Missionary - derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning "act of sending" or mittere, meaning "to send".
These descriptions of your work, taken from Wikipedia, barely begin to cover all that you do as you take the Lord's love across the world to a culture and a people you are unsure of. Burdened with this call to a point of giving up all you know to run after it, it is wearying as well as rewarding.
You are amazing. You are making a difference. You are taking Christ to a hurting world and offering hope.
Thank you.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma.
The devil
is busy trying to abort God’s promises. Hang on and keep believing.
Here’s a trivia question: Which
building project took the longest to complete?·
A. The construction of the Pentagon.
B. The carving of Mount Rushmore.
C. The digging of the Panama Canal.
D. The building of the Empire State Building.
E. The carving and assembling of the Statue of Liberty.
B. The carving of Mount Rushmore.
C. The digging of the Panama Canal.
D. The building of the Empire State Building.
E. The carving and assembling of the Statue of Liberty.
The answer is C. It took 31 years to
dig the Panama Canal, mainly because that superhuman task was started and
stopped several times due to floods, mudslides, unexpected costs (the total
bill for the United States was $375 million in 1914) and a horrific death toll
(20,000 French workers and 6,000 Americans died on the job site.) The moral of
that story: Expect delays when you cut a 50-mile-long canal to connect two
oceans.
I’m not attempting to move millions
of tons of earth to make room for cargo ships. My ministry assignment is
different. But I still feel overwhelmed at times by the task. God calls each of
us to join Him in His work, but accomplishing anything spiritual (such as
building a church, winning the lost, or influencing culture for Christ) is
impossible in human terms. We can’t accomplish anything for God without
supernatural faith.
“God does not tell you to begin
something and then leave you halfway through it. He is a wise builder and an
expert craftsman. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He finishes what He starts.”
God gives us a promise—that’s the
easy part. Then He reveals His strategies, works miracles and sends provision.
Working with God is exhilarating when these things happen. But faith is also
warfare. The devil hurls doubts and obstacles in our direction. There are
battles and, sometimes, casualties. These are the times we are tempted to quit.
Zerubbabel
and Joshua, the two men commissioned to rebuild Solomon’s temple, struggled
with intense discouragement as they looked at the ruins of Jerusalem. The task
was overwhelming, the cost was prohibitive, the workers were dismayed and their
enemies were fierce. They started the work in earnest, but they heard a
familiar voice that whispered: “You’ll never finish this. God is going to
abandon you in the middle of this project.”
Fortunately, just when Zerubbabel
and Joshua were about to throw in the towel, the prophet Haggai showed up with
a refreshing announcement. He told them: “'But now take courage … and work; for
I am with you,' declares the Lord” (Hag 2:4, NASB). The Lord also promised He would
see the building project to completion. He said: “The latter glory of this
house will be greater than the former … and in this place I will give peace”
(v. 9).
Those powerful prophetic promises
propelled Zerubbabel and Joshua forward. The words invigorated their weary
faith and steeled their determination. Their passion was refueled. They
returned to the work, even though it seemed impossible. In the end, God’s
glorious house arose from an ash heap.
This is God’s promise to all who are
called to labor with Him. He does not tell you to begin something and then
leave you halfway through it. God is a wise builder and an expert craftsman. He
is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He finishes what He starts.
The apostle Paul knew this when he
wrote: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in
you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). The Message Bible says it this way:
“There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started
this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on
the very day Christ Jesus appears.”
Many of God’s servants today are
weary. Budgets have been tight, resistance is strong and trends are negative.
The devil is busy trying to abort God’s promises. You may have been tempted
even this week to resign from your assignment. But I want to encourage you with
the words of Haggai: “Take courage! The Lord is with you!” Regardless of what
you lack, the Lord’s mighty presence is all you need to finish the task. Hang
on to Him and keep believing.
Note: In case you are curious about
the other projects mentioned in the trivia question, here are the answers: A.
The Pentagon, the world’s largest office building, was built in 16 months. B.
Mount Rushmore was carved in 14 years. D. The Empire State Building was completed
in 1 year and 45 days. E. The Statue of Liberty was carved and assembled over a
10-year period.
