10. Hazy goals produce, at best, hazy results. In other words, if you have no clear idea of what you are shooting for, you never really know if you hit the target. Missionary effectiveness is often minimized because there is no clear objective or task that the missionary is seeking to fulfill. Over the past four months we have been working to clarify our objectives and the tasks we need to do to reach those objectives. For a 45-page detailed explanation of our objectives and tasks please send me an e-mail asking for “A Pre-field Strategy for Theological Education in Costa Rica”. At the very least, it will help fall asleep at night.
9. You reproduce in kind. This can be either good or bad, depending upon your kind. The point of this proverb is to remind us that the people we minister to tend to reproduce what they have seen modeled by us (that goes for our children too). What are we modeling? What are our actions teaching? Tough questions!
8. Foundations are forever. For the most part this is true. The idea behind this proverb is that how you establish a ministry, or a class, the values that you espouse, the things that you model will stick with you and your co-workers forever. This also means that many of the wrong assumptions or cultural blunders that we make can have a lasting effect on our ministry. This is why our agency values pre-field research and training in the hopes that some of these mistakes will be avoided.
7. Life is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes we get so focused on where we are going, the next career step or the next place of ministry, that we forget that God is as concerned with how we journey as He is with where we are going. At times we need to stop asking God “Are we there yet?” and be open to learning what He is teaching us along the way.
6. “You’ve taught us how to do, but you’ve never taught us how to be.” An African pastor spoke these words to a group of North American missionaries. His concern was the some missionaries were more concerned with controlling outward behavior than the deeper realities and struggles of the heart. Our calling in Costa Rica is one where we wish to see transformation at the core of our students, a transformation that includes a changing of values and assumptions along with behavior.
5. Living overseas is like pouring Miracle Grow on your sin. Cross-cultural living is fun and exciting, but it is also very stressful, especially for Americans who are used to modern conveniences. An increased volume of stressors seems to bring out sin that is more easily masked or hidden in your own country. The fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins-past, present and future-gives us great hope in being honest with sin when it shows up in our lives, and reminds us that God is committed to making us more like His Son (Rom. 8:26-38).
4. Faithfulness in the big things does not negate the need to be faithful in the little things. Sometimes we can think that taking a big step of faith can cover for unfaithfulness in smaller matters. God’s economy doesn't work that way.
3. God wants us to move beyond merely keeping the peace in a relationship to ministering to one another, even if it means getting messy. As people, we hate confrontation. Agree? We like peace. But many times what is best for a relationship is not just maintaining peace. Many times what is needed is loving, gentle confrontation. Many times in our marriages, in our families, in our friendships we ignore the “elephant in the room” so that we won’t stir up an unwanted strife. But, many times disturbing the peace is the most loving thing we can do.
2. Ministry flows out of being. This is closely related to number nine. The point can be illustrated another way. A baseball player’s instrument is his glove and bat. A guitarist’s instrument is his guitar. My instrument as a professor is my heart. Yes, I am called to be competent in my field of study. But, I am not merely called to give people information. I am called to impart my life and model union with God. As Proverbs 4:23 reads, “Above all else guard (examine, keep, purify, confess) your heart. For out of it is the wellspring of life.”
1. Always maintain a learning posture. Studies have shown that the people who journey well with the Lord over a lifetime are those who continually maintain a learning posture. In other words, they are constantly open to learning new things about God and life. They regularly re-evaluate their assumptions, and their theology. They ask how they can learn from trying circumstances and difficult people. And they are willing to learn from a myriad of people, even children, spouses and those whom they are in disagreement with. We are sure we will have lots to learn about God and life while we are in Costa Rica, and we ask God to give us a learning posture that would allow us to learn even from our trials and cultural blunders.
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