A Missions Minded Life

This trip has taught me so many things, how to shower in less than two minutes, how to do laundry in a sink, and most importantly, how I want to go about living my life for Christ when I get back.

I start freshman year seven days after I get back to the States. The transition is going to be very difficult. High school is crazy and it can be hard to stay strong in your faith. However, God has revealed to me how I should grow in my faith and stay strong throughout the next year. Ultimately, this can be done through a missions minded life.

Short term mission trips are amazing, life changing, and bring people so much closer to God, but we are not called just to serve God in another place. We are called to serve God in our everyday lives. Every day should be viewed as a mission trip and an opportunity to share the gospel with those around us.  

I have always struggled with re-entry from mission trips. I always feel like God has changed me, but I never know what to do with that change. People do not really expect me to be a changed person, so that makes it even harder. I know that coming back from this trip is going to be necessary in order to continue to grow in my spiritual walk with Christ.

Throughout this trip, God has been changing the way I view missions. The call to missions is not merely a call to go, but ultimately a call to serve where God has placed you for the time being. I like to call this a “missions minded” life. Living a missions minded life means serving God and sharing the gospel every single day as if you are on a never ending mission trip. This can be done by sharing Jesus with a classmate who doesn’t believe or volunteering for a local charity.

God has called and made me passionate about international missions. I believe that God has called me to live a life serving Him overseas. But for now, God has placed me in Enterprise, Alabama and that is where I will serve him now. With all of this, I have found myself thinking, “Ehh, the mission lifestyle is my future. I do not have to serve God yet. I can be a normal kid just preparing for a future in missions.” I had it all wrong. God has commanded us to serve Him and His people everywhere we are. We are to have the mindset of a missionary in all we do. That is living mission minded.

I would like to say the transition home into a new life is going to be easy, but, in reality, it is going to be super difficult. Change is never easy, especially when most do not understand it. I am fearful that my attempt to change is going to fail and I will fall back into my old ways. I am fearful that I will lose my friends in the chaos of freshman year. Most of all, I am fearful that I will topple in my relationship with Christ.

To be honest with you, I am freaked out for the start of high school. I am scared I will lose all of my friends and lose my faith. I have been closer to God than ever before on this trip and I am scared I will lose that when I come home. The reminder of being intentional with people has really helped me work through my fears. I need to make an effort for change, fight for friendships, and be purposeful in my walk with God.  I am constantly praying about my transition home and that God will shape me to live out a missions minded life. I am so thankful for the things God has put on my heart this trip. I am eager to explore a missions minded life and listen to what God has in store for freshman year.