The MAF Blog: Worldwide Pulse

Posts Tagged ‘god’

The Art of Balance

Posted on: February 7th, 2012 by John Boyd |

“I’m so busy…” has become the catchphrase of our hectic times. We want to live our lives in a way that honors God, yet it’s so easy to get trapped in a place where we coexist with the tyranny of the urgent. Instead of taking each “emergency” as it happens and using it as an opportunity to grow, we simply try to get through it. Our lives can become a juggling act.

If we desire to honor God in every aspect of our lives, we must come to a place of balance. An even-keel approach is a healthier approach. Life is not a battle of the wills through which we must “soldier on” no matter how difficult things get. Asking God to give us wisdom, and trusting Him when life gets challenging, is a far more growth-inducing response than digging in to survive an onslaught. Getting worked up and anxious never solves anything.

Balance occurs when we prayerfully evaluate needs and commitments. Should we assist someone with their ministry simply because we were asked, and we feel bad for them? Or should we decline because that takes us away from our family for another night each week?

It’s important to grapple with such questions in an authentic way, staying focused on the current mission to which God has called us. To do so we must occasionally escape the frantic pace of life to connect with God and hear His heart for us. It’s what keeps us from straying too far off course.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. – Mark 1:35-39, NIV

Jesus could have spent every waking moment with needy people. But even Christ needed that time with God, that time to reflect and recharge. Instead of letting the busyness of life get the best of Him, Jesus maintained the balance He needed to fulfill the mission He had been sent to earth to do. May we also be so balanced in heeding God’s call.

Week 2: Exercising Our Faith Muscles

Posted on: January 17th, 2012 by Jason Chatraw |

Read: 1 Timothy 4:7-12

When I ask people what they need more of in their lives when it comes to their Christian journey, most people will invariably mention “faith.” And why not? Faith is the catalyst for helping us believe what we say we believe. A growing faith spurs us on to further trust God with greater issues in our lives.

But it’s a childlike faith – one that has yet to conclude that something is impossible for God – that truly transforms our lives. Only praying ceremoniously for God’s help about a situation that we think will work out anyway is not a life grounded in faith at all. It’s anything but childlike.

Fortunately, I have a daughter in my house – aptly named Faith – who reminds me of what it means to believe God can do anything. And I mean anything. It’s uncomfortable at times, but it stretches me, reminding me to exercise that atrophied faith muscle and trust God with everything.

I recently had a friend fall ill with an aggressive type of cancer. He called me on a Sunday to meet for coffee later in the week. By Friday afternoon, I was sitting at his bedside watching his body shut down. That night, he passed away.

The next morning when I learned what happened, I fought back the tears. I was with my two daughters at the zoo and didn’t want to spoil their good fun. But my Faith, the little compassionate person that she is, noticed I was upset and asked what was wrong. So, I told her. She knew my friend and was quite fond of him.

“It’s OK, Daddy,” she said. “Let’s just ask God to bring him back to life.”

My initial reaction was to smile. I wanted to pat her on the head and say, “Honey, it doesn’t work that way.” But I didn’t. I would’ve been lying to her. Who am I to say what God can and cannot do? What kind of loving father would I be to steal the one thing from her that I so desperately need for myself – childlike faith?

The fact that I so quickly dismissed her comment as an innocent one made me wonder just how much my faith had atrophied. Intellectually, I knew my friend wasn’t coming back to life. But who’s to say he couldn’t?

As we grow older in life, our innocence is strip mined by evil in this world. Sometimes, evil takes our innocence with force. Other times, evil slowly and silently steals it. The apostle Paul knew this and warned Timothy:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

As a Christian, we need that innocence again when it comes to our faith. We need to pick the mountain – not the molehill – when it comes to asking God to help us move something. It’s the only way to keep our faith in shape. For when we ask God to do the impossible – whether he chooses to do it or not – our innocence begins to return. We start trusting Him like a child again, realizing that He is control and always knows what is best for our lives.

Pray: Father, thank you for the things You have done in my life through your love and grace. Please help me to put my faith in you for every trial and challenge that comes my way today. Let me see You do the impossible. Amen.

Where You’ll Find Me This Year

Posted on: January 4th, 2012 by Sarah DesJardine | 2 Comments

I’m the type of person who makes resolutions…you know, a (usually unattainable) list of all the things I want to accomplish, bad habits I want to break, good habits I intend to start. I recently dragged out my list from last year and went down the annual shame spiral as I realized how many lofty goals I consistently did not meet. I think this year I will narrow it down to one…

Be here now.

Kalimantan Indonesia

That’s it. Just be present at any given time. Not thinking of where I’ve been or wondering (worrying) about where I will be in the future; just actively participating in the moment . . . the now. In the midst of power outages and sweaty afternoons, laughs with friends, crazy moments that I will probably only experience while living here (a family of 5 using a single motorcycle like a minivan, the rooster that sneaks into our side yard and startles me several times a day when it crows, kids yelling out “Hello Mister” to me whenever I go out), quiet evenings and weekends with my husband uninterrupted by the hustle and bustle that usually accompanies life in the States, and so many more things, important and mundane. I am resolving to be here in those moments now.

I think so often being fully engaged in the moment God has brought me to is all He asks. If I’m there and keep my eyes and ears open, He can show me how He’s working and what part He wants me to play.

So this year, I’m going to be here now, wherever and whatever “now” means, and let God take care of the rest.

Want to join me? How is God calling you to be in the here and now?

Seven Things I’ve Learned in Leadership

Posted on: August 8th, 2011 by John Boyd | 2 Comments

One of the keys to becoming a good leader is to be a good follower—of the Lord, that is. As a Christian, no matter how many people you might be leading, the measuring stick of successful leadership hinges upon how and where you lead others, not how many people follow. If you aren’t listening to God and following His lead, you aren’t being a good leader.

I have found that to be true at every phase in my life, particularly since accepting my role as president of MAF. I know that I can’t do what God has called me to on my own strength. Putting aside my tendency toward self-reliance, I have to depend upon Him for everything—for guidance in making decisions, for resources to do the work MAF has been called to do, for wisdom in planning a preferred future.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled a short yet vital list: Seven Things I’ve Learned in Leadership.

When you want to quit the most … don’t. It’s easy to quit. You just walk away and let your problem become someone else’s. But sometimes God calls us to endure situations that are far from desirable. Instead of complaining about it, find some resolve to do the right thing and finish with gusto.
Through His Word and His provision, God is absolutely faithful and will meet all our needs. Not many things stretch your faith like depending on the generosity of other like-minded people to meet your financial needs—both as an individual and as an organization. I’ve learned that if God is behind what we’re doing, He will always provide.
Try not to lose your sense of humor! Lighten up! We tend to take ourselves too seriously. It is human nature to get swept up into a world of worry over things we have very little control of. Keep things in perspective. Even if what you’re doing is difficult, you can still have fun doing it.
God’s timing, His plans and His leading are all absolutely perfect. While our fast food world may cater to a cultural epidemic of impatience, we must not let that same mentality creep into our pursuit of God’s leading in our lives. Of course we would prefer great ideas and inspired vision to instantly become a reality. But God knows what He is doing, and we should trust that He knows best … even if he doesn’t give immediate answers.
God in us is greater than any opposition on earth. It does not matter what we are facing in the physical realm, whether it is a difficult person or an overwhelming bureaucratic system. Nothing can stop God from accomplishing what He wants to accomplish through us.
Prayer works. While any Christian would agree with the principle of this statement, in practice we sometimes fall woefully short, not devoting time to this critical practice. But it’s true—prayer works! We just need to commit to it.
He is God and we are not. This last lesson might seem simple and benign, but the reality of this truth needs to frame the way we look at our lives and God’s calling. Psalm 115:2-3 says, “Why do the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” When we stop trying to play God and begin serving God, we find this truth freeing as we pursue Him.

Blessings for Free

Posted on: August 3rd, 2011 by Christine Harms |

Sometimes, the cost of living overseas is hard to quantify––and then there’s this. A bologna loaf cost me 99 cents in the U.S. In Haiti, it’s 90 goud, which is about $2.25. That’s about representative of the kind of prices we pay around here, depending on the item.

We have it pretty good as MAF missionaries, financially. Our pool system of support raising keeps the IRS happy and keeps the missionaries happy, because it allows the organization to adjust our pay depending on the cost of living in each country where we serve. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s the best one I’ve heard of so far.

But some things are still out of my reach. I look with longing at the artichoke hearts. I sigh as I pass the soy milk. I groan at the price of granola. And yet, I’ve been munching on fresh pineapple all week, and Haitian avocados are just coming back into season. Fresh limes are coming down from the villages too, and I had so many mangoes falling from my trees last month that I finally started giving them away.

The cost of living overseas impacts us in all areas of life, but God always gives us reasons to be grateful … and the best of His blessings are still free!