http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/missions-is-worth-the-mess
Quotes:
Because we believe in the “already,” we can more readily and joyfully accept the messiness of the “not yet.”
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The Scriptures tell me that:
- I have to lose my life in order to find it. (Matthew 16:25)
- I have to count the cost of serving him. (Luke 14:25–33)
- Success isn’t always what we think it is, and seed-sewing is just as important as watering and branch-pruning. (1 Corinthians 3:6–9)
- Pain is temporary, and is nothing compared to glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17–18)
- God’s word will not return to him void, but always does its work. (Isaiah 55:11)
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I’m thankful to be a member of a healthy church that will remind my family and me of that truth. As Christians, the presence of the body is crucial during times like these.
We need to be hugged, cried with, preached to, and resourced to help us start over again. This is why Christianity is not a journey to be taken alone.
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We need to be hugged, cried with, preached to, and resourced to help us start over again. This is why Christianity is not a journey to be taken alone. This is why Jesus saves us as part of his bride.
The more the church cares for my family, the deeper the grief we feel for the peoples of the Upper Amazon Basin who still don’t have one. But the more we look into God’s word, the more confidence we have that God’s mission will still be completed, even though we now know that that means that this particular initiative will be completed without us.—–
The Already/Not Yet of Missions:
The “already” is there [here], and it’s glorious. The “not yet,” however, is typically much messier.
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Because we believe in the “already,” we can more readily and joyfully accept the messiness of the “not yet.”