Matthew 9:36 (NIV) When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without
a shepherd
Motivation is the first step in moving towards Short Term
Ministry. And how does one become motivated in going to ministry? By learning
what God sees in the lost.
When Jesus walked here with us, He saw the plight of the
crowds, how helpless and bewildered they are without a person to guide them. It
is here that we see the compassion to sympathize with the lost.
How do learn to have to compassion to the lost? By following
what He did, He went and “see” them. In our fast paced life, we fail to see how
others live. It is when we search for them, live with them, would we be able to
understand, at least a little more, on how they understand and view the world.
But surely with further exposure and research, we would learn to sympathize
with them. Compassion, like love, takes time to build.
This is unlike the brief sympathy that we feel for the poor
and the helpless that is flashed in the Internet and the television, no this is
more than that. This is God’s Spirit in action, this is a means of falling in
love with His people.
Acts
13:47 “For so
hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the
Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
People bond with each other by spending time together and the same
principle could be said for becoming closer with the country that we plan to
reach out. Study the people, the local culture and if possible, contact a
native or a returning Filipino worker that has worked/study in that country.
Usually, you do fall in love with it after visiting in for a few times. Or
perhaps rather than that, you fall in love with the Commission itself, by
visiting various countries.
Let me tell you about my friend Nomer. Following the
Great Commission is his passion and he wants to share what he experienced in
God to the nations that have not even heard of Him. A Campus Minister by trade,
he aims to join a short term mission every couple of years and have been
sharing God’s word in areas such as in Beijing and Bangkok. He has seen how a
few days in the Short Term Ministry have the potential to change a life.
Kuya Nomer did not choose Nepal at first, instead God
lead him to the nation. His first visit there was very refreshing. He enjoyed
the country’s tranquil atmosphere and simplicity. Their food was also exotic to
his taste. But above all else, he loved the people there and how they reach out
for the lost. In fact, he returned to the country with a fresh team to support
the long term church workers that remained there.
Perhaps going to a country is not an option for you
this time but that would not mean that you can’t reach your goal.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus said that the disciples should go
as witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth.
It is an ever widening territory that expands from the place that they were
based (Jerusalem) until they cover the earth.
In the same we should start small until God gives hones
the skills that He gave us and present the opportunities for growth.
So where is our Jerusalem? It begins by ministering
on our family. Love them, obey your parents and show them how God changed your
life.
Our Judea? It is our friends and other relatives.
Our Samaria? That would be our own communities. Show them
why Christians are the light and salt of the earth.
Who knows what parts of the Earth God has prepared
for us!
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