GROW Says Potential – Part 1

Have you ever been to the garden store and saw a package of seeds with a beautiful picture of flowers or vegetables presented on the front? Maybe you have thought the same thing that I have, “That looks nice. Gardening must not be thhaaaat difficult.” 

The beautiful picture on the front declares to us, THESE SEEDS HAVE POTENTIAL! The small font instructions on the back of the package though, start to show us that the journey from small to great is not automatic. Growth is on purpose. 

There are three principles of missions that I have identified as the G-Forces: Give, Go, and Grow. Today, I want to share with you Part 1 of G-Force #3: Grow

Scripture instructs us to grow in Jesus Christ…

“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” Ephesians 4:15

There are 4 principles of growth that I think are crucial to the mission field. They are…

• Greatness starts small
• Responsibility is key
• Open yourself to advice
• Win today and you will win the future

Greatness Starts Small

The seed has all it needs to succeed. The embryo has all it needs to be a successful businessman, a future president, or a renowned scientist.

“The story goes that a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village saw an old man sitting by a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one of the visitors asked, “Were any great men born in this village?” Without looking up the old man replied, “No, only babies.” The greatest men were once babies. The greatest saints were once toddlers in the things of the Spirit.” Leonard Ravenhill

We all start out the same. Growth is an intentional decision.

We must all grow in our walk with God. We must all grow in our ministries. We must all grow to be effective missionaries.

You may start off on rung 1 of the missions ladder… you go to a country for the first time and suddenly the security of home vanishes. You may feel lonely. You may feel ineffective because your crossing of the cultural gap (more like a canyon) is not going as easily as you thought. You may feel like the local churches are “just not getting it.” You preach with passion, and instead, their blank stares pierce your confidence. You feel deflated by your 24/7 ministry. Before the mission field, you could get re-charged by your pastor’s preaching or at the district conference… now all you can think about is your home church.

If you identified with any of those things… I encourage you to focus on GROW. Invest in your own walk with God.

“A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by men.” Leonard Ravenhill

Read a chapter in a missionary’s book. Listen to a sermon from BOTT on YouTube (there are a lot of them). Call the little ole grandmother in your home church and thank her for her support, because you never know if you will see her or not when you return.

Do these things seem small? Good. Sometimes we need to be reminded where we came from. We are just seeds trying to grow. Greatness starts small.

Responsibility is Key

When you take responsibility… the world takes notice!

When you are responsible for your own personal growth it speaks volumes. In many developing countries, especially former communist countries, the thought of personal growth is at its infant stage. People that you meet on the mission field may not understand when you ask them to take responsibility, so you have to be that example.

We must have our own personal growth time. Many times it is in a personal space but on the other hand, the people that we are reaching MUST see that we take growth seriously. People must see that you take your prayer time, bible reading, fasting, and studying seriously. They should see that you put the effort in making time for your family, in learning their language and culture. We should not do these things for a show but we should show that we do take personal growth seriously.

”You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Abraham Lincoln

In the mission field that you are working in, growth is important. If you see no one is taking responsibility for evangelism, then ask if you can take on that responsibility.

As a leader, give people responsibility. They may be waiting for you to ask them. It is amazing to see how people respond to a job assignment. You will see right away their growth potential by how they respond to their responsibility.

Responsibility opens the door to opportunities. Put the key in the door. Responsibility is key.

Check back next week for Part 2!

• Greatness starts small
• Responsibility is key
• Open yourself to advice
• Win today and you will win the future

 

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Please check back next week for Part 2 of G-Force #3: Grow