You always learn something when you say YES. I recently returned from a mission trip to Armenia, Colombia, South America. This is part of my YES adventure. I never expected to go to Colombia. It wasn’t on my radar, but I felt God’s whisper asking me to go and I said YES. There are many things that I am still processing about the trip. One of the things that I am most aware of is that the YES adventure is not a solo journey. We need each other in order to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives.
When I said YES to Colombia, I said YES to being a part of a team. Our team began working together before we ever left the USA. We prayed together, fasted together and prepared practically together for our ministry in Colombia. Not one of us could have completed the work alone. We needed each other from the moment of YES.
God has designed us to need each other. That’s a significant part of our walk with God, whether we are simply trying to live out our faith day by day at home, serving in our home church or going on a mission trip. We aren’t designed to have all the answers, abilities or energy to get the job done. God has made us with weaknesses where other people have strengths. Only together can we accomplish God’s purpose.
On the Colombia team, a main weakness for some of us was language. We don’t speak Spanish while the residents of Colombia do. Three out of our team of ten were fluent Spanish-speakers and made themselves available to translate for prayer and for practical communication. Since I am a pastor I was asked to speak several times. My messages in English would have had no effect on Spanish-speakers, no matter how good they might be, unless I had someone to translate. I couldn’t do it without Silvia, who translated every message. I needed her in order to accomplish God’s purpose for me.
Working with others accelerates your own growth. We are willing to do things as part of a team that we might not be willing to try alone. Knowing that there are others who are more comfortable with a task than you are allows you to lean on their strength and do it anyway.
In Colombia, our children’s ministry outreaches were comfortable for me. They involved music, singing and dancing. My backgrounds in drama and in children’s ministry made that task familiar for me. There were other’s on the team who found that a stretch. As we worked together, the strength of some could carry the weaknesses of others.
We also went door to door in some neighborhoods to pray for people and let them know that there was a new church in their area. I hate knocking on doors, but there were others who were very comfortable with it. I did something I had never done before, and would not have done on my own, because there were others with me who had that strength.
Invisible support is equally important. It’s hard to measure the importance of those who supported our trip financially or prayed for us at home, but we could not have done it without them. I know that not one of us had the money in the bank to make the trip. None of us could afford the trip on our own, but we felt called and trusted God to provide. He did through extra income, but also through the gifts of others.
I have always had trouble asking people for financial support. Part of our preparation for the trip was reading through a devotional together. In one of the entries the author talked about how inviting people to support a trip financially enabled them to expand their own hearts and grow as they participated in the mission with their resources. I realized that those who gave were just as much a part of the team as those of us who were on the ground. They went with us and touched people for God through us. Jesus said that where your treasure is there your heart will be (Matthew 6:21). Those who invested “treasure” in our trip also invested their hearts. Because of their financial support their hearts went with us. There is no way to measure that value.
There were also those who committed to pray. They were probably the most important members of our team. Their unseen labor on our behalf gave us strength, protection, wisdom and countless other values that we will not know about until we reach heaven. Their prayers worked with God to open people’s hearts and enabled us to do His work. Their prayers brought us protection in dark places and encouragement when we were weary or healing when some of us were sick. We could not have done this work without them. Their contribution is of inestimable value.
Dear One, whatever it is that you believe God has called you to do, remember that you will not be able to accomplish it on your own. He has made you with weaknesses that require the strengths of others. He wants you to help others to grow through your strengths and you to grow through theirs. He wants you to give others to opportunity to participate in what He has called you to do through their invisible support. He has made you to need them and them to need you. it doesn’t work alone. You don’t work alone. We don’t work alone and it’s a wonderful thing!
Key Thought: We need each other in order to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives.
A Scripture to consider: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,” Philippians 1:27 ESV
A YES Challenge: As you consider what you want to accomplish for God, who are two people you can trust to work with you or pray for you as you work toward that goal? Take some time to share with them. Enlist their help in prayer and practicality.
Prayer: Lord, I want to please you. There are things that I want to accomplish for Your honor and glory, but I realize that I can’t do it alone. I need the help of others in order to complete what I believe You have called me to do. Show me who to share with. Show me who to ask to pray. I can’t do this without You, but I can’t do it without them either. Amen.
