Packing

Packing is something I HATE. I know that's a strong word, but it's true. I get so stressed out about packing for even a short weekend get away. So, you can imagine how I felt packing for Africa.

How do you plan for such a long time? How many outfits should I bring? How many bottles of shampoo should I bring? What food should I bring? What can I buy there? What American items will I miss the most? All of these questions rang through my head.

To me, this is similar to being called to the mission field. We want to hold on to the things of our past. We want to cling to our family and our friends and all the things that are familiar to us. We worry about whether we'll be able to learn the language. We worry about whether we'll adapt to a new culture...a new way of life. We worry about whether we are good teachers, preachers, leaders. Plain and simple...we worry.

But why? When God calls us to walk with Christ and serve him, he gives us exactly what we need to do so. Jesus sent the twelve disciples out on a very difficult mission. They were to spread the message of the kingdom of heaven.

In addition to that, they were not to take money or extra provisions with them. To the natural mind, embarking on such a mission might seem foolhardy. They had nothing for their physical needs except the clothes on their backs. They had no arrangements for where they would stay, and on top of that Jesus told them to expect hostility.

However, the spiritual side to this is quite different. In fact, in this area, they were well-prepared for their mission. Jesus gave them a very powerful tool that they would need to complete their mission: the authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. He also gave them the promise of the Holy Spirit, who would give them the words to speak to their persecutors.

Each of us is called to follow Jesus and serve him in some special way. God has gifted all of us with unique combinations of talents and circumstances that can be used to bring him glory. Some of those gifts may be used for current tasks and some for future tasks. When we receive orders for a mission, we need not feel that we have to bring every talent and ability God has given us to bear to complete the mission. Like a hiker with a small backpack for a long journey, we only need to pack the items that God tells us to bring.