What's Next?Sample

### What’s Next: Relentlessly Pursuing God’s Call > “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Col. 3:23-24 This is one of my favorite Bible passages! I know those of us who are leading in short-term missions would say this is our heart - to serve Him and Him only. But what does that look like in the midst of political, racial, financial, and pandemic pressures? And how do we find our way through diverse opinions and recommendations from teachers, authors, friends, and experts? Thankfully, the very One we serve is also the One who will lead us! I believe the key to navigating all that you hear and learn is to relentlessly pursue a SPIRIT of DISCERNMENT . YES, attend workshops, read all you can, network wherever possible! And while you do that, and each time you wonder “what’s next” as a result of what you are learning, choose the following: 1\. Be obedient . What God will ask you to do may not be the same as what He will ask from others. Rather than worry about what others think about you or about what they are doing, choose to obey God no matter what. He knows you, your people, the place He’s asking you to serve, and He knows the plans He has for you.  You must listen to Him more than anyone else, and then do what He asks. 2\. Take courage . He will never call you to something and not provide the resources to do it. You can do the humanly responsible thing to weigh the cost, consider the risk, and compare to others, but don’t make choices based only on those outcomes. Let Him fill you with the courage to obey Him at any cost. 3\. Serve with excellence . It’s worth quoting again the Colossians passage: > “And whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Though you will listen to the teachings of people and undoubtedly hope to please them, it is the Lord you should most desire to please. Be your best FOR Him and WITH His help. 4\. Embrace His unconventional plans. Consider that much of what God has done throughout history is actually out-of-the-ordinary. In the Old Testament, look at stories like Jericho, Daniel and the lion’s den, Joseph, Moses and the Red Sea, Noah and the Ark, and the relationships of Saul, David, and Jonathan to name a few. In the New Testament, think about the apostle Paul on the Damascus road, young Joseph and Mary, Lazarus, the woman at the well, and … Jesus, the Son of God who was born, lived, died, and was raised from the dead just for our Salvation. Perhaps doing things that are routine and historically safe is not God’s “typical plan”. It is right for you to want your short-term mission trips to be better than before. But as you study and determine how to apply what you are learning, just remember you are “working for the Lord Christ” and not “human masters”. Obey, take courage, be excellent and enjoy the wonderful and often unconventional journey He has in mind! We want to thank Brian Heerwagen, CEO of Standards of Excellence for contributing today's plan content. We hope this plan encouraged you and got you thinking about What's Next in your mission's journey! Connect with the [ Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission ](https://soe.org/ "<em>Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission</em>" ) for more resources on making mission trips better.