I posed the following question to my ministry contact in South Africa during a meeting he offered one evening:
At what point do we just step out in faith and do missions versus feeling “called” to do it?
It’s a question that I have been pondering for some time. No doubt God calls certain people to a certain place to do a certain thing, but I also feel as if sometimes when we see a need, we ought to just take the initiative to do something about it.
See, like anything in a Chrisian’s life, missions is something we should seek the Lord’s guidance in, but, oftentimes we waste a perfect opportunity to do good because we get hung up on being spiritual by “waiting on God’s timing”, or “waiting for Him to tell us what to do”, or “waiting for confirmation from The Lord.” Don’t get me wrong, consultation is a good and necessary step, but does God always hand us a “Missions for Dummies” book on where to go and what to do?
The book of James says, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17)
Maybe I’m jumping the gun on that scripture without getting to the point of this blog but hear me out for just a minute.
In 1 Samuel, King Saul’s son Jonathan is out fighting the Philistines. He says to his armor bearer, “Let’s go to the Philistine outpost. PERHAPS THE LORD WILL ACT ON OUR BEHALF.”
Jonathan had no idea what was waiting him when he arrived at the outpost, and he didn’t have God telling him “Go!” But he saw an opportunity to save the Israelites from the Philistines, and he took the chance. He stepped out on a “perhaps.” He stepped out thinking that maybe if I just do this, God will be with me. In the end Jonathan and his armor-bearer were successful in their mission. He didn’t have clear guidance from above, but he had an option and he capitalized on it. He saw the good he could do, and he did it. Think about it for a minute. Jonathan saved the Israelites ON A PERHAPS!
He didn’t have God whispering in his ear or raining fire from heaven or covering a blanket with dew. He had a mind of his own, he saw an opportunity, and he seized it.
Maybe you’re coming up with counter arguments in your head right now and searching fervently through scripture to prove me wrong in the point I am making. But again, hear me out.
You’ve all heard the story of Esther, right? You know how officials conspired against the Jews to kill them, and Esther was willing to go plead her case with the king saying, “…I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)
It took a great deal of faith and courage at Esther’s end. She saw what needed to be done and she took a humongous risk. She had no idea how the king would react. In that time, to call on the king without being summoned was taboo. She risked her life on behalf of a suffering people. The Lord never told her to go, but she saw what needed to be done. In the end, favor was upon her, and again the Israelites were spared.
Let me hit fast-forward and share with you a clip from the life of my ministry contact, Rich: he and his wife Michelle have been doing mission work for the past 25 years and have been here in South Africa for 13 or so years. Their ministry is diverse and successful because they have put the car in drive several different times since their arrival, allowing God to steer the car once it was in motion. They let Jesus take the wheel so to speak. Thanks Carrie Underwood. Anyway.
If you know anything about South Africa, you know of Johannesberg, and have heard of the squatter camps that house hundreds of thousands of immigrants from outside the city. These are poor poor areas with people living in shacks practically on top of one another. Alcoholism, rape, abuse, and AIDS rule supreme in these desperate places, and for most, there is little to no hope.
Rich and Michelle saw the desperation in the faces of these people, and without necessarily hearing the voice of God, they decided to do something about it. As an example, they opened up a self-sustaining preschool in the middle of one camp where kids are safe during the day. Safe from the sick grasp of satan, who has convinced men that having sex with a virgin will cure them of AIDS, even if that virgin is only two years old. Sick, sick, SICK. There are now several preschools where hundreds of kids are safe, with more on the way. More safe havens for at-risk children.
Did Rich and Michelle hear God tell them to open preschools and clinics and install baby rescue doors? No. But they saw a need and filled it as God blessed the communities in need.
This brings me back to the scripture from James. “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17)
I’m not writing to convict you or start a theological debate, however, do you think that God wants you to wait for him to tell you go when you see a need, or do you think he’ll bless the situation just as much if you take a leap of faith and go all in, without waiting for his response. Just hang on this thought for a moment: if you see a house on fire, would you wait for instruction from The Lord before calling 911? No, without hesitation, you would pull out your iPhone or Galaxy or whatever device you use and call in reinforcements. Should it not be the same for our walk?
Jesus says that anyone who has faith in Him will do what He did (John 14:12), and you also know that “if every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have enough room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:25)
So if those words are out of the mouth of Jesus, who are you to doubt what he says? Those words are written in red, my friend. You WILL do what Jesus did, but you can’t do it if you never put the car in drive.
You see a theme here, right? On occasion God does call us specifically, but sometimes He wants us to self start. Don’t get too hung up on waiting to hear the voice of God. Sometimes He’ll give us clear guidance on where to go and what to do, but sometimes He wants us to just DO SOMETHING.
So what’s keeping you from doing whatever it is that God has placed on your heart to do?
