Just Willing

Winter, Ralph; Steven Hawthorne (2013-‐07-‐21). Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (Kindle Locations 22585-‐22599). William Carey Library. Kindle Edition.

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Just Willing Casey Morgan

Casey Morgan and his family have served in East Asia for six years. They are currently leading a ministry challenging indigenous believers to a life of world Christian discipleship. Willingness. I’ve found that most often this is really what it boils down to. When my wife and I decided to move to the concrete jungles of East Asia in the summer of 2002, our family and friends thought maybe we’d gone off the deep end or had turned into some kind of “superchristians.” We had a two-‐year old, a nine -‐month old and were expecting our third child by Christmas. We’d just bought our first house and were part of a fruitful ministry in our home state of Texas. Life was good. Why on earth would we do something else— something so drastic? The truth is, we hadn’t changed at all. Our perspective had. Because of that, we somehow knew life would never be the same. Our perspective changed over the course of 48 hours in the fall of 2000 when we attended a “World Christian ” seminar. For the first time , we were face-‐to-‐face with the biblical foundation for cross-‐cultural missions, the current state of the world and what it means to truly be a part of revealing Jesus to the nations. It was the first time someone looked us in the eye and asked, “What part of your life reflects God’s desire to be known among every people group on the planet?” As far as we could tell, none. The following weeks, months and years have simply been a response to what we learned at that time. There was no way we could ignore the new information. How could we walk away and continue on as we had been? We faced some major decisions. Our perspective on the world had changed. It was clear that the way we lived— even where we lived— was going to have to change, too. Keep in mind that neither of us had ever been on a cross-‐cultural mission trip. To be honest, the prospect of going someplace halfway around the world was pretty scary. We tried to convince ourselves that because people right where we lived needed Jesus, maybe we ought to just stay put. Still, as we continued to sift through what God had brought to our attention, it became evident that the most impact we could have would be among those the furthest removed from the gospel. So we decided to go. That’s when everyone thought we’d changed. People around us would often say, “Wow, you guys have such a clear calling to serve overseas. I don’t think I could ever do that.” My wife and I didn’t know what to say. We felt like we were just like them. Why were we so different all of a sudden? Others would comment on how committed we must be. They applauded our self-‐sacrifice and lifted us up as spiritual giants of sorts.


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Recently, I’ve been able to put my finger on exactly what separates us from the countless others back home. Willingness. We never had a special calling to “go.” We’re not any more spiritual than you or the person sitting next to you in church. We’re just willing. That’s all. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already begun a life of World Christian discipleship. Praise God! We need senders, welcomers and mobilizers doing the job at home. But if you’re content to stay without ever asking yourself “What’s keeping me from going to the widest end of the gap?” you may end up wondering if the lack of risk was worth it. If it’s a missionary call you’re waiting for, then here it is: “Come, follow us.” We’ve lived in East Asia for six years and have seen for ourselves the faces behind the statistics presented to us on that pivotal weekend in 2000. Here are the facts: billions of people and thousands of people groups have no access to the life of redemption Jesus offers. You have access. There is no other life we would choose now. The satisfaction of knowing we have followed Him to where the strategic need is the greatest is untouched by any earthly pleasure. Will you join us? All or Nothing? Greg Livingstone Not long ago, leaving home to live as a missionary in Baghdad, Brunei, or Bengazi was an “all your life” decision. No turning back. No changing your mind. It was all or nothing. Once you made the commitment, you couldn’t back out! Then in 1963, the unthinkable happened. The airplane made short-‐term missions possible. One could help the cause for two years, or one, or even a summer. (Some go for a week, but I can’t call that mission. Sorry.) Open-‐hearted people who care deeply about lost people often confess, “I have no burden for Muslims.” Of course you don’t. Who do you have a burden for people you’ve never met? We tend to get fired up for people among whom we’ve had a meal, traded stories and laughed with. It’s hard to catch God’s heart for people you’ve never seen, if you’ve known nothing but your own hometown or your own kind of people. How would you know if you’re supposed to serve people in Pakistan if you haven’t been there? Good question, I think. Why not spend time among Pathans, Baluch, or Gilgitis asking God to enable you to see the people there as He does? Immersing yourself amidst a churchless people group for even a month may lead you into an adventure of “getting in on” what God is doing there.


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Am I the Type? But while you’re testing yourself against the discomforts, or wondering how anybody could alleviate the massive poverty, beware of asking yourself the wrong question: “Am I the missionary type? Do I have what it takes to be a pioneer church planter among Hindus, Muslims or Buddhists?” Most people conclude, “Probably not; I don’t even talk about Jesus with non-‐Christians at home. I must not be the missionary type.” But if you keep interrogating yourself about what gifts you lack, or how weak your vision or burden is, you could be falling into the all-‐or-‐nothing false dichotomy after all. If you think that you must be willing to live in poverty like Mother Teresa, or do exploits like an evangelical “Indiana Jones,” you’ll likely disqualify yourself. So, don’t ask yourself if you are a pioneer church planter. Ask, instead, “What might I contribute to a church planting team?” Not, “What do I lack?” but, “What might I add to a team effort?” His Strength and Your Weakness Why did God tell the great missionary Paul of Tarsus, “My grace is sufficient for you. My power is perfected in weak people”? Because the Lord has always used weak people who aspired to be used by an all-‐sufficient God! The history of missions is all about weak, barely competent people who believed the One who sent them could accomplish His purposes even through the likes of them! There are only two kinds of people in the world: the weak ones who make themselves available to God and the weak ones who don’t. (Emphasis mine). Security or Significance? Few great accomplishments have been done by individuals alone. Great things come about when average people combine what they have with others. Stretch your ambition to accomplish a God-‐sized project. Pray with some of your friends for ignored peoples or overlooked cities where nothing is happening yet to honor and worship our Lord Jesus. Give up your small ambitions. Seek wisdom from other visionaries. Ask God to show you how you can be part of enacting a new chapter in history among a people who still knows nothing of Jesus. Greg has spent over 40 years focused on bringing a saving knowledge of Christ to the Muslim peoples of Asia and Africa. He was instrumental in founding both Operation Mobilization and Frontiers, and also served as the North American Director of Arab World Ministries. Greg is a team-‐forming coach, seeking to deploy pioneer teams from many nations to Muslim communities.

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Just Willing