For as long as I can remember I have always had a passion for helping other people, for doing what God has called me to do. I have always wanted to go on a mission trip. Heck, even for a while, I thought I was being called to be a missionary, but life has a funny way of working out differently.
I remember when I was roughly eight years old. I was sitting in church and a team had recently gotten back from a mission trip to Poland. I remember hearing their stories and testimonies of how God worked in their lives in the short time they were there and turning to my mom and saying "I'm going to go there someday, I want to be a missionary". I said that as soon as I was able and old enough to go I would. However, unfortunately, they stopped traveling there. Granted, there have been more opportunities over the years to go on other mission trips, but the time has just never been right. I have come to the conclusion that the time will never be "right" and that you just have to make it happen. As the famous Nike slogan says "just do it". So, lets begin by taking a look at a few words of scripture.
Those are just some of the most powerful and influential verses that have helped me in making a decision. Next summer (2017) I will hopefully be traveling to Uganda on a mission trip for about three and a half weeks. Here, we will be working on building projects. Working with orphans, just as Jesus calls us to do in scripture. Working with the poor. Sharing testimonies, and most importantly (I think) sharing the gospel. As Christian's we are called to serve according to His purpose. As the saying goes "God does not call the equipped, He equips the called".
Now, I understand that obviously not everyone is called to be a missionary. But, please if you feel God nudging at your heart, pray about it, think about it, and go! But I bet you're asking "how do I know if it's really God speaking to me?" Well, I can tell you about how I know when God is talking to me. Personally for me if I pray and ask God to help me with something, He normally gives me a Bible verse to look up and read. For a few days I then study that verse and think about how I can apply that to my life (or the situation I asked Him to help me with). Another way he speaks to me is through song. Often, a song will come on the radio at the right moment and in that time all I can do is smile look up at the sky and say "okay God. I got my answer now, thank you". :) But the most common one for me that I often am very careful about is when I hear a little voice in my head telling me what to do, because sometimes that little voice is Satan. And well, we all know what happens if we listen to that one. But the truth is, if God is really speaking to you, He will often repeat Himself. He will find ways to bring that into your life, not just at home. For example, when deciding to go on this trip it took me four years. FOUR YEARS to finally listen to Him and say "okay God, here I go" and apply for the trip. Every time I would pray about it, I could hear Him inside my head saying "Delaney, go. I have this. You will be just fine. Make disciples and help out the kids, you love them and they love you" and I just kept blowing it off and procrastinating because I seriously thought it was Satan talking to me, until one day the Lord showed up in the clear blue sky and played a certain song on the radio. You know the song titled "Cry of my Heart by Terry Butler? Yeah that one.
"It is the cry of my heart to follow you. It is the cry of my heart to be close to you." Yep. It made me cry.
Anyways, my point? If you feel like God is nudging at you to do something, whether it be a mission trip, or simply apply for that job you've been putting off for months out of fear, JUST DO IT! When in doubt, pray it out.
I remember when I was roughly eight years old. I was sitting in church and a team had recently gotten back from a mission trip to Poland. I remember hearing their stories and testimonies of how God worked in their lives in the short time they were there and turning to my mom and saying "I'm going to go there someday, I want to be a missionary". I said that as soon as I was able and old enough to go I would. However, unfortunately, they stopped traveling there. Granted, there have been more opportunities over the years to go on other mission trips, but the time has just never been right. I have come to the conclusion that the time will never be "right" and that you just have to make it happen. As the famous Nike slogan says "just do it". So, lets begin by taking a look at a few words of scripture.
- In the Bible, the Lord tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19)
- He also tells us in Luke 9:23 to make disciples. "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me".
- "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms" 1 Peter 4:10
- Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
Those are just some of the most powerful and influential verses that have helped me in making a decision. Next summer (2017) I will hopefully be traveling to Uganda on a mission trip for about three and a half weeks. Here, we will be working on building projects. Working with orphans, just as Jesus calls us to do in scripture. Working with the poor. Sharing testimonies, and most importantly (I think) sharing the gospel. As Christian's we are called to serve according to His purpose. As the saying goes "God does not call the equipped, He equips the called".
Now, I understand that obviously not everyone is called to be a missionary. But, please if you feel God nudging at your heart, pray about it, think about it, and go! But I bet you're asking "how do I know if it's really God speaking to me?" Well, I can tell you about how I know when God is talking to me. Personally for me if I pray and ask God to help me with something, He normally gives me a Bible verse to look up and read. For a few days I then study that verse and think about how I can apply that to my life (or the situation I asked Him to help me with). Another way he speaks to me is through song. Often, a song will come on the radio at the right moment and in that time all I can do is smile look up at the sky and say "okay God. I got my answer now, thank you". :) But the most common one for me that I often am very careful about is when I hear a little voice in my head telling me what to do, because sometimes that little voice is Satan. And well, we all know what happens if we listen to that one. But the truth is, if God is really speaking to you, He will often repeat Himself. He will find ways to bring that into your life, not just at home. For example, when deciding to go on this trip it took me four years. FOUR YEARS to finally listen to Him and say "okay God, here I go" and apply for the trip. Every time I would pray about it, I could hear Him inside my head saying "Delaney, go. I have this. You will be just fine. Make disciples and help out the kids, you love them and they love you" and I just kept blowing it off and procrastinating because I seriously thought it was Satan talking to me, until one day the Lord showed up in the clear blue sky and played a certain song on the radio. You know the song titled "Cry of my Heart by Terry Butler? Yeah that one.
"It is the cry of my heart to follow you. It is the cry of my heart to be close to you." Yep. It made me cry.
Anyways, my point? If you feel like God is nudging at you to do something, whether it be a mission trip, or simply apply for that job you've been putting off for months out of fear, JUST DO IT! When in doubt, pray it out.
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