Sad to say, I know, but summer will soon come to an end, and the Fall will quickly kick in full swing. Many of us have recently returned from awesome trips in the United States and even from around the world. Even as I speak, I know some are still away on trips (Chicago Temple has gone/will be going to New York). After having had some time to process and unwind, are you ready for what’s to come? More accurately, are you ready to continue serving God and loving Him when school starts and work hits again?
One of the most fundamental issues of our Army missions trips is to equip people with tools to minister and live out the Gospel holistically, which means at all times and in all places. In other words, we should be able to love Jesus anywhere we are, not just during our summer get-aways.
There is often an unfortunate disconnect between our summer destinations and our primary context. Most people find it easy to serve and grow during summer trips, and rightfully so in some respect: we are constantly surround by a group of believers, and thus are (usually) constantly encouraged to keep going in all we do. Yet when the trip is over, and the feelings gone, people often take an unnecessary hiatus from pure missional living, and this should not be the case.
I understand that when we come off “the field” (a term that is often only referred to as the place where you go to serve, when in actuality the field is everywhere; it’s wherever you go) that we come back to new and old struggles alike. But we have to live faithfully wherever we are, and that includes every family relationship, school responsibility, and Corps ministry.
Do you realize what the root problem of this is? Compartmentalizing. In other words, we live Godly lives at certain times and places, but not in all. It’s living holy/wholly for God during the summer, but letting things slide during the school year. It’s deciding to memorize the Word because that’s what you do on a mission team, but it takes too much time because I have a lot of homework. It’s talking to anyone and everyone about the love of God during the Summer, but not sharing it with person next to you, or talking to the homeless person you just passed, or taking time out of your day to talk to that perfect stranger because, well, it’s a different time.
Know that God calls us to to love God and our neighbor at all times, in all places, and in every way. So give glory to God, wherever you go.
[Matthew 22: 37-40]
Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”