International (MNN) — “It is hard to stay on the mission field,” says Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries (IMM).
Godwin knows this from past experience serving in missions. But more recently, dozens of short-term mission workers joined her team at IMM. They raised personal support to help complete a 90-day filming project of the biblical story of Esther, created for an Iranian audience.
That experience reminded Godwin of both the challenges of missions and the urgent need for more workers. With IMM, Godwin sees the growing need for media content that can reach closed parts of the world. But one essential resource is often overlooked.
“It requires not just funding and not just bodies in chairs,” she says. “It requires dedication.”
Internships and one-year mission trips can be awesome ways to explore God’s calling. But Godwin says, “I still would insist that you feel like God has prompted you to do that year, that two years, because you will learn so much and you will grow so much. It’s a good way to find out if you have enough passion and enough dedication to continue to be on the mission field.”
(Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson via Unsplash)
Yet for many missionaries confident of their calling, family voices can be a challenge at every step.
“It’s hard when someone back home, who you love very much, just wants you to come home and have a normal life,” says Godwin.
There’s a lot to navigate in family relationships and pressures like that. But we have to remember that in the Lord’s economy, every Christian has a role in sharing the gospel with the world. More than simply asking whether we are givers, pray-ers, or goers (or all of the above), Godwin encourages believers to consider one critical factor: how dedicated are we to the roles God has given to us?
“It’s only going to work for all of us in every role that we play with the inspiration and aid of the Holy Spirit,” she says.
Dedication is the antidote to any contrary voices that deter gospel ministry. If you know a missionary or ministry worker, take time to ask about their calling. Listen to their passion — and ask God to show you your place in their mission. And then dive in with total commitment.
“Pray for people you know who are in missions already. Pray for ministries that are trying to recruit people to come to them, and for the fundraising. These are all aspects of the whole job of missions. We can’t do it without this community of believers around us,” says Godwin.
“It’s so important that you find people to pray for that you’re passionate about, and things to give to that you’re passionate about, because you are included in whatever [fruit] we find out in heaven. Whatever blessings come from what we do, it is shared with everyone who gives, it’s shared with everyone who prays.”
Learn more about International Media Ministries’ limited series about Esther here.
Clip from Esther: Queen of Hope. (Photo courtesy of IMM)
Header photo is a stock image courtesy of Jason Hogan via Unsplash.
