It’s not because it is adventurous, though it is stretching, fulfilling, often fun, often demanding, and the retirement plan is “out of this world.”
It is not because my grandfather didn’t go when he felt called to the unreached among other peoples. Rather, he stayed home, honoring his unbelieving father by helping with the family farm. As a result, however, not going filled him with a (needless) feeling of guilt for most of his life.
It is not because my parents went as missionaries to Belgium-Congo and the Philippines. Dad’s heart was burdened for the nations after his exposure to other people groups during WWII. And because consequently he was called to do, as he put it, “God’s work in God’s way” wherever God led him.
Nor is it because of seeing, with my own eyes, others transformed through the power of God’s love,
- Like headhunters, who no longer did, because Jesus gave them something better to live for.
- Like the g-string wearing, betelnut chewing, Jesus-following, transformed headhunter chief my dad trusted enough to let him take me fishing in the dark of night.
- Like seeing the Body of Christ form and come to life in dark, drug-infested, alcohol-sodden, gambling-crippled, employment-deprived, disease-saturated, sardine-packed slum/squatter areas where it means nothing to have 1500 or more people living in the space the size of a football field.
And it is not because of the thrill of being a part of an intentional, strategic, inter-denominational, Jesus-following movement to plant a church (DAWN 2000) in every barangay (smallest geo-political district) in the Philippines so that no one would have to take more that a 15 minute walk to get to church.
It is not because of being swept up in the massive, vision-gripping Asian-invasion into the 10-40 Window, part of God’s Spirit-driven movement of the Global South to unreached people groups, to the countless who have not yet heard the word J-e-s-u-s.
It’s not because being a MK/TCK (missionary kid/third culture kid) makes one more likely to care about such things than others who have grown up with a mono-cultural background.
It is because of God’s heart.
It’s because from before creation, God, the I Am, loves.
It’s because the one called Creator forgave even when the created ones had ignored the only thing the first family had to obey, resulting in a curse of death eternal on all their progeny.
It’s important because God promised the curse would be broken when the serpent’s head would be crushed by One yet to come.
It’s because God made a binding covenant with Abraham that all the nations would be blessed through his offspring.
It’s because God re-confirmed that covenant to Abraham’s son Isaac.
It’s because the psalmist sings out that covenant, accompanied by stringed instruments (read Psalm 67).
It’s because this covenant-mission to all peoples threads through Scripture from beginning to end. (By way of example, click here.)
It is because “God so loved the world . . .” (John 3:16-17)
It’s important because the One and Only Son of God said, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
It’s important because among Jesus’ last recorded words to us are “go and make (Jesus-followers) of all nations (ethnic, language, cultural groups). . . (Matthew 28:18-20).
It’s important because also among Jesus’ last words were “And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
It’s important because “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the (nations, ethnic, language, cultural groups) through Jesus Christ so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14).
This is why following Jesus, anywhere, everywhere, is important to everyone who pursues God’s heart.
God’s mission is important because it is God’s heart, God’s heartbeat, God’s passion, to be fulfilled through Spirit-filled Jesus-followers, wherever, whenever, and to whomever God loves through them.
Excellent testimonial witness of the love and power of God. I enjoyed the description or you experience in diverse areas and family history. Interesting it would be to know how and when it became real to you. One would assume you grew into this heritage. When did you come to the realization for yourself of God’s heart. Just curious. Great Article! I appreciate you brother..
Thank you, Terrance. Our heritage certainly does influence us, doesn’t it? It was in my college years that I began to “make it my own”, or perhaps realize God was calling me to cross-cultural missions. Embracing how God’s mission plays out in my life has grown and changed through the years. I see God as always working in us, refining us, equipping us, drawing us into a deeper understanding of how God wants us to fit into his mission. Pursuing God’s heart, God’s mission, in my understanding, is not only about cross-cultural experiences (although it could be argued we are daily in a cross-cultural environment considering our “shrinking globe,” global media, global corporations, globally represented culinary options, etc), but about how God’s glory is declared through all the earth, through creation and through Jesus-followers. We are Christ’s body, fitted together just as God designs and desires to accomplish God’s mission. We benefit and are blessed corporately and personally, but it is to be a blessing.