Support Traveling Missionaries
Reading: 3 John
My Verse: "So we ourselves ought to support such people [to welcome and provide for them], in order that we may be fellow workers in the Truth (the whole Gospel) and cooperate with its teachers" (3 John 8).
Dear Lord God, it is so good that You provided guidance here. You tell us directly that we are to support those who have "gone out for the Name's sake." Those that have gone out are missionaries, and we are to support these missionaries.
The past four years, Ethan, our son, traveled to Mexico as a short term youth missionary. Part of the preparation was to raise support. We were not to just pay for it out of pocket. IAs You know Lord God it was quite an experience for us. We had trouble asking for money from family and friends. It was especially hard for Ethan to go up to people of the church and ask them to sponsor him for some work project at church to raise money. It just isn't easy.
Yet the lessons learned from this for us were great. We essentially learned two things. One was we learned just how hard it is - how one has to put oneself so totally in Your loving care and allow oneself to be vulnerable. Second, we realized by asking others to help we were giving them an opportunity to be a part of this missionary work. It really changed how I look at missionaries and the hard work they go through when raising their support for the mission field.
We are not all called to go out into the field. Yet, as Christians, we are each responsible to take part in this type of endeavor.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
It is the great work of the church. For You are "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
Yes, we, our family, learned to appreciate missionaries so much more. It is not an easy thing to travel far from one's home, to put oneself out of one's comfort zone both physically, spiritually and emotionally, and to allow oneself to be so vulnerable. Thank You, Lord God for this experience, this lesson.
I appreciate our church so much for its strong missionary support. It feels very good to be a part of this kind of effort. It is all for Your glory!
"So, whether you ear or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).
One day we will stand before You. We will have to answer for how we served You, for how we obeyed this command. "For we will all stand before God's judgement seat" (Romans 14:10). "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each on may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Help me today to pray for those in the field both at home and abroad.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Reading: 3 John
My Verse: "So we ourselves ought to support such people [to welcome and provide for them], in order that we may be fellow workers in the Truth (the whole Gospel) and cooperate with its teachers" (3 John 8).
Dear Lord God, it is so good that You provided guidance here. You tell us directly that we are to support those who have "gone out for the Name's sake." Those that have gone out are missionaries, and we are to support these missionaries.
The past four years, Ethan, our son, traveled to Mexico as a short term youth missionary. Part of the preparation was to raise support. We were not to just pay for it out of pocket. IAs You know Lord God it was quite an experience for us. We had trouble asking for money from family and friends. It was especially hard for Ethan to go up to people of the church and ask them to sponsor him for some work project at church to raise money. It just isn't easy.
Yet the lessons learned from this for us were great. We essentially learned two things. One was we learned just how hard it is - how one has to put oneself so totally in Your loving care and allow oneself to be vulnerable. Second, we realized by asking others to help we were giving them an opportunity to be a part of this missionary work. It really changed how I look at missionaries and the hard work they go through when raising their support for the mission field.
We are not all called to go out into the field. Yet, as Christians, we are each responsible to take part in this type of endeavor.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
It is the great work of the church. For You are "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
Yes, we, our family, learned to appreciate missionaries so much more. It is not an easy thing to travel far from one's home, to put oneself out of one's comfort zone both physically, spiritually and emotionally, and to allow oneself to be so vulnerable. Thank You, Lord God for this experience, this lesson.
I appreciate our church so much for its strong missionary support. It feels very good to be a part of this kind of effort. It is all for Your glory!
"So, whether you ear or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).
One day we will stand before You. We will have to answer for how we served You, for how we obeyed this command. "For we will all stand before God's judgement seat" (Romans 14:10). "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each on may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Help me today to pray for those in the field both at home and abroad.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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