The Call

You don't hear much about the "call" to missions anymore. That was much more of a thing when I was young. We were often asked about our call to missions 25 years ago when we were headed to Ecuador. I was reflecting again on our call to missions this past as I prepared a devotional for several engineering students who were spending their spring break to intern at SonSet Solutions.

One of the Churches We Helped Plant in Ecuador

Paul talks about his Macedonian call in Acts 16 and the need for people to tell others about Jesus in Romans 10:13-15 where he uses words like "go" and "sent". Jesus talks about the fields that are ready to harvest in Matt. 9:37-38 and of course, the great commission in Acts 1:8. But frankly, few of us get a call like Paul did. For me the call came over the period of a several of years.

First, I became aware of  the need for missions. I had been a good witness to my co-workers I think. But it wasn't until a missions trip to Mexico that I really experienced the white fields of harvest. Witnessing to my co-workers yielded little fruit during the 9 years that I worked in the US. But I saw several people come to know Jesus in a little Mexican church through my simple preaching and translation of the God's word.  People here were ready to follow Jesus... they just needed someone to tell them about Him!

Second, God began to put a dis-satifaction with the status quo in my life. I was working for defense contractors as an engineer at the time, pushing the envelope in radar development. We had the latest technology and were doing things that had never been done before. They were exciting times. But I was increasingly unhappy and uneasy. A growing fear of becoming too complacent in my comfortable world made me long for something more.

Thirdly, God produced in me an intense sense that what I was doing had no eternal value. We were working long hours at times in our push to stay ahead of our competitors. But what was the eternal value of what I was doing? Was this just "wood, hay, and straw" that would eventually burn up when my earthly deeds were passed through God's quality test by fire?  I began thinking about the bigger picture of life and God.

Some 25 years later, I am glad that I responded to God's call to serve Him. It has not always been easy, but it has been rewarding in so many ways. Do you hear God calling you to serve Him in some way? I encourage you to follow His call.

Doug