Musings Of An Everyday Missionary

It was early June in 2009. After flying over the white-capped Andes Mountains, we descended through the clouds, which gave way to a breath-taking view of the Amazon River snaking its way through the thick jungle surrounding the city of Iquitos, Peru. It was a familiar sight that I loved.  The pilot landed the large jet on the small strip of concrete. Stepping out the door of the air-conditioned plane, the also familiar oppressive heat and humidity coated my face before quickly beading up and turning into a dripping, running sweat that made my tired, travel weary eyes burn. Pulling my carry-on suitcase behind me, praying my trembling knees wouldn't fail me, I made my way to the covered shelter that housed the luggage carousel. I was scared to death and I felt grossly inadequate and unprepared. 

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 

'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?'

Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'"

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

But there I was. An 18 year veteran high school English teacher who had recently turned 40, quit my job and packed up my stuff to trade in my teacher title for that of Resident Foreign Missionary.  Having traveled to Iquitos more than a dozen times between 2002-2009, including three eight-week summer stints hosting and working with mission teams, I was absolutely certain that God was calling me to live in the Peruvian jungle and I was eager to go (albeit nervous, sad, excited and all the other things you feel when you say goodbye to one season of life and hello to the next). Suddenly I wasn't really sure what it meant to be a "missionary," but according to my job description that's what I was.

I spent the next three and a half years deepening relationships with pastors, their wives and congregations, doing women's ministry, volunteering in an AIDS hospice, hanging out with people on the streets, and learning how to live daily life as a foreigner in a familiar land. I talked about Jesus to anyone who would listen, prayed with people on their deathbeds, and made friends with as many locals as possible in an attempt to love and serve them as God had called me to do. In spite of everything I was doing I felt an overwhelming sense of failure, because my life in Peru didn't look anything at all like what I imagined a real missionary's life to be. I wasn't seeing people come to Christ on a regular basis because of my dynamic declarations of Jesus' love for them, or sharing with my supporters how many people had been baptized as a direct result of my evangelistic efforts. In fact, I wasn't seeing much of anything happen. In time, I learned that it wasn't about anything I was doing, but what God was doing in and through me. It also became clear that being a missionary always involves faithful sowing and planting, but does not necessarily include harvesting.

I didn't start being a missionary when I moved to Peru,

nor did I stop being one when I returned to the U.S. 

The bigger truth I learned is that I didn't start being a missionary when I moved to Peru, nor did I stop being one when I returned to the U.S.  In fact, the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior I became his representative - a missionary, if you will - carrying the light and good news of the gospel everywhere I go. The same is true for you. We are all missionaries, every single moment of our lives. First and foremost in our homes with our families, then in our jobs and our communities. The place we find ourselves today, right this very moment, is the mission field to which God has assigned us. Whether we earn our paychecks as church pastors, foreign missionaries, corporate CEOs, grocery store cashiers, doctors, coaches, or janitors, we are charged with putting the gospel on display in all that we do and say - all day, every day.

The propagation of the gospel doesn't require a seminary degree, church internships, missions certification or any other specialized training. These are all wonderful things that prepare some for vocations in various ministries, but missional living does not hinge on them. Isaiah 6:8 and Matthew 4:19-20 show us that the only real qualifications necessary are: 1) willingness and 2) action. God is looking for ordinary, everyday people with willing spirits and obedient hearts. He's searching for those who are begging to be sent and who will drop everything and actually go. For some that will mean relocating to new cities, states or perhaps foreign countries. But for most it will mean getting out of our offices and into our break rooms, out of our houses and into our communities, diving head-first into the messiness of real life with our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and strangers alike. It means searching out the least of these and going to those society labels as undesirable to do life with them too. It means fighting through frustration when we've invested significant time and energy in people, but aren't receiving the benefit of immediate, tangible results. It means vulnerability and transparency and allowing others to see us as we really are, because only then can grace take its rightful place in the spotlight.

• Are we willing to let the world see our faults, frailties and utter brokenness so that God might use us to draw others to Himself?
• Will we drop what we're doing and follow Him - out of our comfort zones (because that's where He plans to take us)?
• Do we understand that a life of loving Jesus is not easy, but IS so very worth whatever it costs us?
• Are we ready to be everyday missionaries?

"And he said to them,

'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.'

Immediately they left their nets and followed him."

Matthew 4:19-20 (ESV)

Living in Intentional Community

If you read my last post (#Misery Needs Jesus' Company) you may have walked away thinking that I was saying you should never share your hardships; that you should endure suffering alone, in silence.  To the degree that our whining, complaining, throwing fits, and having pity parties is intended to draw attention to ourselves so that others might make us the center of their sympathies and dote on us, then that's exactly what I'm implying (boy am I in trouble!). Better to be silent and alone than to selfishly seek the indulgences of others, the pursuit of which is designed to put us on a false martyr's pedestal. But that's not to say that we should never bear each other's burdens.

Created For Relationship

From the beginning, even as Adam drew his first breath from the very mouth of God, man was created for relationship - first with God, then with other humans when Eve became Adam's companion and helper.  

Jesus sets the example in the New Testament as he surrounds himself with the disciples whom he loved and into whom he poured himself, entrusting them with the propagation of the gospel. He demonstrates even deeper, more intimate relationship with Peter, James and John; as his most trusted friends the three are often referred to as Jesus' 'inner circle.' 

Further Evidence

In I Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul advocates for relationship as established by God and exemplified by Jesus through an analogy comparing the Church to the human body. Each body part has a distinct and unique function that cannot be performed by any other part. If one part is missing, the body is lacking. The parts must cooperate and work together for the body to operate efficiently and effectively. 

The Bottom Line

Like it or not, we need each other (and being the fiercely independent soul that I am, I will admit that sometimes I don't like it). We were never meant to do life alone.  Now you might say, "But I live in a house with four other people, I work in an office of 25 employees, my church has a membership of 680, I socialize with about 10-15 friends, I have 950 Facebook friends and 322 Twitter followers - how much more life do I need to 'do' with others?"

Well, of the roughly 2000 people you say you interact with on a regular basis:

• Do you confide in any of them when life is hard and you are struggling?
• Are any of them in your circle of accountability?
• How many have been invited to lovingly speak truth to you when your words or deeds cast a poor reflection of Christ?
• Do you meet with any of them for Bible study and prayer?
• When is the last time you confessed your sin to one of them?
• Do you keep their confidences when they share their hearts with you?
• Are you able to really listen to them without interrupting or daydreaming?
• Have you taken the risk of calling them out in a loving way for non-Christlike behaviors and attitudes?  

If these questions leave you puzzled, confused and maybe even offended, or if the one answer to all of the questions is 'No,' then it's highly likely you are in proximity, but not in relationship.  You might be around people, but you are not invested in anyone, nor are they in you.

Proximity vs. Relationship

Intentional biblical community cuts through surface level niceties and delves into vulnerabilities. It's that place where we come together with a group of people and rip off all the many layers of masks we wear, lay aside all presumption, pride and arrogance, and reveal to this trusted inner sanctum the reality of who we are. It's here (not social media) that we are meant to share our trials, griefs, heartaches and pains - with people who speak Truth into our lives, reminding us that we are beloved children of God when we lose sight of that fact. They refuse to let us feel sorry for ourselves and will not let us wear our wounds like badges in order to attract the world's attention.  They come alongside us and walk with us in our darkest moments until we are strong enough to stand on our own again. They celebrate our joys and revel in our successes. And we return the favor.

Scary? You bet! 
Risky? Absolutely!
Worth it? Every single time!

Life like this doesn't happen by accident; it is planned and purposeful because it is radically different from what the world offers. Getting involved in each other's lives on this level is intimidating at best, dangerous at worst. Sacrifice is involved. It takes work and is messy. You will get hurt and you will injure others. But you will also experience more joy and contentment than you ever thought possible. Allowing trusted fellow believers to be 'lovingly intrusive' (shout out to Jason Malone at Summit Church for this awesome phrase) in our lives, and doing the same for them, is to function the way God intended.

It's not about me. It's not about you. It's not even about us. It's about Christ-centered community.  It's about living authentic lives and investing in each other's brokenness so that we might reflect to a lost and watching world a God who loves us so much that he actively pursues us, wooing us back to himself, into the purest, most intimate, unbroken relationship we've ever known.  

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 

not giving up meeting together...but encouraging one another..."

Hebrews 10:24-25