Am I willing?

Over at www.kellyskornerblog.com today. She talked about Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Radical by David Platt (which are awesome books!!) She is processing if she would really be willing to give up her comfortable life to follow God if He lead her somewhere she didn’t want to go. What a great question! One all of us should be asking, since it will show us the extent of our faith and intimacy with the Lord.

I have found that when our willingness is challenged, the easiest thing to do is rationalize. Things like, “God would never ask me to…”, “What I am doing now is enough…”, “There are enough people over there, we need more people here.” Oh how this breaks my heart and I believe it breaks God’s heart. When Kelly asked this question of herself, many following comments were rationalizing for her. Encouraging her to not think about it, to not let herself be challenged or even desire to sacrifice more for the Lord. I wonder what is wrong with asking “Am I willing?”

When Jesus saw the lost, He had compassion… He saw their great need. What did He tell the disciples to pray for? For them to come to know Him? No, He told them… and us, to pray for the Father to send laborers. When we are talking people out of thinking about if they are willing to go somewhere hard if God asked them, we are void of compassion. Why are we rationalizing how we don’t have to go, when the majority of the earth’s population is dying without even hearing the name of Jesus? Is it because we arnt “seeing” the lost? Or perhaps we see but arn’t doing what God told us to do, praying for Him to send laborers?

I heard a great pastor say once that he was going on a missions trip and someone asked him, “Did you pray about it?” The pastor said, “No”.  Then he went on to say, “I didn’t realize we had to pray about doing the things He already told us to do in scripture.” So true! God told us to Go. To initiate the process of making disciples. We don’t need some mystical experience or gushy feeling to tell us this is God’s will for us. He already told us to go and that is all we need. God told us to go, and God told us to pray for more to go. Why are we sitting back trying to figure out ways to stay comfortable and have it be ok with God?

If we truly understood that people were going to hell, compassion would be the result. Thinking about how in places like Turkey, only .01% of the population has heard of Christ. Yes, there are many who don’t know Christ here, but all have the opportunity. They have the internet and they most likely have a church within a mile of where they live. In the 10/40 window this is not true, the gospel is not accessible.

Our rationalization for not going reminds me of how God got people out of their comfort zones in Acts. He allowed serious persecution and scattered them. That got them to go. Is that what it is going to take to move us out of our comfort zones?

And what would be so wrong in sacrificing “too much”? As if that were possible, we can’t out-give God. I highly doubt we are going to get to heaven and say, “Man, sure wish I hadnt given so much up to make Christ known.” 

The question is not “should I?”  Because the answer is yes. The question is “What should I?”  Not every need is a calling, so what do we give ourselves to? Yes, being a mom is a ministry, I am a mom of a 2 month old, 2 year old and 3 year old. But it is not our only ministry. 

To answer this question we need to think through our uniqueness, mission and current reality and try to live out of the merging of all them as much as we can. All of our purpose is the same, to glorify God (display His character). And all of our mission is the same, to make multiplying disciples. But our uniqueness (strengths, gifts, personality, experience etc) and current reality (roles and expectations of you right now in your life) are different. We each are responsible before God to steward what He gave us personally to use toward our purpose and our mission. (I talk about this a ton in my Bible study and how to come up with a strategic plan for your life if your interested.)

What about you? What happens in your mind and heart if someone were to ask you if you were willing? Would you quickly rationalize? Would you be quick to surrender? If you would be fearful, why? What does that show you you are believing about God? If someone invited you today to go on a short term missions trip this summer, what would your first thoughts be? Would you be like my friend Sara, who would be 7 1/2 months pregnant and actively and faithfully trying to make it happen? Or my friend Erin, who has 2 young girls who is walking through the unknowns to make it happen? Or would you be like doubting Thomas, "God, show me it's really you."

Let's be women that take Him at His word and Go.