Mistake #2: Allowing the Destination to Be a Deciding Factor

“Hmmm… do I go to South America or Africa or Asia on my mission trip this year? Let’s start a pros and cons list!” Sound familiar?!?!

Jesus said, “the Father has sent me, so I send you…” (John 20:21b). What if Jesus responded to the Father with, “Israel?? Really? It’s hot, and the terrain is rough. Why not somewhere modern like Rome or Alexandria? Or a place with nice beaches like Greece?” 

Funny… but unfortunately many children of God have this conversation with the Lord, though perhaps not explicitly. They “shop” their mission trip based upon whether or not the destination seems appealing to them - to the degree that if all other things were wonderful and exactly what God wanted, they would not go on the trip because it wasn’t a destination of interest to them. 

However, what we learn about our Lord is that the Father sent him to be born in a manger, grow up in an unknown town in unauthorized, Northern Galilee, and he never even traveled outside of a 50-mile radius during his lifetime. But! He changed the world because everything he did was in obedience to the Father, and now he sends us in the same way. 

Pros and Cons lists have their place in life. Like if you are deciding on when to go to bed or a pizza flavor. But when it comes to making a decision to follow Jesus, let’s respond as he did in obedience, and I guarantee you too will have a world-changing impact because your deciding factor wasn’t a destination but obedience to the calling of your heavenly Father.