Since I have been accepted to the World Race and began to publicize it, there have been a lot of people asking me “Why?”. “Why would you do that?” What would make you want to do that?” “Don’t you know it could be dangerous?” “You do know you’re going to get really dirty right?”
My entire life, all I remember ever wanting was to graduate college, get a good job, excel and move up the ranks, get married, have a family, and ultimately retire. When I became a Christian, this didn’t change very much, my dream just adjusted slightly to incorporate a Christian spin.
A little over a year ago I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua. Since it was a medical mission trip and I have zero medical experience, my role was to keep the kids occupied while the adults were seeing the doctors. I played soccer (lost a lot), painted faces (there were a lot of ninja turtles running around), and handed out balloon animals (a lot of kids got snakes). Most importantly though, I got the opportunity to share the gospel with hundreds of Nicaraguans, quite a few of whom, had never even heard of Jesus before. I spent that week and a half covered in dirt, exhausted, and unable to understand anyone outside the small group of people I travelled down there with. It also ended up being one of the most eye-opening and fulfilling experiences of my life. I saw people who had absolutely nothing in the world find joy and hope in Jesus Christ. That experience ignited a desire to serve internationally in missions in some form or another.
I told myself that I clearly needed to wait till I finished school before I did anything like that though. Then I finished school. I told myself I should wait a couple of years before I go. I should wait till I’m older, have more experience in ministry, maybe maybe get married or finish seminary. After I do those things, then I’ll be ready to go. As a result, I enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and found a job as a Youth Pastor at a local church. I loved it. The education I was getting was great. I felt encouraged at the church and the youth group was growing, both spiritually and in numbers. I began to forget about the desire to serve internationally. I started to get caught up with a desire to get married, get established in a church, and settle down to live out my life. With each passing day, the fire ignited by my trip to Nicaragua seemed to fade away as a distant memory.
Then I read a book. I read ‘Radical’ by David Platt. Trust me, I’ve been warned when telling this part of my story, “Don’t make any major life decisions based off what you read in one little book (Not talking about the Bible of course).” I get that. This book didn’t motivate me to make a decision. It reminded me of a decision already made and a desire already formed that had been forgotten. It reminded me of Jesus’ words in Luke 14:25-33 and of those Nicaraguans who literally had nothing but a lean-to in the jungle, but managed to find hope and joy in Christ. It made me wonder, ‘If I lost everything, would I still be willing to follow Jesus?’ After all, that is what he commands. He says if you aren’t willing to give up all these things on earth — cars, houses, friends, and yes, eve your family — then you cannot be His disciple. I started to pursue this question. What in my life could I really say is more important than the eternal treasure He has promised. What in my life is more important that the thousands, if not more, people who die everyday and don’t know Jesus as their Savior? Most of whom, have never even heard His name! I came to a conclusion: Nothing, not even my own life.
“Come on, Mark, that’s a little drastic. Your life?” Yes, my life. Don’t get me wrong, I love living and don’t plan on ending that any sooner than I have to, but ultimately, I know when I die, I am going to heaven to spend eternity with my Lord. There are a lot of people in the world who will never hear the Gospel, and sadly, that means only one fate awaits them. I do not consider that unfair or evil on God’s part, but a failure full of laziness and feelings of entitlement among those who claim to be His followers. We have turned His command to share the Gospel with the whole world into a calling and gotten comfortable and lazy.
— Little disclaimer: I realize America is a part of the world too, and if you are truly called to be doing you’re ministry here, that’s great. I am just saying that too many of us have settled for letting someone else do the work or assuming someone else will share the Gospel with that person, when Scripture is very clear that that is a responsibility for all of us.
After chewing on the reality of Jesus’ words and praying relentlessly about where the Lord was leading me, I began to search for opportunities to serve internationally. It was then that I came upon the World Race. It is a trip where I will get very dirty, probably constantly be exhausted, and my “home” will be a tent for eleven months. All the same, it is where the Lord is calling me. It will be a time of growth, enlightenment, and fulfillment. He has laid it upon my heart with such an enormous passion. Yes the cost of going is risky, but as David Platt said, the cost of not going is even riskier. Not for me, but for the billions of unsaved people in the world. That is why I am going. Some may think I am crazy, but I hope that through this, many people in my life will be encouraged to live radically in their own.
I would like to leave you with a couple of quotes that give me encouragement:
“Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.” -Francis Chan
“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” -Jim Elliot
I also strongly encourage you to read, pray over, and meditate on Luke 14:25-33.
Blessings
