Managing Your Expectations

The Apostle Paul was called by God, to take the Gospel to gentiles. Here’s a hypothetical conversation between Paul and God before Paul set out on his first missionary journey. 

God:  So, Paul, I want you to take the Gospel to Gentiles.

Paul:  OK, but I’m Jewish you know.

God:  Got it, but your dad is Gentile, so button up and start packing.

Paul:  OK, where to?

God:  Let’s start in Cyprus.

Paul:  Great – I love sailing.

God:  Then Attalia, Perga, Psidia, Antioch, Iconium, Derbe, Lystra, back to Perga and then Cyprus and home to Antioch again.

Paul:  Whaaat??  Walking that circuit?!  God, You know, my footwear is basically sandals. You’re talking 1,200 miles on foot here.

God:  Actually, 1,146 miles. But Israel walked 450 miles from Egypt to the Promised Land. There were 2,000,00 people, and in 40 years their sandals never wore out. Remember that story?  Do the math, Paul – 2 million times 450 = 900,000,000 miles on sandals -- and that was in year one, with 39 to go.

Paul:  OK, OK, I get it. But you know, those dudes up in Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra are weird. I mean, they eat frog legs and pig brains and stuff like that. I’ll get sick. I know I will!

God:  So that’s stranger than gefilte fish and etrog?

Paul:  Yeah, OK you win.  But what about language? I only speak Hebrew, Greek, Turkish, and Aramaic.  Some of those places speak stupid languages nobody else ever heard of.

God:  So, use Greek – everyone speaks it, thanks to Alexander the Great. Plus, just go to the local synagogues.  Everyone there speaks Hebrew, but they’ve all learned the local languages where they live. They’ll carry the story from there.

Paul:  The Jews hate me, ya know. They’ll try to kill me.  They’ll beat me and stone me.

God:  True, but if they kill you, I’ll just put life back into your body. I’ve got this covered, bro.

Paul:  So…, I’m doing this alone?

God:  Nope, got you covered again. Barnabas will go with you. Plus, John Mark thinks he’s interested.  Well, sort of….

Paul:  Sort of…?

God:  He has a little growing up to do yet, but I have big plans for him.

Paul:  Great, an immature late adolescent – God, you know I don’t do well with punks.

God:  Sort of like you used to be when you killed all those Christians?

Paul:  Ouch. Yeah. Well, OK. I’ll do it. Just don’t make me eat pig brains.

Everyone has expectations when going to the mission field. Most expectations are “tempered” by realities on location. Some things turn out easier than anticipated, some not.  

So here’s a summary written by Paul after his third missionary journey: 

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Rom. 8:31.       

The greatest expectation when considering missions, is that the God of the universe will be with you, hour by hour – the One who never slumbers nor sleeps – the One who knows the future as well as the past. Thereafter, it’s a learning curve with a High Purpose and Eternal Reward.      

John Splinter is the Director of Staff Development with GlobalGrace