There is some running back and forth in all our lives. And in my travels, I have many conversations with pastors. But one of those chats still sticks out in my mind as unusual. Why? It concerned a parishioner who seemed to be running away from God’s blessing.
Running Away?
The pastor I spoke with is a friend and his church has been active in supporting this ministry. A few months ago this pastor asked me to get in touch with a friend of his. The pastor told me his friend had recently mentioned a desire to get involved in a mission project. I spoke with the gentleman and it seemed there was always a ‘reason’ he couldn’t commit to a mission project. However, every time we spoke he would repeat his desire to be involved in a mission. He’d do the next one ‘for sure.’ To date, that has not happened.
My pastor friend and I were talking about the general state of affairs in many churches. How, or whether, churches are involved in missions was a large part of the conversation. Then he asked if I remembered the conversations I’d had with his friend. He said his friend was a modern-day Jonah. He’d been called to a mission but he was running as fast as possible in the opposite direction. Based on the new details he shared I’d have to agree.
Running To The Mission
Why do people do that? At what point has God failed to be good? God doesn’t ask for our obedience so He can make us miserable. He is the One who knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). They are not to harm us but bring us hope and give us a future. He is the One Who rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6-7).. He is the One Who knows how to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11).
Acts 8 is one place we see a person running toward his mission. God told Philip to go down the Gaza road and meet a man in a chariot. Acts 8:27 begins simply, So he got up and went… His obedience resulted in the Gospel being taken into Africa. It also resulted in Philip being ‘beamed up’ and taken to another place. Really! Check it out.
We never know the details that wait behind or beyond our Yes! to God. Whatever it looks like, you can rest assured it will be your greatest blessing. The only question is, are you going to run from it, or to it?
Think about it…
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