My parents have been missionaries in the Czech Republic for over 20 years, and they have lived through many of the issues presented in the past 14 days: Faith, doubt, sin, suffering, failure, inadequacy, joy, hope, the power of the gospel, and so many others.
Before I began this project on Romans, I asked my mom to outline a few issues that missionaries might face as they enter the context of cross-cultural ministry, and I wanted to share some of those with you. I share them not because I have answers, but to start the conversation and help you see that you're not alone.
How do I raise my kids to not be ashamed of the Gospel?
How do I live in repentance and faith daily?
What does it mean to endure trouble and distress?
How does my whole family live "on mission"?
Where do I find wisdom in making decisions in ministry?
How do I fight a judgmental attitude about both the cultures that I am now a part of?
How do I help my kids when things are hard for them in school, and I can't completely understand what they're going through?
What do I do while I can't communicate the gospel yet for lack of language skills?
What does it look like to believe God when I'm not seeing fruit?
We have only covered the first 5 chapters of Romans, and there are still 11 more chapters to go that I haven't even touched on here. Wow! I would encourage you to continue this study, continue searching Scripture for answers to these questions. Continue in prayer, seeking wisdom from the Lord. Ask Him to not only work through you, but work in you as you work through this transition into another culture.
Before I began this project on Romans, I asked my mom to outline a few issues that missionaries might face as they enter the context of cross-cultural ministry, and I wanted to share some of those with you. I share them not because I have answers, but to start the conversation and help you see that you're not alone.
How do I raise my kids to not be ashamed of the Gospel?
How do I live in repentance and faith daily?
What does it mean to endure trouble and distress?
How does my whole family live "on mission"?
Where do I find wisdom in making decisions in ministry?
How do I fight a judgmental attitude about both the cultures that I am now a part of?
How do I help my kids when things are hard for them in school, and I can't completely understand what they're going through?
What do I do while I can't communicate the gospel yet for lack of language skills?
What does it look like to believe God when I'm not seeing fruit?
We have only covered the first 5 chapters of Romans, and there are still 11 more chapters to go that I haven't even touched on here. Wow! I would encourage you to continue this study, continue searching Scripture for answers to these questions. Continue in prayer, seeking wisdom from the Lord. Ask Him to not only work through you, but work in you as you work through this transition into another culture.
To close out, Romans 5 ends by pointing us to the wonderful grace of God that rules over sin. This grace gives you right standing before him. "Grace triumphs when God imputes righteousness and this leads to eternal life, the end or aim of it all," which means we will get to be with him forever through Jesus Christ our Lord (Morris 242).
"God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 5:20-21 (NLT)
And lastly, on this 15th day of living in another culture, I'd like to give you one last word of hope from Romans 12:12:
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
I pray that the Lord would continue to strengthen your faith, and let you see the fruit of the work he is doing through you. Thank you for modeling obedience to him and for being one to go and make disciples of all nations. Your life is a testimony of God's grace, and I thank you for that personally.
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