Why do you go on a mission trip? The answer to this question depends on the person, but hopefully, one reason is to serve others.
The word “service” basically means doing something for someone. Mission-oriented service focuses on the reason why we serve rather than the service itself. Ultimately, we love because Christ first loved us, and THAT is why we serve.
It is our desire that those around us know about His amazing grace. Not only that, but we also have the confidence that any service that we do for the Gospel, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is not in vain.
This week, we had teams from Brooksville, KY, Marion, OH, and Stark County, OH. We did a variety of construction and outreach projects, from building a porch, to organizing a thrift store, to serving a free breakfast at a church, to building relationships at the local nursing home. When we look at a list like this, it can be tempting to rank jobs like these from important to least important. However, when we recognize that relational poverty is just as real as financial or physical poverty, it makes neither one more or less significant. Plus, the focus should be on the spread of the Gospel rather than the literal work that we do.
Porches will fall again, and rooms will become disorganized again, but the relational doors that were opened through these services provide opportunities to share Christ love, which will be what truly lasts.
One of my favorite examples of serving others is whenever we visit a nursing home. Most of the work done there consists of listening. When we listen, we are showing that we value what the person has to say, and in turn, it shows that we value and care for the person. Although listening may seem like a small job when compared to building a porch or painting a trailer, it is in fact one of the most powerful ways to show Christ’s love to our neighbor. As Christ’s hands and feet, we are showing that God does in fact care about them and their stories.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Cor. 15:58 (NIV)
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