January is missions month at CCD, so today in our chapel we kicked it off for the kids. Al Harb spoke today about the reasons why we should be missions minded and it really struck me as to how simple and valuable having this mindset is. I've been thinking a lot about this topic recently for a number of reasons. For starters, my family and I are leading the middle school trip to Peru this April, I am planning on going on a trip with the high school ministry this summer (possibly to Germany), I recently went on a trip to Morocco and just fell in love with missions all over again, and this Friday I am speaking in our middle school chapel on the subject (pray for me!).
Growing up, I always equated missions with raising tons of money, jumping on a plane, and traveling across the world. While that proves to be true for some missions trips, I have come to learn that at the root of it, missions is a heart, a perspective, and a mindset and to be missions-minded, one must adopt the heart, perspective, and mindset of the Lord.
This transformation radically changes everything! The minute one allows the Lord to mold and shape their view of missions; missions no longer becomes a long distance endeavor, but rather it becomes a case-by-case, person-by-person, encounter-by-encounter, act of love. Missions changes when your view of people changes. Missions no longer becomes something you can only do on a short term basis, once a year, but rather it is a daily challenge.
To have a heart like the Lord's means that your very heart breaks at the idea of someone living without Him. It means that you deeply invest in prayer and time with people because you know that this is what God desires to do with us as well. God is personal and relational and seeks to know our hearts, therefore, you seek to do the same for others. It this very heart that drives and motivates the true missionary.
To have a perspective like the Lord's means that your way of seeing others no longer stems from your own ideas or preconceived notions of others, but rather, you see them through the eyes of the Lord. Instead of first seeing the wrong in someone, you see their need for a Savior, instead of first seeing their shortcomings, you recognize the opportunity to love them through forgiveness and grace ... the way God would. I've found this one to be the hardest because it is completely the opposite of who we naturally are as humans. We are not programmed to forgive first, think of others first, love others who don't love us first ...yet this is exactly the way the Lord wants to change us to become! To be others-minded is to truly experience the heart of God.
To have a mindset like the Lord's means that every opportunity, encounter, passing moment with another person becomes your mission field. You are constantly and acutely aware of the need the world has for the love of the Lord and rather than being so consumed with the day to day things that fill your life, you are consumed with utilizing your day to day business for Him. Being sensitive to the way He leads you, being aware of an opportunity to be used, and most importantly, being obedient in fulfilling the things He calls you to do.
So you see, missions is something we can start practicing right now. While venturing out to the world to share God's love is necessary and good, we can allow the Lord to show us His heart for His world, right where we are, right now.
Adopt His heart, practice His perspective, transform to His mindset, and get ready for your world to change.
...vanessa
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