Reflections: Consistency

I have friends in ministry who have been on many more mission trips than I have. They have traveled throughout the world and can tell fantastic stories about their adventures. Their passports are well worn from use and multiple destinations. I applaud my friends who serve in this fashion and I am grateful for their willingness to travel to so many places and serve different people. My personal mission philosophy is a bit different, however.

I decided early in my ministry career that I wanted to focus my energies in one place. I am a creature of routine in many ways and wanted to invest my resources on one mission field. It doesn't meant that one area is better than another, but that I wanted to have the maximum impact over a long period of time. By continuing to visit one people group I have earned the right to say certain things and have consistently been part of the goals of one organization. I have had a part in the transformation of mission groups and have established friendships that last longer than the week we are on the mission field. My prayer focus has changed as my family (and many friends) have established bonds of trust and concern that don't diminish with distance. I view it as a life-long commitment to one place that will hopefully bear fruit in the lives of the people we serve as well as benefiting us.

We each have to decide the approach that works best for us and then be active in transforming the world. Inaction isn't an option for a true Christ follower.