Faith – The Key Ingredient For Developing A Mission Mindset

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
Augustine

Even a step of faith can seem like a leap of faith.

What is faith anyway?

Faith is trusting in things we can’t see, in things we can’t control, and in power beyond us. Faith is about dreaming big.  Faith is believing that everything will be okay in the end even when we can’t see the way right in front of us.  Faith is being able to put aside our fears – or maybe to face our fears – and trust that God will take care of things.  Faith can help us break the paralysis of analysis inflicted by life’s anxieties.  Faith is more than just words – it’s followed by actions.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

Developing a mission mindset requires faith.  Without question, it can be scary to consider traveling to a foreign country to help others.  Taking a trip of this nature requires faith.  Having said this, it can be just as scary (maybe even more scary) to consider walking across the street to help out a neighbor.  Taking a trip across the street or down the hall to a co-worker’s office requires faith.

If we are serious about getting outside our comfort zone, we will need faith.

What step of faith do you need to take?

Why do you think faith is such an important ingredient in developing a mission mindset?

Moving Forward Starts With The First Step

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

We’ve spent the last few days talking about the American Dream.  This wasn’t supposed to be the focus.  My real intent was to challenge (or stretch) readers to start thinking beyond themselves and the comforts of their everyday lives.  My hope is that I might challenge readers to become curious and even eager about developing a mission mindset.

We can accept the status quo, or we can do something about it.  In other words, we can keep going in the same old direction, or we can seek to cultivate a mission mindset.

It’s a scary proposition.  As we discussed earlier, it’s not easy to break free from the patterns in our lives.  And it’s natural to fear the unknown of what lies ahead when we consider acting on a desire for a missions.

Let me encourage you.  Faith is not about knowing all the details about the steps in front of us.  It’s about trusting God in the next step.  We often want to know the whole path in front of us before we are willing to move.  We over think, and we soon develop a paralysis of analysis.  We allow our fear of the unknown to hold us captive in the confines of the “comfortable.”  And we ultimately fail to act on the faith we profess.

Faith is nothing without action. I can believe until I’m blue in the face, but it’s nothing if I don’t follow through on it.  James says it well:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  James 2:14-17

In the coming days, I hope to share more of my own journey of faith.  In addition, I will help you identify a way you can take a practical step forward in developing a mission mindset right where you are.

Tell me about a time when you took a step of faith not seeing clearly the final outcome.  Why do you think it’s important to take steps of faith?  What step of faith do you need to take in order to move forward?

Redefining The American Dream

With all this talk about the American Dream being misguided, it might be easy for you to think I’m being anti-American.  This isn’t the case.  In fact, I’m proud to be an American.  I’m thankful to live in a country where we experience so much freedom and prosperity.  I’m glad I have the right and privilege to vote.  While I don’t always agree with our country’s leaders (past and present), I respect them, and I’m thankful for the thought that went into setting up a government designed to have accountability.

The conversation in the comments the past two days has been challenging and mostly rich.  It has been healthy to dialogue about the American Dream and about our call as Christ followers to pursue a life that may run contrary to the modern-day definition of the American Dream.  One of the comments in particular sums up my feelings related to this, and I think it is worth sharing here:

When Pursuing The American Dream Isn’t Enough

If you‘re going through hell, keep going.

Winston Churchill

This is a quote I have hanging in my office.  It’s a reminder of a dark place in my life, and it stands as encouragement to keep going even when life gets tough.

Let me explain…

Four years ago, an event transpired in the life of my family.  This was a time when the foundations of my life, my faith, my family, and my marriage were shaken.  My wife experienced an illness that left her in the hospital for a couple of weeks with a long and challenging recovery.  The event – the illness – was kind of like a bad dream – even a nightmare.  For a long time, it felt like I was stuck in this dream.  I faced a range of emotions.  I was scared.  I was shocked.  I was down and depressed.  I was numb.  And I was stuck.

As my wife began to heal and I began to emerge from the nightmare, I entered a fog of simple existence.  I certainly wasn’t thriving.  There were days when I was just surviving.  My dreams and goals for my life moved to the far back burner on my stove of life.  On the front burner, my hopes and dreams were replaced by a dull and foggy outlook on life.  My new goal was to keep things even – to just be comfortable.

My wife’s health returned, but my fog of simple existence lifted only to leave an empty heart.  I chased after things that I thought would continue to keep things comfortable in our house.  I certainly didn’t want to repeat the past experience, and I became focused on making sure my wife’s illness didn’t return.  In the midst of this pursuit of stability, I lost something.  I lost my love for life and my love for others I once had.  I continued to work hard at my job in an effort to provide financial stability, and I began to chase after things the world told me to chase.  I was after the American Dream with all the comfort and ease it promised.

I’m an engineer/operations manager for a large building automation company in the Philadelphia area.  I make a decent living.  My kids have all they want and more.  We live in a nice house.  We drive two cars.  I’d say we live a pretty comfortable life.

Even with all this, there were major areas of my life that felt hollow.

I don’t think I’m alone in this experience of emptiness.  After talking to many people and watching how people go about their lives, I am convinced there are multitudes of people who are swimming through an ocean of quiet desperation.  They, like me, seek after comfort and ease only to discover a life without meaning.

At some point in my journey, I realized that there was a yearning for more.  The money, the career advancements, and the toys and “fun activities” just didn’t satisfy.  There was more to life than comfort.

In my pursuit of comfort, I became uncomfortable.

This sounds terrible, but I think it’s the best place to be.  When we become uncomfortable with our pursuit of comfort, we are on the brink of something truly worth while – something far better than achieving the American Dream.  When I reached this point in my journey great things began to happen.  I began to see hope.  I began to dream again.  And I began to develop a mission mindset.

Developing a mission mindset is critical to moving forward.  As we continue down this path, I’ll share some important information to help you move from complacent and comfortable to a much healthier place.  You’ll be stretched, but it will be worth it!

How have challenging times in your life stretched you?

Have you ever grown uncomfortable with the comfortable?

What steps have you taken to go from complacent and comfortable to a better place?

In Response To The American Dream

This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure. Winston Churchill

What is the American Dream?

According to Wikipedia,

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

In suburban America where I live, the American Dream is all about having a bigger house, fancier cars, a larger retirement nest egg, a vacation home at the shore, a well-paying corporate job, and a top-notch school district.

I’m not saying these are bad things to have, but what if our focus is misguided?

While it doesn’t say it in the definition given by Wikipedia, it seems to imply that the American Dream is about ease and comfort.

I like ease.  I like it when things go together easily.  I like it when our family is healthy.  I like it when there is peace and harmony.  And I like comfort.  I like my comfortable king-sized bed and my leather recliner.  I like my warm house in the winter and my cool house in the summer.  I like knowing I can go to my refrigerator at any time and get a cold glass of milk whenever I want.  These are some of the things that give me comfort.

What if ease and comfort is the wrong target?

I was playing Frisbee golf with a few of my co-workers at lunch the other day.  This is a great way for me to connect with some of the younger guys in my office.  It also gives me the opportunity to step away from my desk for a few minutes in the middle of the day.  These guys set up a twelve-hole course behind our office.  Light poles, trees, fire hydrants, and signs are used as the goals.  At the start of each hole, you aim towards the desired target as you release the Frisbee.  On one of the first days I was playing with my co-workers, I didn’t get the directions right.  When I released the Frisbee it flew straight and far, and it even hit the light pole.  The problem is that it was the wrong light pole.  If I had been listening a little better, I would have known to go for the correct light pole.  I would have aimed at the right target.

In the game of Frisbee golf, it’s not that big of a deal if we aren’t aiming at the right target.  Frisbee golf is just a game, and there is always time to recover before the next hole.  Aiming for the wrong target is a big deal when it comes to life.

In life, we have many things that distract us or wrongly direct us when it comes to keeping our eyes on the right target.  We chase after fame and fortune instead of the things that really matter.

Jesus tells his followers in Matthew 22:36-40, to love your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself.  This should be our target.  When we put God first and look after our neighbors, we are putting our sights on the correct target.

If you live in America like me, you are most likely in the top one or two percent of the world as far as wealth and possessions.  I know we like to pick on the billionaires in the world for their life of luxury and their failure to contribute their “fair share” to help those less fortunate.  To 98% of the world, you and I are just like those billionaires.  We live a life of luxury, and we fail to contribute our “fair share” to help those less fortunate.  As Americans, we rarely see the lack of comfort or the life of pain that most people in the world experience – we are spoiled.

We don’t get it.  We are complacent to chase after the misguided targets we’ve set.

He who wins with the most toys doesn’t win; he dies.

Noted Eastern University sociologist, Tony Campolo, conducted a survey of fifty people over the age of 95.  Each of the survey participants was asked this question:  “If you had to do life over again, what would you do differently?”  Overwhelmingly, the results showed that people would risk more, reflect more, and do more to leave a legacy after they were gone.  They didn’t mention comfort or ease in their responses.

If we don’t make changes now, we will be answering this question in the exact same way when we reach the end of our lives.  I don’t know about you, but I want to answer the question differently.  As Winston Churchill said, it’s time to dare and endure.  Stop chasing after ease and comfort.

Now is the time to make a change.

Now is the time to redirect your focus to the right target.

Now is the time to establish a mission mindset – to put God first and to love others with everything we’ve got.

What are you chasing?  How does your pursuit of the American Dream cloud your vision for a life best lived?  Are you aiming at the right target?

A Face With A Future

What do you see when you look at this face?

This is Rosita.  She is two years old, and she’s the youngest of five children.  Her mother’s name is Betty.  Rosita and her family were the recipient of one of the homes we built in Guatemala this summer.

She captured our hearts.  She’s smart and a little sassy.  And she was thrilled to have us in her life for a few days as we built her new home.

When I look at this picture, I see a girl with a future.  I see a girl with wide eyes and a curious spirit.  She’s not afraid to face the world before her.  And she has so much to share with the world now and in the days ahead.

I can’t wait to return to Santo Domingo Xenacoj, so we can see Rosita and her family.

What do you see when you look at this face?

3 Changes That Happen When You Go On A Short-Term Missions Trip

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Ghandi

I have a confession to make.

I hate change.

I’m serious. I like the comforts of the same old, same old. I get up at the same time every day. I go to the gym and run every day. I eat oatmeal for breakfast every day. I drive to the office the same way every day. And it goes on from here. I like routine. I thrive in a life a discipline. For me, change means disruption. It implies an end to what I’m used to. And this scares me.

But what if change is actually a good thing?

For the past three summers, I have traveled with my family on short-term missions trips to Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala. These trips have helped me to look at change a little differently – more positively.

Today, I want to help you identify three positive changes that happen when you go on a short-term missions trip. I’m hoping you will be challenged to think differently about change and about short-term missions. And I’m also hoping you will consider going on a short-term missions trip to change somebody’s life, to change your life, and to change the lives of those around you at home.

3 Changes That Happen When You Go On A Short-Term Missions Trip

1. You change somebody’s life.  This year, my family built two homes for two Mayan widows and their families.  In Guatemala culture, widows rank pretty low in society.  Mayans also rank very low in society.  And Mayan widows are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy in Guatemala.

The first house we built was for Betty and her family.  I’m not sure how Betty lost her husband.  He may have died, or he may have simply abandoned his family.  Either way, Betty has been left to parent and provide for her family with five children.  This is not an easy task.

The average working Guatemalan makes eight to ten dollars a day.  With this money, they have to pay for food, clothing, and housing.  For the most part, food costs the same in Guatemala as it does here in the United States.  If I buy a gallon of milk here in the United States, it costs about the same in Guatemala.  How much do you spend on groceries a week for your family?  Now imagine how challenging it must be for Betty to provide for her family.  Meanwhile, her family lives in deplorable conditions.  Their house is made with pieces of corn stalks tied together to make up the walls.  There are pieces of metal laid on top of the house.  This is the roof.  And the floor is made of dirt.  The family of six either shares a single bed or they sleep on the dirt floor at night.  It is difficult for a family like this to ever thrive.  They do not benefit from public assistance.  They survive if they are lucky.

As short-term missionaries, we had an opportunity to intervene.  We had an opportunity to give Betty and her family a chance to succeed in the future.  We built a simple house made with a concrete floor, wooden walls, a permanent metal roof, and electricity.  We also provided beds for everyone in the family.  This is the kind of boost family’s like Betty’s need to move from just surviving to thriving.  Betty and her family will experience better health as a result of their new beds and new house.  The kids will be more productive in school which will lead to a better future for each of them.  And they had the opportunity to experience the compassion and generosity through the people who donated the money for the house and through those who helped build the house.

A short-term missions trip gives you the opportunity to change somebody’s life.

2. You change your life.  We all live inside a box.  We often see the world through our own set of lenses – through the window of our own setting.  Here’s the deal:  there is life outside your box.  There is more to this world than what you can see through your window.  A short-term missions trip gives you the opportunity to see this world.

The first time I visited Guatemala two years ago, I saw real poverty for the first time.  I saw how 95% (or more) of the world lives.  I met people who get one meal of rice and beans – if they are lucky. I met people who work in sweatshops for twelve hours a day while earning eight dollars. I saw people who don’t have clean water and healthy cooking facilities. I learned to appreciate the things I had at home.  I learned to have a more open heart and mind to helping those who have less than me.  I stopped chasing so diligently after things at home in our American culture that eventually fade away.  And I started dreaming differently about how my family and I could make a bigger difference in the world.  This trip changed my life.

A short-term missions trip will change your life.

3. You change the lives of those around you at home.  A short-term missions trip is short.  You may go for a week or two to someplace “strange” like Guatemala, but then you come home.

How you respond to your trip will impact those around you.  I have had the opportunity to share so many stories and to answer so many questions because of my experience in Guatemala.  I also see those around me differently.  A short-term missions trip will help you to have a mission mindset for those you interact with on a daily basis at home.  My trips to Guatemala have motivated me to slow down and to be more present in my interactions in my office, in my neighborhood, and in my own home. I have seen how my trips have made a difference in the lives of my friends, family, and co-workers.

A short-term missions trip experience will change those around you.

Now it’s my chance to change your life.  I challenge you to start planning your next short-term missions trip – maybe it’s your first missions trip.  You will never go if you don’t start planning it.  It’s not too early to start planning for a trip for next summer (or earlier).  A trip like this can be the catalyst for major change for others and for you.  If you want to see change in this world, be the change – go on a short-term missions trip!

What are you waiting for?

When Are We Going Back?

When are we going back?

When will we return to Guatemala?

This is a question that is already running through my head, and it’s a question we are getting from our friends and family.

The truth is this – we don’t know yet.

I dream of going back to Guatemala twice a year.  I’d love to go back this year between Christmas and New Year’s.  But there are things that stand in the way:  money, a need to travel to see extended family, family commitments at home, and a desire for a family vacation for the four of us.

And so the question of when we are going back remains an unanswered mystery.

We’d appreciate your prayers for discernment as we consider this decision.

What question(s) in your life is a mystery?

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33

Guatemala 2014 Highlight Video

Dave Sgro from GO! Ministries put together this highlight video of our trip to Guatemala.  I shared it on Facebook when we first arrived home, but I don’t think I shared it here on the blog.  Enjoy!

What questions do you have for me (or my family) about our trip to Guatemala?

Outside The Safety Zone

My visits to Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala the past three summers have all coincided with the annual festival which takes place in the village each year.  The festival which lasts for a week or so fills the town central park with food, games, and some crazy rides.  Villagers fill the town each night to enjoy the festivities.

The Ferris wheel pictured above has been part of the festival each of the past three years, and it’s the biggest attraction at the festival.  It is balanced by a series of wood blocks which keep the wheel level, and it is hooked up to a gas-powered tractor engine which spins the wheel at breakneck speeds.  Fluorescent lights are fastened to the spokes of the wheel with electrical tape and wire ties.  And the seats are hung at the far reaches of the wheel.  Riders climb up a ramp and into their seats where they are taken on the ride of their lives without seat belts.

Is it safe?

Probably not – at least not completely.  But it’s a good ride.  Just ask my kids and the hundreds of villagers who rode this ride during this year’s festival.

For some reason, as I thought about this Ferris wheel, I kept going back to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

If you remember the story, Lucy is talking to the Mr. and Mrs. Beaver about Aslan.  Aslan is a lion who has special powers and authority over the land of Narnia.  He has a tremendous compassion and love for the creatures of Narnia, but he is also dangerous.  Here’s how Mr. Beaver describes Aslan:

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Aslan represents Christ in the story.  As part of the story, C.S. Lewis reminds readers that Jesus Christ isn’t safe, but he’s good – He’s the King!

When you choose to follow Christ, you never know what path you may travel.  It may be dangerous, but you can be sure it will be good.  As Americans, we tend to strive for comfort and security.  We want to be safe.  What if comfort, security, and safety are the wrong target?

Maybe we’re called to live life more dangerously.  You may not be called to go to Guatemala, to Liberia, or to another strange land, but you may be called to get out of your comfort zone.  Maybe it’s simply walking across the street to talk with your neighbor or visiting a local nursing home to spend time with a lonely resident. Whatever it is, don’t settle for safe.  Climb on board your Ferris wheel and hang on for the ride of your life!

When has your faith led you something that didn’t feel safe?  When was the last time you journeyed outside your comfort zone?