By Budi Lim
Budi is the director of the Indonesian national student mission movement called Indonesian Student Harvesters.
Professional In Mission
History proves that college students have a special role in fulfilling God’s purpose for the world. These days, God is raising a new generation of students from across the world that will live for His Cause to be message bearers.
Realizing the urgency of God’s mission today, we have to prepare ourselves while still a student to be used in His Movement.
Last year, I was invited to speak in a student leaders meeting in my country of Indonesia. My topic was Students role in Mission among the Unreached people. During my sharing, I felt the need to know what these campus leaders had in their mind when they heard the word “mission “.
I was curious because these were not bible school students, but mostly business students. So I began to ask them the question. I gave them time to think and to visualize. When I collected the answers, I was shocked by the responses:
- Old preacher holding bible, moving from place to place
- Bible School Graduates serving the poor and the needy
- Old evangelist asking donation during Sunday service
The answers that are listed above represent much of this generations perspective towards God’s mission globally. With such pictures in their minds most students will hardly ever find themselves becoming involved in global mission.
This experience reminded me of myself years before when I was studying finance on campus. All I knew about mission were similar items as what are listed above. At that time I thought that mission was exclusive only for bible school graduates and as a secular business student I could not see myself in the picture.
Until one day during a mission conference, I heard for the very first time, a mission mobilizer teach about professional involvement in mission. My life totally changed! I began to realize that I am a part of God’s big picture for this world.
I become so excited that I could be involved in God’s movement to reach the unreached through using my profession.
God has a Purpose with your Educational Background and Skills
Have you ever asked yourself why you are doing what you are now? Education is expensive in most parts of the world. There are many people that are unable to pursue higher education, but you are where you are in college, sitting in your class, and taking your chosen major.
Everything that happens in our life is part of His perfect plans for our goodness (Romans 8:28). Every talent, skill, and potential that we have, He gives to us to fulfill His purpose and to bring Glory to His name.
Many of us are like a war ship, with all its new high tech equipment and weapons but the problem is our war ship is only an ornament and never really used in a battle field.
If a warship becomes an ornament, it has lost it cause, and becomes useless. Our life was not designed to be an ornament but as the salt and light of this world (Matt 5:13)
Where is the right place for a warship? In a Battle Field
Where is the right place for believers in Jesus? In Mission Field
We are living in a time where God has opened many doors that were closed for centuries. (Ps 24:7). Why has God opened them? Because He wants His global church to bring salvation to the people who live behind these doors. Who are these that live behind the doors?
The unreached that never have a chance to hear about Christ. When God opens these doors, He also gives us direction for how to bring His love to these people. He moves the hearts of kings and rulers (Proverbs 21:1) in various countries to give opportunities to outsiders with professions and skills which will help to develop their countries.
There are great needs among the unreached that we as His global church can answer. For instance in China, English teachers are needed; In the Middle East, engineers; In Indonesia, teachers and doctors. There are so many needs that can be met by Professionals in Mission.
Where to start? How should I prepare?
When Moses saw the burning bush the Lord showed him His Glory and revealed His purpose to bring deliverance to the Israelites. Moses argued with the Lord about his weakness. We are the very same, right? We often argue with the Lord about our weakness and make a lot of excuses when God calls us.
And when Moses was confused about where to start the Lord answered him with a simple statement that changed his life forever, “Moses, What’s in your hand”. It is the same way with us, if we are confused where to start, we should look at what’s in our hand.
Below are steps that can help you in preparation:
1) Make a list of what God has placed in your hands?
Be honest with your self; don’t be afraid to write it down in a list. Even when you think it’s only a small seed of talent, God can use it for His Glory.
It can be your educational background, your skills, talents and every opportunity that He gives to you. You can ask your friends, or parents, which part of you that they are spiritually blessed with.
2) Sharpen your Potential
After you make a list of things that you are good at, make a plan to sharpen them. A pencil cannot be used to write effectively and provide good handwriting unless it is sharpened first. So use your time wisely to maximize your potential.
3) Be A Specialist
The more you master your specialty, the more it can be used by God. (Proverbs 22:29). Don’t just be ordinary in your education or skills, be extraordinary, be the best that you can be. You will be amazed on how God will use your specialty as a way to bring the unreached to Him.
4) Live and share the vision
Live your vision and share it with others who are important to you. By living and sharing it day by day, you will focus on your calling. You will not be distracted by others. There are a few things that you can do:
a) Be A Mission Minded Person
Our mind is one of the most important areas that we have to guard. That’s why we have to watch all the information that enters our mind. Reading mission books, journals, magazines, watching videos, Listening to CD’s, following mission trainings, seminars are one of the ways to keep our mind and spirit focused.
b) Be A Prayer & Mission Mobilizer
Start to change the focus of your prayer with prayer for God’s mission. Pray for the unreached. As we pray, God will let us feel His heartbeat for the unreached. When we are overwhelmed with His heart for nations, mission will be the part of our life; we can’t stop sharing it and mobilizing people to be involved in it.
c) Be in Mission Community
Having a community that shares the same vision will help us to focus. We can learn more as a group than as an individual. The community can also be the team that supports us (emotionally, financially, prayerfully), when we finally go to the mission field.
d) Making Friends With People from Different Cultures
Living in a different culture is not easy. It takes a lot of patience and effort. By making friends while in college we will learn faster. We will get used to their culture, their life style, their values and learn how to share God’s love to them with their language.
We are Students Today, but Professionals in Mission tomorrow.
