“Taking the first step”

2008 Mission Conference article
Mike Lei
03/06/08

This year’s mission conference theme is “Taking the first step”. For me, I took my first step to go on a mission trip in 2001, when I went with the youths to Reynosa, Mexico. I remembered there were some last minute anxieties about going on the trip. Thankfully, a brother in Christ encouraged me to go. In the middle of the trip, when I was exhausted and frustrated and wanted to quit, I called him to pray with me. That prayer time helped me to gain strength for the rest of the trip. The first trip can be the most exciting and most fearful. I had similar feelings the first time going to Taiwan mission trip and the first time going to China mission trip. The unknown always brings fear. But, there’s always a “first time” for everything. Jesus Christ calls us to walk by faith, to follow Him to “places” we have never gone before.

I remember the passage in Mark 10:32, “They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and he disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.” Why were the disciples astonished? Why were those following afraid? Were the disciples both astonished and afraid? Which is better? To be shocked or to be afraid as you are following Christ? Why would people follow Jesus if they are afraid? Why do we follow Jesus even though we are astonished and fearful? Because God has given to us the Holy Spirit.

As we look at the first step challenges of planting a church in McKinney, going to new places for missions, financial costs of missions, or other burdens for world missions God put on our hearts during the conference, we may be shocked or fearful. May we remember that God knows and He will be in the front leading us even as we follow behind Him fearfully amazed.