Challenge... accepted?

Today was a good day.

God was kind of nudging me along all day, pushing me towards something. I couldn't tell what. I read my Bible, I wrote in my journal, I took a look at Operation World (which was getting dusty on my shelf). I read the new RP Witness magazine. I took a look at the Gentle Reformation blog.

Through a lot of different avenues, my thoughts today were pushed towards the unreached peoples. I often think about Karamoja, because I miss it, and it's become my home away from home. I often think about Sudan, because I have friends there. But today I kept feeling my thoughts drawn towards the Middle East.

I won't say I had any breakthrough moments or strange visions or anything. But somehow or other God got me thinking about this whole missions path I'm on. Where does this lead? Why am I doing this? How far am I willing to go? Am I using my resources and my gifts in the best possible way?

I know I'll be in Karamoja until next summer, but I really haven't thought at all about what I'll do after that. I keep challenging people to think about missions, to get involved, to go or send or support. But am I following my own advice? I'm quick to challenge others -- am I willing to challenge myself? Or rather, am I willing to accept any challenge the Lord might put in front of me?

Today I received my TEFL certification "diploma" in the mail. I took the TEFL course because I had been planning on teaching English in South Korea. That plan fell through, but now I have this certification that opens up a world (literally) of possibilities.

There are billions of unreached people in this world. Unreached. They are born, live, and die without ever hearing the name of Christ. There is NO local church to evangelize them. They know just enough about God to be condemned (Romans 1). They have an awareness of God, but they don't know the way to escape His wrath. They have never heard that there's a Redeemer. They have no idea and they never will know unless some go to tell them.

The fact is, the places that are still unreached are dangerous, and they don't want Christians. But that is NO excuse not to go.

I could get into difficult countries posed as an English teacher. But am I willing to go? Do I trust God enough to follow Him to a place where I will face persecution? Would I follow that road and face that challenge if He asked it of me?

Those are hard questions that we ALL need to ask ourselves.

I want to say yes, I'd go, but I have to be honest with myself. I'm not sure I'm at the point where I could do that. But I want to get to that point where I could follow such a challenge. I don't want to settle for a mediocre faith that allows me to be comfortable in America, or Uganda, but that couldn't stand up to the rigors of life in Pakistan or Nigeria. I can't put provisos on this call to missions. I can't say -- "God, I'll serve you faithfully, but not in these five countries." It's all or nothing. Because for the unreached peoples, my decision about this, and YOUR decision about this, could mean eternal life or death.

Don't brush this aside. If you're not specifically and clearly called to STAY in America in order to fulfill a ministry God has for you here, then you should seriously think about whether He wants you to go.


I was blessed by this sermon on missions by David Platt. It's worth a listen.
http://t4g.org/media/2012/04/divine-sovereignty-the-fuel-of-death-defying-missions/