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When we think of missions, our brains immediately are flooded with images, but where do these images come from? Often, they’re from movies we’ve seen, pictures in a book or a friend, school, or our own imagination when hearing stories from missionaries. These images are powerful because they in part shape our beliefs, expectations and ideas about what missions is, its purpose, and our role as missionaries.
Movies like End of the Spear which retells the life story of the famous missionary Jim Elliot, portray a romantic view of natives, missionaries, the location and even the hardships that they faced. Movies often do this to create a sense of illusion for the viewer and are not based on facts, nor do movies aim to be accurate. The goal of the movie is always foremost to entertain.
But if we were to picture what missions is truly about, we might envision a sort of “Real World” type video-diary of missionaries in their day-to-day routine and uncensored activities. In this documentary-style pictorial, you would see that missions encompasses everything we know in our current daily lives: mundane activities, chores, conflicts with others and within relationships, moments of sadness, happiness and apathy. Despite what a movie might portray, missionaries are prone to the same emotions, daily habits and personal flaws that plague all of humanity.
When we see missionaries, the countries they live in and what they do with clarity and not a tainted view created from romanticism or idealism, we are able to understand a little bit better what missions is all about. It turns out that when you take away the music and the slideshow presentation is at its end, the testimonies have almost been forgotten and you are out the door, missions isn’t about how beautiful the country is, how much fun you had there, what you experienced and saw, and even how much ministry you did. All of that is forgotten after some time, but what remains is the sense that you still didn’t get what missions was and is truly about.
In The Final Quest by Rick Joyner, he talks about a homeless man who received a place of great honor in heaven after death. When Rick Joyner sees the homeless man’s place of honor is greater than many evangelists or people who served the Lord for a lifetime, he is filled with wonder as to why this is, when the homeless man didn’t do accomplish nearly as much as others did. The answer he received was that it wasn’t about how much you did, but it was about the heart.
The heart is the key. It is where Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is – right within us. The understanding of this truth changes everything we’ve ever known about missions. It’s no longer about doing, seeing results, reporting back to our supporters about what their money did and how their money was used. It’s not about numbers and accomplishment. It’s about the heart.
This is true not only of missions, but about our lives in general. Whatever it is that we do in life, what matters most is our hearts, because that is where our treasure is…
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Meetings are now the 3rd Thursdays of the month, at 7:30pm in the prayer room. Rear entrance is the way to go.
