Finding purpose as a logistical missionary - Part 1
Before deciding on a career as a Christian missionary, I didn’t want to do anything remotely administrative. As a matter of fact, at one stage in my teenage years I thought of going into the FBI. I looked into what types of college courses one would need to pursue that as a career, and it was suggested that an Accountancy major was the best option. Well, I quickly moved away from pursuing an FBI career!
So as I came into missions work, I started out working as a discipleship mentor of young people, and facilitating the discipleship programs. This was good, I enjoyed it and grew a lot myself; and hopefully others grew too! I don’t think I was terrible at it.
I remember talking with a volunteer staying with us at YWAM for a few months - she was planning to go into missions long term and she said she was passionate about Administration and Children.
I could see this to be true in her life, she did both of these things well. But, what a strange combination, I thought; and how strange it was for someone to actually enjoy administration, and admit to it, when they obviously had a heart for missions and people. It was a concept that I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around.
Then God started dealing with my own heart on the matter and the gifts and skills he put into my own life. It took a few years - and to be honest probably still struggle with it a little bit from time to time. I am good at administration. But never thought this was something interesting, or attractive.
However, as the years went on, my ability to administrate was made more and more obvious to other leaders around me.
But I refused to listen. In all honesty I felt like it was a lesser role - lesser valued, less important, less effective. Even though in my head I knew this was not true, but it is subconsciously what I felt.
It was a process, but through the help of one of my leaders, I became aware of the skills God gave me, and realized I could be of service in so many other ways using those skills, instead of denying them and trying to force myself into some other role. So that’s what I do now, I administrate, facilitate, manage and teach.
I don’t think I’m the best at these things either, I don’t think I have some special talent or anything, but I can do it and I can do it well enough to serve and be productive in what I do.
Over the years God continues to show me that he puts in each person skills, gifts, strengths and talents that are useful - and we just have to use them in a way that is pleasing to Him.
What I think is pleasing and honoring to God comes just by simply using those skills - with integrity, and respect of others, and to our best, and uplifting others, and seeking the Holy Spirit in our decisions.
I think Nehemiah is a good example of this - an example to my own life, I suppose. Nehemiah has a whole book named as such in the Bible. We’ve probably all assumed he was one of those full-time prophets, that did nothing but preach to Israel all day. Actually, the way I see it, Nehemiah was a Project Manager.
He saw a need no one else was filling - the need for the wall of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. He recruited people, he arranged supplies, he negotiated with superiors and opposers, he arranged a census; and once in awhile, he also had to play the role of the Prophet as he saw Israeli leaders treating their own people unfairly or not following certain commands.*
I feel we can learn a lot from this guy - I know I have. It’s not about the specific tasks themselves, it’s understanding the purpose of it, and the results from it. And ultimately, taking God with us in whatever we do in service to him and others.
We all want to find purpose in what we do. But even when we don’t know the purpose, know that we can do it with excellence, using our abilities to the best we can, serve God and people, ask for joy and peace, and don’t forget the Holy Spirit is there to help.
*See the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament for more details about his life and work.
So as I came into missions work, I started out working as a discipleship mentor of young people, and facilitating the discipleship programs. This was good, I enjoyed it and grew a lot myself; and hopefully others grew too! I don’t think I was terrible at it.
I remember talking with a volunteer staying with us at YWAM for a few months - she was planning to go into missions long term and she said she was passionate about Administration and Children.
I could see this to be true in her life, she did both of these things well. But, what a strange combination, I thought; and how strange it was for someone to actually enjoy administration, and admit to it, when they obviously had a heart for missions and people. It was a concept that I couldn’t seem to wrap my head around.
Then God started dealing with my own heart on the matter and the gifts and skills he put into my own life. It took a few years - and to be honest probably still struggle with it a little bit from time to time. I am good at administration. But never thought this was something interesting, or attractive.
However, as the years went on, my ability to administrate was made more and more obvious to other leaders around me.
But I refused to listen. In all honesty I felt like it was a lesser role - lesser valued, less important, less effective. Even though in my head I knew this was not true, but it is subconsciously what I felt.
It was a process, but through the help of one of my leaders, I became aware of the skills God gave me, and realized I could be of service in so many other ways using those skills, instead of denying them and trying to force myself into some other role. So that’s what I do now, I administrate, facilitate, manage and teach.
I don’t think I’m the best at these things either, I don’t think I have some special talent or anything, but I can do it and I can do it well enough to serve and be productive in what I do.
Over the years God continues to show me that he puts in each person skills, gifts, strengths and talents that are useful - and we just have to use them in a way that is pleasing to Him.
What I think is pleasing and honoring to God comes just by simply using those skills - with integrity, and respect of others, and to our best, and uplifting others, and seeking the Holy Spirit in our decisions.
I think Nehemiah is a good example of this - an example to my own life, I suppose. Nehemiah has a whole book named as such in the Bible. We’ve probably all assumed he was one of those full-time prophets, that did nothing but preach to Israel all day. Actually, the way I see it, Nehemiah was a Project Manager.
He saw a need no one else was filling - the need for the wall of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. He recruited people, he arranged supplies, he negotiated with superiors and opposers, he arranged a census; and once in awhile, he also had to play the role of the Prophet as he saw Israeli leaders treating their own people unfairly or not following certain commands.*
I feel we can learn a lot from this guy - I know I have. It’s not about the specific tasks themselves, it’s understanding the purpose of it, and the results from it. And ultimately, taking God with us in whatever we do in service to him and others.
We all want to find purpose in what we do. But even when we don’t know the purpose, know that we can do it with excellence, using our abilities to the best we can, serve God and people, ask for joy and peace, and don’t forget the Holy Spirit is there to help.
*See the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament for more details about his life and work.
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