Being at PFO, we have a great privilege of having veteran missionaries from all over the world here. It also means we're being touched by constant news from all over the world. I'm not sure how big this was back in Minnesota, but on Tuesday, a missionary was shot by rebel terrorists in Mauritania and killed. He was a friend of two of the staff members here at PFO, and it (as well as some other not-so-pleasant topics) unleashed some serious conversation around campus about whether or not missions is worth the risk.
Wednesday morning, the staff very wisely chose to move up a previously scheduled devotional on the "Theology of Risk." A missionary mom from the Ivory Coast in Africa shared about the years of fear she felt about her daughters being exposed to violence and possibly death. She admits it did take a really long time before the Lord took away the fear in her heart and covered her with the comforting thought that He was enough for any situation. In addition, she quoted a verse from 1 Chronicles 21 in which David basically says, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord that which cost me nothing."
So here we are all now wrestling with the idea. Part of me says, "You're going to Germany. What could possibly happen!?" But on the other hand, there are still costs to pay. Even if they're minor ones, I should be processing them and deciding in advance whether or not they'll be worth it to pay. That way when I'm overseas, lonely, frustrated, and moaning about not getting to watch Monday Night Football or missing my friends or feeling bleak about my singleness, my heart attitude will be one of worship toward the Lord! "I will not sacrifice to the Lord that which cost me nothing!" Serving God in the way he has called me is worth any risk.
2 comments:
get your dad's slingbox - that will alleviate the one issue of missing MNF
I actually do already have that. But there's still the timing issue! Watching football at 4 am when I have to teach 3 hours later may not be the wisest decisions.
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