Directionally Challenged

An excerpt from Directionally Challenged

By Todd Eckhardt, Support Staff
October-December 2012

Have you ever felt “directionally challenged”—not in finding your way to a new location, but in finding your way in life? Kevin DeYoung’s book Just Do Something has a chapter called “Directionally Challenged.” The book is based on the all-too-common truth that many Christians are paralyzed by indecision. We sincerely want God’s will, but we are so afraid we will miss it that we become indecisive and end up doing nothing.

DeYoung says, “Obsessing over the future is not how God wants us to live, because showing us the future is not God’s way. His way is not a crystal ball. His way is wisdom” (page 41).

Perhaps we are not as directionally challenged as we think. God has a job for us. You want to do God’s work. He wants you to do His work. But fear sets in and we begin to flounder. Then we slip into this paralyzing mindset of indecision, and before we know it, we have gone nowhere. We weigh all the information; we seek all the answers on how this will look in the future. God rarely reveals the future, but He does give wisdom.

MORE: Read Psalm 111 to see what the Bible says about gaining wisdom. Talk to your pastor or spiritual mentor for advice.

The Wrong Landmark

An excerpt from The Wrong Landmark

By Tim Rickel, Support Staff
October-December 2012

I looked at the landmark with disbelief and a bit of dismay. Yes, it was a landmark, but it was the wrong landmark. In fact, it was in a completely different direction from where I wanted to be going.

I began to have one of those conversations with God that was not so much prayerful as accusatory. “Lord, I’m out here serving You and trying to go to this meeting and the least You could do is point me in the right direction!” I have had a couple of these conversations with God in my lifetime, and you’d think I would have learned by now.

Well, the only thing I could do was to drive a bit farther south, catch the interstate back northeast, and then continue my journey to the WGM Northwest regional office where Men With Vision leaders were waiting to meet me. When I got there almost an hour late, everyone looked at me with amazement and asked, “How did you get here?”

I told them the route I had taken and they said, “That is the only way you could have come this morning. The whole area you were going to take is under water! We’ve been listening to it on the news.”

I had a very different kind of prayer time with God later that day, let me tell you! It was much more confessional in tone. I’m so glad for a Father who is guiding us, even when we are ignorant and ungrateful about it. I want to have the kind of faith that is confident of His leading even when I can’t see it from my point of reference.

GO: Is the Father guiding you to step out in faith—to take a new route you are unfamiliar with? Take time right now to pray and ask God for faith. If that calling is to serve in missions, check outwww.gowgm.org.

You Have (NOT) Reached Your Destination

An excerpt from You Have (NOT) Reached Your Destination

By Twana Johnson, Mexico

October-December 2012

Before coming to Mexico to live and serve full time, we spent a week here touching base with those we would be working with. Our first day, we went to León, the city in which we are now working. We plugged in our “trusty” GPS, which our family had given us when they learned we would be returning to missionary status and would be traveling a lot.

The GPS served us well, and we got to León in good time. We spent the day getting a feel for the city. However, we had forgotten one important thing—the address of where we were staying! Several phone calls later, someone finally gave us another street name close to where we were staying and Tomasa (our GPS’s name) “replanned” and we were on our way again. We eventually did reach our destination.

That whole experience reminds me that we have not yet reached our final destination—heaven. Each day we go to our GPS (God) and He “plans our route.” As Dennis and I travel around in Mexico telling others about the love of God, we can always trust our GPS (God) to guide us. We pray that He is your daily guide as you travel toward heaven and tell others you meet on the way about the love of God!

ACT: How can you use your story in your own witness? Write the story of what God’s love has done in your life in 400 words or less. Once written, pray and ask, “Lord, who are the people who most need to hear this story?”

GPS: Giving, Praying, and Serving in Missions!

While you wait for your next issue to arrive...here's a preview of what will be inside.

Lost? Need direction?

The modern day tool of GPS can lead the way home. Sure, you may take the “long way” now and then and it may even ask you to make a U turn, but eventually it will get you back on track and headed in the right direction.

What happens when you are lost and need direction on your missions journey? In this issue of The Call you will find challenging stories that will help offer direction. Explore different Giving opportunities where you can make an impact with a love offering, missionaries and ministries that are relying on your Prayer ministry, and ministry needs that can only be met by someone willing to Serve.

Whether you are taking the scenic route, at a crossroads, using the carpool lane, or trying to read the map, World Gospel Mission wants to help you get headed in the right direction. Grab some of the GPS ideas in this magazine, dig deeper into the journey by committing to the bible study in the World Go! Manual or explore other mission opportunities at www.wgm.org.

Discover your mission field. The journey awaits!

MORE: Discover your missions path by committing to the World Go! Manual bible study. Download the manual at www.wgm.org/worldgo.