20-somethings struggling with missions
I just finished a session with the racers on “Culture and Evangelism.” What I’ve learned in the past 9 camps is that we always come up against the same issues.
Frankly, my generation is TERRIFIED of the message we believe.
We’re afraid of being rejected, disliked, offensive, looking stupid, not having all the answers, feeling ignorant, misrepresenting God, saying something wrong, steering someone the wrong way, making a mistake, disappointing people, disappointing our leaders, missing an opportunity, having things be us instead of God and not knowing the difference, of trying something new, of not liking where we end up, of feeling trapped, of getting caught up in a mediocre encounter at the exact moment the “big opportunity” comes around, of being associated with an organization that teaches something we don’t completely understand and if we DID understand it, we would discover we don’t agree.
If fear wasn’t enough to keep us from sharing the hope we embrace or the relationship we have with the Father, pride, ego and insecurities round out this wonderful family of justifications for our inaction. I define pride as “considering yourself before anything else.” Arrogance is the promotion of our self in comparison to other things. But insecurity is inaction due to a preservation of ourselves before considering the best for others.
Either way, there’s no place for fear or pride in what God’s ultimately called us to do.
The way I put it: we are more than just friendly travelers. The world is full of those. We’re missionaries, we’re God’s chosen. In fact, we’re plan A… and there is no plan B. WE have been entrusted with the nations and message of truth.
A Cambodian monk once indignantly asked me why we were so lucky to have Christianity when the people of his country suffered for generations without it… and that it, quite frankly, wasn’t fair.
You know what? He was right. I had no answer other than… “well… I’m here now, can we talk?”
It’s not God’s fault the nations haven’t been reached…He entrusted them to us.
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What an insightful post by Jimmy McCarty!
It’s refreshing to read an honest assessment of questions and doubts about faith, because exposing them to light is the only way to allow others to help you through them.
Thank goodness these 20-somethings are questioning what they believe rather than blindly following an organization. Compulsively following God because he speaks directly to you in a still, small voice is a good thing to do, but compulsively following something you’re not sure about should be questioned.
This doesn’t mean you should always choose non-action if you harbor a small percentage of doubt… nothing in this world is certain and doubt-free: getting a job after college, having an easy marriage, having and raising children, nothing. So going out to strange countries to share what you believe is no different. It’s a risk, albeit a worthy risk.
Thomas Jefferson said “Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear.”
Thank you both Seth and Jimmy (and others at AIM) for being there to encourage the reasoning of the “20-somethings”. You are a blessing to the Kingdom!
This was an insightful article and helpful. Thanks…
Either way, there’s no place for fear or pride in what God’s ultimately called us to do.
AMEN. Tough one to work out each day. Thanks bro.