ZA MAGAZINE // seek truth.

There’s just something about the face of a poverty stricken child that seems to evoke emotion from even the strongest people. Whether or not you admit it, I would not be surprised if the Compassion International and World Vision commercials at least make you think, if not feel, something for those children. If you have ever been on a missions trip or even dreamed of going on one you probably know what I am talking about. The painting and cleaning are no doubt ways to show God’s love, but the most impacting moments are those involving the people whom you are helping, and especially the children. It is hard to leave those beautiful faces behind and head back into the life of middle class America. Why?

Beyond the fact that it is generally hard to leave people behind, it is difficult to go from the, what I like to call, “missions trip mentality” back into normal daily life. This is because during a mission trip there is generally an intense focus. The purpose of the time there is not for entertainment; rather, it is a time of service to God and to people. Missions trips are often times of expectant faith, faith that, no matter how challenged by the Devil, is always met with abundant grace and blessing from God. The missions trip mentality is willing to sacrifice self, and sometimes even life, so that God’s work may be accomplished. During these weeks God is first, He is sought diligently, faith is high, risks are taken to share the gospel, and Christians seek unity among one another.

It is not unfortunate that the transition from the missions trip mentality back into normal life is difficult, but rather that the transition itself is made. In other words, it is too bad that so many who have had the privilege of going on a missions trip have reverted to the standard LBMT (Life Before Missions Trips).

Whether or not you have ever been on a missions trip, it is time for Christians to grab onto this way of life, no matter where we are. This isn’t just some idea I came up with; it is the way that Jesus wants us to live. The New Testament is rich with stories of how God moves when the focus is on Him and risks are taken to spread the Gospel. Let’s take a look at the disciples’ lives after Jesus’ final words before returning to heaven:

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

At this command, the disciples went out and preached the good news of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. After the Sanhedrin (the highest court of justice back in the day) forbade them to speak to anyone in the name of Jesus, the Bible says that the Sanhedrin decided to “severely threaten them” (Acts 4: 17). In response, the disciples prayed the following:

Acts 4:29-31
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

These followers of Christ were willing to (and did) risk it all.

There was also an urgency in their actions. Many believed that Christ’s return would be soon, and they did not take lightly His command to spread the Gospel. They wanted as many people as possible to receive salvation before Christ’s return.

Two thousand years later we still wait for His return, but too many have lost the expectant part of the waiting. Maybe we live a life similar to the disciples’ for a 2 week period every couple of years, but other than that life is pretty “normal.”

NORMAL IS FAR FROM OKAY! Too many Christians have lost the sense of urgency for the Gospel to be spread, and people are dying every single day. If every Christian lived as the disciples in Acts, just imagine how many people could be reached, and what God would do. Yet a hundred excuses are made as to why that is not possible today and the normalcy (complacency, really) continues.

I am not innocent of at times living a life of normalcy and complacency. I share these thoughts with you because it was God that first opened my eyes to my own shortcomings. I would like to present a challenge to all of you reading, including myself.

It’s time to refocus. Let’s all gain or regain the missions trip mentality, no matter where we are.

How, you might ask? Here is where I have some practical advice.

Do you have a heart for the city or town in which you live? If you don’t, then GET ONE.

1. PRAY! Ask God to give you a heart for the people around you. Ask Him to help you see them through His eyes. “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Luke 11:24).
2. Eliminate Negativity. Being a Pittsburgh native, I constantly hear people say “Pittsburgh is so boring,” “There’s nothing to do here,” “I can’t wait to get out of Pittsburgh,” etc. If you are serious about this then you first have to take all those negative sayings, comments, phrases, and whatevers and THROW THEM IN THE GARBAGE. They must no longer cross your lips. Why? Because God has you there for a reason and it is time to embrace the day He has given to you, where He has given it to you.
3. Have meaningful experiences around the area. I have recently fallen in love with Pittsburgh, but it was not through sitting alone in my room or even through hanging out at friends’ houses. I have grown to love Pittsburgh through getting to know it. Makes sense, right? Go to a part of town you have never experienced before (use wisdom of course) and strike up a conversation with someone you have never met before. Don’t just buy your groceries in silence, talk to the cashier. Begin to build relationships around your town or city. Begin to make an investment in your town and in the lives of the people in your town. You will be amazed at the difference it makes in the way you see why God has placed you there.

When you begin to love where you are and have a heart for the people around you, their faces will not be so different from those of the kids you met in South America or the children you have seen on TV. Allow God to move you to compassion for these people and become prayer warriors for their souls and the light of Christ to them when you see them. The disciples in Acts 4 did not speak with a boldness of their own creation, but rather they asked God for boldness. If He was faithful regarding their request for boldness, He will be faithful regarding yours.

So, I heard about this great missions trip opportunity…it’s called life. Hope you won’t miss out!

Upcoming: More on how to live with a missions trip mentality.