You face cultural battles, spiritual battles, financial battles, political battles, personal battles. As I've said here before, in many ways you're like all the rest of us, facing a lot of the same issues, but in a different setting. And as I said in my first post here, you are my heroes.
But I'm concerned - because I know that often the reality of your daily needs and responsibilities takes you away from the intensity of relationship with God that can lift you above all the battles of your daily life. One study of 390 field workers discovered that 87% spend less than 30 minutes in prayer daily - and 27% under 10 minutes. 88% read the Bible less than 30 minutes a day. An astonishing 71% struggle with lust. And overall, "the greatest spiritual struggle in life is in the area of having adequate devotions." And this in least-reached areas of the world! The person who conducted the study was told by a mission executive that the normal devotion is 15-30 minutes a day. ("Lessons Learned in Contextualization", in Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road.) Author Phil Parshall observed, "Perhaps our technological age has seduced us into thinking contextualized methodology is a more pressing area of emphasis than is our spiritual encounter with our Lord."
If any of this is ringing too close to home -- please don't be condemned. Just take this as a reminder that, as Jesus told Mary, only one thing is needful: an intense relationship with Him. There's no "magic formula" for adequate devotions - whether on the field or at "home". But one rule of thumb I've learned -- when my struggles seem more intense than my relationship with Him, I need to spend more, not less, time in His presence. The more overwhelmed I get, the more I need to set everything aside but sitting at His feet. The less I want to pray, the more I need to pray. And always, always, always, He comes through when I sacrifice something for time with Him. His Word speaks, prayers are answered, peace comes ... it looks different each time, but I never regret it!
This time, choose the better part - the "good portion". Everything else will fall into place.
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
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