Missional Motives
The catchword these days at church is “missional.” Missional living, missional vision, missional mindset… the focus increasingly rests on getting out of the church building to “go and be” the church. One large church in my area has over 40 mission opportunities planned for this year alone, some local and cross-country, but most of them overseas. Members have responded with great enthusiasm, filling the ranks of these planned trips without a great deal of persuasion.
As they prepare, leaders of the international mission trips would do well to share the following African (applicable to any culture) tale with their teams:
Elephant and Mouse were best friends. One day, Elephant said, “Mouse, let’s have a party.” Animals gathered from far and near.
They ate. They drank. And nobody celebrated more or danced harder than Elephant. After the party was over, Elephant exclaimed, “Mouse, did you ever go to a better party? What a blast” But Mouse did not answer.
“Mouse, where are you?” Elephant called. He looked around for his friend, then shrank back in horror. There at Elephant’s feet lay Mouse. His little body was ground into the dirt. He had been smashed by the big feet of his exuberant friend, Elephant.
The African storyteller sums up his tale. “Sometimes that is what it is like to do missions with you Americans. it is like dancing with elephants.” Enthusiastic American missionaries often arrive as fixers and rescuers. We bring technology and money. We have goals. Timetables. A list. But often we forget to adapt to the culture we are visiting and we end up disrepecting the very people we’ve come to serve. In our excitement, our “savior complex” can do more harm than good.
How do we avoid such pitfalls? The most important strategy is to examine your motives. Why are you going? Short-term missions is not a way to get people to pay for your summer vacation. Long-term missions is not a way to escape problems at home.
We don’t go because we need to appreciate our blessings.
We don’t go to expose our children to suffering.
We don’t go to expand our minds or embrace a global perspective.
These are all by-products of the experience, not the reasons we go. These benefits will never sustain or empower us in the midst of the work. Mission work isn’t about us–it’s about the people we serve, and even more importantly, about God.
In John 21, resurrected Jesus questions Peter’s commitment to Him by repeating the question three times, “Do you love me?” Each time Peter answered yes, the Lord instructed him to care for His sheep.
We serve the Body of Christ worldwide because we love Christ. Because we want to see His name glorified, His word spread to all people, His saving grace offered to those in bondage. We serve because we love Him.
When you are knee deep in mud, throwing up in a bucket, reworking your lesson for the third time, playing peek-a-boo with orphaned children…the love of Christ will sustain and motivate you. He’s the only Savior people need.
Kelley Mathews
Kelley Mathews (Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) has written and edited for the Christian market for more than 20 years. Currently a writer for RightNow Media, she lives in North Texas with her husband and their four children. She has partnered with Sue Edwards to coauthor Mixed Ministry, Women’s Retreats, Leading Women Who Wound, Organic Ministry to Women, and 40 Questions about Women in Ministry. Find her books and blog at KelleyMathews.com.
7 Comments
Sandy Kemp
THANK YOU for bringing this
THANK YOU for bringing this up. A pet peve of mine. I have been on short term missions and I support our missions financially and in prayer etc.
However,
I’d just like to say that it would very refreshing to hear returning missionaries
give presentations about the testimonies of the people they serve
“out there”, rather than how the mission changed their own life or how great/ difficult the trip was. Virtually every presentation drones on about the trip/ themselves and rarely do we hear testamony about the people.
Dear Missionaries, please remember:
We supporters of missions don’t give our money and support so that
the lives of missionaries can be changed or so that your kids can eat exotic foods and live without their ipod for 3 weeks. We support because we care about the people “out there”. It isn’t about you.
Thanks, SK
Jen Easley
Well said.
Wow, that was right on the mark. I was very humbled the first time I went to Africa. Humbled to know that it wasn’t actually about me rescuing or feeling sorry for the people I encountered. No, they are a beautiful, strong people on their own and I could learn a lot from them. Instead, I realized God is already at work in Africa, He doesn’t need me and, yet, how humbling it was that He invited me to join in the work.
Sue Bohlin
Yowza!
Man, Kelley, this was SUCH good stuff! Recently I’ve been hearing people say that some missions trips are just a form of "Christian tourism." Ouch! And I loved Sandy’s note to missionaries.
Having just returned from a ministry trip to Belarus, I am glad that when people ask, "How was your trip?" my first response is to flash on the faces and hugs of the people with whom we shared the love and truth of Jesus. And not the images of downtown Minsk, or experiencing the Metro, or visiting a war memorial. Because it’s not about us.
Never was.
Anonymous
I like the story as a good
I like the story as a good visual for the excellent point that was made. We must learn before we can help. Our idea of helping might not be what a specific culture even needs, in the end it might just be about us feeling good that we “helped”. In the end anything that is not done for Christ will not last. It will be an eye opener in the end what people did that was for Christ and what was just selfish motivations. Missionaries are not immune!
Sharifa Stevens
Amen.
Amen.
Shannon
Good stuff!!
Kelley, this is excellent – do you have any thoughts on the idea of missions as a “bridge” ministry? (see 410 bridge.org for a big giant example)… Our church is about to open a children’s home in Guatemala – our people will go several times a year to do projects there, and we hope to eventually have people from our church on staff at the home. It’s not something that’s ever going to be neglected – we are forever tied to this home… That’s the idea behind “bridge” missions…thoughts??
boediger
The catchword these days at
The catchword these days at church is “missional.” Missional living, missional vision, missional mindset… the focus increasingly rests on getting out of the church building to “go and be” the church. One large church in my area has over 40 mission opportunities planned for this year alone, some local and cross-country, but most of them overseas. Members have responded with great enthusiasm, filling the ranks of these planned trips without a great deal of persuasion.
boediger