Short-Term Missions: Valuable or a Waste?

A few years ago, before I ventured out on my own short-term mission trip, I knew of someone who went on a short-term trip. He declared it, upon his return, a waste of time and money. At the time I became concerned as I was actively fundraising for my own upcoming trip. The reasons he gave for his disappointment in the trip didn’t seem to ring true but what did I know? I had never gone before.



Then I went on my trip. And it became clear to me. He didn’t get “it”. Maybe he didn’t want to or maybe something blocked him from getting “it” but he didn’t. Years later I look back, after having gone on a second trip and wanting to go other places, and I realize that what he really didn’t get was God’s heart. He didn’t operate with God’s heart, God’s eyes, God’s hands, God’s feet. He had to have been operating with his flesh and his own expectations and opinions. (Sounds judgemental of me right?  I know but keep reading and hopefully you'll see my heart.)  In The Message Matthew 5:8 says, "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” We can’t be the hands and feet of Jesus until we are right with God in our own hearts and minds about the works of God. This means we can’t go anywhere, even within our own cities, to do God’s work if we have ideas of our own. We will declare it a waste of time and money in the end.


When we go on a mission that is God ordained but we go in our own flesh then we will come back from it declaring it to be a waste of time and money. When we go on a mission that is God ordained and go indwelt by the Holy Spirit then we will come back from it declaring that God’s people are valuable and worth our time and money.


I’ve firmly set up camp on the side that short-term missions is valuable, perhaps I would go as far as to say vital, to the life of a believer. Why? What’s the big deal? Shouldn’t we be concerned about the people across the street from us? Let me answer those questions starting with the last one first.


Yes, we should be concerned about the person across the street but be honest. Are you? Or do you like throwing that out there as a reason to not think about the heart of God? See, I think the majority of church goers like to use their own streets, cities, states, and country as their handy excuse to not really become God’s hands and feet. Why would I say something so…so harsh?! Because actions, or lack thereof, speak way louder than words my friends. If you were really concerned about your street, your city, your state, and your country you would be doing something to show it. You would be extending yourself in some way to put action to your words. Just sayin’.


What’s the big deal? Well, the “least of these” holds a big part of God’s heart. And he invites us to interact with them and be him to them. (Try saying that fast three times!) This usually leads to a sub-question: If God cares so much about people in poverty situations then why does he allow it to go on? God has never made it a secret that there would always be poverty among us. (Deuteronomy 15) And God’s definition of poverty is a complete definition whereas ours is incomplete. Poverty in God’s dictionary is defined as not just a material lack but a spiritual, emotional, and mental lack as well. So even if material poverty was eradicated there would still be some other kind of poverty to address. God cares about the whole of a person and he invites us to care about the whole of people as well. It’s a big deal.


Why? Why do I see short-term missions as vital to the life of a believer? Because I look around the Church and I see a lack. A lack of compassion, a lack of submission, a lack of availability, a lack of trust, a lack of grace, a lack of mercy, a lack of genuine love, a lack of depth, a lack of understanding, a lack of relationship. Well. Am I saying there isn’t anything good in the Church? Noooo…not exactly. But in America there is a famine in the Church. We have allowed the world to suck us dry of God’s heart. Think I’m being too harsh? Take an honest look around on Sunday morning at your place of worship. And before you look at others around you take a good honest look at yourself. Ask yourself: What do I really value? Where am I extending myself and considering others before me? Do I pray to God about me, me, me or him? Is my church’s focus on entertainment or God’s standards? Does the Holy Spirit get preference or do the egos of the people in the congregation?


Still think I’m being too harsh?


Short-term missions to a third world country, and/or to a culture (I’m thinking of Indian Reservations here in America and Canada) that doesn’t contain the luxuries we think are necessities begins to highlight the lacks I mentioned above and begins to open the eyes of the heart to God’s standards rather than our own. See, we have tried to make our standards sound like they are God’s. We may be able to get away with that with each other but God doesn’t allow anyone to get away with it. So when God takes us out of our comfort zone and places us in a country or culture that highlights the lacks of our own hearts it’s as if we suddenly can see what he’s talking about in his word. Oh sure, we know what he means, in theory, when he says something like, “Give a cup of water in my name” but do we know what it means to actually DO that? A short-term mission puts us out there, lets us see that we can no longer just talk about it – it means more to do it. Short-term missions show us that to have real impact we must shut our mouths and start moving our feet and extending our hands. We talk too much. We sit around in small groups, focus groups, leadership groups, and many other kinds of groups and we talk. We talk about what to do, how to do, when to do, is it convenient to do, is it realistic to do, and by the time we get to the actual doing the opportunity is gone. It has either been taken care of by someone else who got it or the need disappeared. We miss blessing God because we are too busy trying to figure out if it is convenient. Newsflash: The work God asks us to do on his behalf will NEVER be convenient for us. Never. Want to know why? Because usually it is something that interrupts our lives. Usually it is something that makes us feel uncomfortable. Usually it is something that highlights our need for his power and we don’t like feeling powerless. Usually it is something that cannot take place unless we rely solely on the Holy Spirit. And let’s face it. We don’t want to have to rely on God; we like to rely on him when we choose to, not when we have to. I’m just being honest here. If you feel offended by that then check yourself. I mean really check yourself and see if what I have said bears any truth in your own heart. I don’t need a report back; this is about you and God.


How do you want to stand before God? With a comfortable faith that sat in a pew for years or with a faith that was refined and tested through putting yourself out there to be the hands and feet of the One you claimed faith in? “But Beth. Not everyone can do that. I mean physically not everyone is able to be the hands and feet of Jesus.” Really? What about Joni Erickson Tada? What about Nick Vujicic? Just to name a few. :)  Gotcha didn’t I? (Trust me. It got me long before it made it here to this post.) God didn’t call us to the pews. He, in fact, calls us out of the pews. What are the pews for? To get equipped to get out of them! “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) See that last line? Just in case you missed it, here it is again. “THROUGH THE WORD WE ARE PUT TOGETHER AND SHAPED UP FOR THE TASKS GOD HAS FOR US.” Well, I’m pretty sure the tasks he has for us don’t stop at sitting in a pew. If someone like Nick Vujicic, who literally has no hands and feet, can and does go out into the world to be hands and feet for Jesus then surely the majority of us who have hands and feet can go out as well. Don’t you think? “But Beth. My Doctor told me to not be on a plane for more than 4 hours because of XYZ problems I have.” Okay. Can you drive down the road to your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter or pregnancy center or you fill in the blank and serve there? The point is this – GET OUT OF THE PEW. :)


Let me put to rest another argument about going to third world countries or other cultures that I have heard recently. Many church-going people like to use the need evident in our own country as an excuse to not engage in the world’s poverty. Okay. I’ll give them points on recognizing that we have poverty issues here in the USA as well. But. (Ha, you totally knew that was coming right?) Here’s what we have that third world countries don’t. We have programs (food stamps, welfare), we have soup kitchens, we have shelters, we have resources. Simply put we have ways to meet the needs that nobody else does. And I think that this excuse that church-going people use belongs in the same category as the excuse mentioned above about neighbors across the street. And why are church-going people who seem to read their bibles at least once a week even trying to cop out with that excuse? I can think of several reasons why. Laziness, apathy, fear, ignorance. I probably don’t need to continue do I?


I know.


It’s irritating that I am talking about this…this…this topic! (I mean, don’t I know how uncomfortable it makes us to talk about *lower voice* poor people?!)


It’s frustrating that I am shining light on the secret thoughts all of us have entertained at least once in our lives.


It’s maddening that I am telling us to take a risk.


I mean, I cannot believe I said what I did about churches talking too much! Can I say that?


You bet. And I’ll say it again and again and again. As long as God compels me to. You know why? Because he has asked us to extend a cup of water (and more) in his name and we can’t be sitting in a pew and doing it. We have to engage in this world and in the work God is doing in this world.


Valuable = Walking in obedience and faith to the mandates of God, allowing our faith to be refined however God sees fit.


Waste = Padding ourselves with comfortable pews and nice sanctuaries and growth groups, all of which serve as replacements for the abundant life God wants for us. (Oh I totally offended some of you just now. I know I did! But I can’t apologize for it. We don’t have to agree on all things so if you can still love me despite my offense that I just dealt you then cool. If not, well I’ll understand. It’s hard stuff to hear, process, and accept.)


Because I care about you, because I want to see you have a vibrant and abundant life in God would you do something?  Would you ask God today how you can be his hands and feet?  And then would you be open to his answer (even if it seems scary or unrealistic to you)?  And then would you actually pursue fulfilling his desire for you? Thanks.  The people who you are going to touch with Jesus thank you.  It'll be worth it to get out of the pew.  I promise.