As we engage in world missions

We are thoughtful about our engagement in world missions. We desire clarity and seek to have insight intellectually, spiritually and be directed by the Holy Spirit himself.

There are many different postures we can adopt. Here are a few:

• The world is a mess and it is our job to clean it up
• We live in a superior society and it is our job to help others not so fortunate.
• I feel survivor guilt that I was not born poor, had little or no educational opportunities and must try to balance the equation
• We have more money, technology and expertise and must therefore help others.

As we look at our involvement in world mission, we seek to be thoughtful, balanced and strategic. Of course, we also allow the Spirit of God to lead us and direct us and make the contribution He has for us to make! Look at this verse from Isaiah 30:21:

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

I had a profound conversation with two great colleagues earlier in the week. The following is what we came up with as we debriefed her recent trip to Asia and wondered about how to communicate the results of her trip and ministry.

We see three key areas of work and Kingdom Contribution:

1. A Professional as well as Practical Contribution – Through my profession I am able to make a unique contribution. This includes best practices from my training, knowledge from my education and work experience, and insights from working with my colleagues.

2. A Spiritual Contribution – In the context of working together with my hosts, I am free to speak the truth of the Gospel and increasingly of the application and implementation of faith in my own life and how that can spill into their lives. We all pray before, during and after our ministry trips and trust God to prepare the way for these conversations. Because this contribution happens in the context of conversation, the likelihood of spiritual insights and illumination is high!

3. A Personal Connection – Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators, often said that the truth and impact of the Gospel goes from lip to ear and heart to heart. We esteem one another by seeing and knowing one another, by taking one another seriously. We then honour each other through the give and take of conversation and engagement of each other’s joys, pains and life issues, and the miracle of spiritual ministry is carried forward.

This is an awesome and somewhat overwhelming task, and we engage it because of our hope, faith and spiritual perspective that brings us into this ministry. Our work demands all that we have, and we have full confidence God will lead us and use us to accomplish his kingdom work.

2 Corinthians 5:14a For Christ’s love compels us