{"id":8858,"date":"2019-10-09T09:44:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T13:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=8858"},"modified":"2019-10-09T09:44:10","modified_gmt":"2019-10-09T13:44:10","slug":"caring-for-our-tribe-practical-mobilization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=8858","title":{"rendered":"Caring for Our Tribe | Practical Mobilization"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"headerMobilizer, You Matter.<\/h1>\n

By Shane Bennett<\/p>\n

Mission mobilization is a little goofy. It\u2019s weird enough simply to care about missions. What kind of person is so into Jesus they want him to be followed by people who\u2019ve never heard of him before?!? But mobilizers? Well, being \u201cinto missions\u201d is not enough for us! We\u2019re compelled to persuade our parents, our kids, our church friends, and the kindly doctor who sells us contacts that they too will be happier and more fulfilled when they dedicate their next breath\u2014and all the rest\u2014to God\u2019s glory among the lost and unreached.<\/p>\n

I tend to think God looks on us kindly, maybe bemusedly. That\u2019s nice. Other people? Maybe less so. Which is not so nice.<\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s hard to make any money as a mission mobilizer. So maybe you have a day job and are working your mob magic avocationally. Good for you. If the old adage is true about the candle that burns twice as bright burning half as long\u2026 well, we\u2019re happy to have you while we do.<\/p>\n

For me, having purpose is a key catalyst for mobilization motivation. I honestly believe it matters. And I believe you matter.<\/p>\n

But sometimes you question that. And sometimes it\u2019s just so tiring. And then that one person said that one thing and you thought, \u201cThis is what they mean by \u2018the straw the breaks the camel\u2019s back!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t relate to that right now, no worries. You go straight here<\/a> and here<\/a>. If it feels a little familiar, though, can you spare a couple of minutes for me to show some care for you? Offer a little encouragement?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m only asking for about five minutes of \u201cyou go, girl,\u201d and \u201cyou\u2019re a rock star.\u201d The whole enterprise won\u2019t grind to a halt if you take a minute to catch your breath and sharpen the saw (hat tip to Saint Stephen<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Stuff to Remember<\/h3>\n

1. You\u2019re making a difference.<\/h4>\n

Is this hard to imagine sometimes? I get that. An hour or two spent on Facebook when you were planning to file your 501(c)(3) paperwork or call a few pastors. Whole days when you honestly wonder, \u201cIs all this effort really accomplishing anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Can I give you some Bible? You have treasure in your jar of clay<\/a> and you were made to accomplish good stuff God prepared in advance<\/a> for you to do. God lives in you and smells good through you<\/a>. You have no idea how much God is doing with your one wild and precious life!<\/a><\/p>\n

The story of my life is peppered with little cameos. Someone walked onto the stage, breathed life into me, and walked off. Others, known to God alone, sought good for me from their knees in the darkness of their prayer closet.<\/p>\n

You, likewise, are having effect you may not see. Don\u2019t give up.<\/p>\n

2. God will provide.<\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t give up! God knows what you need. I can personally attest that not all mission advocates are killing it from a financial perspective! If you are, good.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re only barely ramen profitable<\/a>, hang in there! I\u2019m with you. It\u2019s hard. Get some financial coaching and see if God may lead you to some green grass and quiet streams<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. You\u2019re probably not disqualified.<\/h4>\n

Maybe you messed up and you think you\u2019re disqualified. I can relate. Of course, I don\u2019t know you, so maybe you are disqualified. But probably not. If the Bible is any indication, God\u2019s capacity for using flawed individuals is pretty strong. And you and I both know effective mobilizers who have at times made us cock our heads in wonder like German Shepherd puppies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. God wins in end.<\/h4>\n

If there\u2019s anything I\u2019m pretty sure of it\u2019s this: God\u2019s going to win. Although writing this short piece<\/a> last week worked a minor epiphany in my mind: This victory will \u201cprobably not exactly be the way I currently understand God and winning, but God will win. And you and I are invited to\u00a0hasten that victory<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stuff to Do<\/h3>\n

1. Take a breather.<\/h4>\n

If you mobilize for missions on top of your day job, good for you! I hope you have capacity and inclination for vacations. Are you a professional mobilizer? (That is a thing!) Try this: Submit a budget proposal to your supervisor for enough funds to cover a week-long retreat. I hear that voice in your head! Your church or ministry doesn\u2019t do that. (Maybe you could help them start doing it if you subtly implied you were considering jumping ship to my new org, Healing Nations<\/a>!)<\/p>\n

There never seems to be enough time or money to take the breaks you need. I get that and am a prime example of falling short in this area. Honestly, though, I\u2019ve never heard a colleague or friend return from a deliberate retreat and say, \u201cWhat a waste of time. I was bored out of my head!\u201d Get the rest you need.<\/p>\n

2. Up your forgiveness game.<\/h4>\n

Forgiveness is the leaven of our lives, the wine of The Way. Can I invite you to renew your commitment to receive and extend it? Be encouraged by this recent, stunning example of forgiveness<\/a> by Brandt Jean to his brother\u2019s killer. (Haven\u2019t seen it? You may want to grab a Kleenex while the video loads.) This is the kingdom of God: Realizing we need forgiveness and humbly, gratefully accepting it. Then with the sweet taste of it still in our mouths, offering it freely to those who wrong us.<\/p>\n

To not offer forgiveness, as the winsome Anne Lamott says<\/a>, \u201cis like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.\u201d Jesus said God won\u2019t forgive us if we don\u2019t forgive others!<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Press on in the face of adversity and betrayal.<\/h4>\n

About a year ago, a couple left the church I attend after a relentless and perplexing campaign against me and the organization I worked for. It was troubling, time consuming, and painful. Maybe you\u2019ve recently felt the surprising sting of betrayal. I\u2019m sorry if you have. We\u2019re people and it happens. But God\u2019s got your back.<\/p>\n

David Murrow recently shared on his blog<\/a>, \u201cBetrayal is not a sign that something is wrong. Instead, it\u2019s a sign that God is at work. Almost everyone in the Bible was betrayed. Abraham. Joseph. Moses. David. Paul. And of course, Jesus\u2026 And who betrayed these heroes of the faith? Not some stranger. Someone close. A fellow traveler who shared their faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

If it hasn\u2019t happened, it probably will. May God give us each grace to act like Jesus when the time comes.<\/p>\n

4. Link up.<\/h4>\n

Finally, mission mobilization can be a lonely enterprise. You\u2019ve poured your passionate guts out before, haven\u2019t you, only to have someone say, \u201cUh, yeah. Cool. But who do you think will win the World Series?\u201d I\u2019m excited to know who\u2019s going to win the World Series, but I also need people in my life who care about the nations, especially the unreached. You probably do too.<\/p>\n