanks for the blessing today!

[rich]

Good thoughts for contemplation. Be sure you are holding us to them when we visit.

[Christian Missions Asia]

A servant's heart indeed is needed to do what it takes on the mission field.

[Robin]

Hey Bud and Suzanne, Robin here....Lydia's mom and Tami's future mom-in-law. I know this was written a while ago....just read it this morning and had to post! This is precisely our heart for ministry. Thanks for expressing it so well and for the awesome reminder to stay the course. Appreciating you all from a distance;)