I’ve been home for over six weeks and have had some time to reflect on my Race.
Below is the best advice I can give based upon my own experience and lessons learned the hard way.
1.) Go for the Glory of God.
*Before you launch, (or, better yet, before you sign up for the Race), I highly recommend listening to this sermon:
2.) Don’t make promises you don’t intend to (or can’t) keep. “I promise I’ll be back next year,” “I’m going to get my church to sponsor you,” “I’m going to write you all the time.” We may have good intentions when making promises like these, but we can’t make these promises unless we’re going to follow through and God has confirmed this is the path He wants. Please don’t let an emotional or people-pleasing moment lead you to say things you have no intention of doing.
*I wish I had read this several years ago before I ever went on my first missions trip. It helps shed light on how we may intend to be a blessing in missions, but because of cultural differences and ignorance, we can end up being a curse.
3.) Choose joy. We can make the choice to be joyful. This includes the moments when you’re boiling hot, covered in mosquito bites, miserably sick, dog tired, sun-burned, irritated, hungry, confused, and filthy-dirty. Remember, you signed up for this. Look at the countless blessings around you. You’re on the WORLD RACE!!!!! You have arrived!!!
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!” – Philippians 1:4
*Before launch, write a letter to yourself to remind yourself of why you signed up for the Race. Take it with you and read it whenever you feel like you can’t go on.
4.) Keep tithing. It was a struggle for me to continue to keep tithing while I was fundraising, but it was a blessing! God never failed to provide, and I was fully-funded before the end of the Race.
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” – Malachi 3:10
5.) Honor your hosts. Show up on time. Don’t leave ministry early. If you’re sick, stay home and take care of yourself… you don’t need to be sleeping during ministry. When they ask you to do something, do it with excellence and a smile. Tell them “thank you.” A lot of these people have given up everything to serve God. Please show them you appreciate them. By honoring them, you honor God.
6.) Forgive, even when they don’t ask for forgiveness. I heard a quote by someone that said, “Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Choose to forgive and choose to move on. Walking in bitterness will destroy your Race, and your life.
*Incredible sermon series about forgiveness: F-Bomb Sermon Series
*Scripture to hid in your heart:
Matthew 5:43-48
Luke 23:13-43
Colossians 3:12-13
7.) On the same note, be humble enough to apologize when you’ve hurt someone else… even when you feel like you haven’t done anything wrong.
8.) Find gold. The people on your squad and/or your leaders may drive you insane. They may even deeply hurt you. God says everyone that is in Christ is a new creation and He has placed pieces of Himself in each of us… and that includes people you find difficult to love. Ask God to show you the gifts or the “gold” in the people you have difficulty loving. The “gold” may be hard to see, but when God shows it to you, it will change the way you see people. This was a game-changer for me on the Race.
*Still having trouble loving people on your squad? Listen to this sermon series:
How to Hug a Vampire: How To Love People That Suck the Life Out of You
9.) Give the feedback you know if your heart you need to give, even if it’s final debrief. ALWAYS be kind, humble, thoughtful, and prayerful about feedback… even if it’s positive feedback. Remember that you can’t control how people respond to the feedback you give. Be honest and faithful to the words God put in your heart for that person/people, and leave the rest to Him. It’s the feedback giver’s job to be honest and prayerful about giving feedback, and it’s the receiver’s job to say, “Thanks for the feedback,” and pray about it.
“…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
“The way of fools seem right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” Proverbs 12:15
*Need some encouragement with giving feedback? Read Boundaries. I think this book should be REQUIRED reading for the Race.
10.) Don’t accept a leadership position unless God is calling you to do so.
*Want some help with leadership? Listen to this great podcast:
Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast
11.) Don’t flirt with your squadmates. If you’re attracted to someone on your squad, or at home, wait for them. I challenge you to honor them by stepping aside and refusing to be a distraction for them, or allowing them to distract you, while you’re on this trip. If you’re meant to be together, they will be there at the end of the Race.
*An man who mentored me in college recommended this book and said, “I wish I had read this before I met and married my wife.” I read it, and the principles in the book are applicable to living with humility in community, whether you’re married or single.
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
12.) Pray like a juggernaut.
Juggernaut – [juhg-er-nawt, -not] Noun. Any large, overpowering, destructive force or object, as war, a giant battleship, or a powerful football team.
* Are you ready for God to dramatically alter your prayer life? Read this book.
13.) I wish the first thing I did after finding out I was accepted to the Race was make magnetic business cards with my name, picture, blog address, and launch date. I didn’t do this until much later in my fundraising and I wish I had done this first. Passing these out will starting spreading the word about support and the fact that they’re magnetized will encourage people to put them on the refrigerator so they will have a reminder :). It also helps to leave a bunch with family/friends after you launch so they can continue to pass them out. You never know who may rise to support you.
*I used VistaPrint.com.
14.) Put tape on your electronic cords to help you easily identify them.When you have 40+ people trying to charge their stuff in the same area, you’ll be glad you did this.
15.) Finish Strong. You CAN do this. No matter how hard it gets. Pre-decide before things get tough that you WILL tough it out. Keep diving into God’s word no matter how tired you are. God wants to use us to bring glory and honor to His kingdom. We only need to say yes… and continue to say yes.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
