Excerpt from TalkPoints.com’s “Do, Love, Walk”:
The prophet Micah has a very important question to ask before you go on this mission trip: Why does God want you to be a part of this trip? You can find the answer to Micah's question in the Bible Micah 6:8: The Lord requires you to DO JUSTICE (fairness) LOVE MERCY (kindness) and WALK HUMBLY with your God (openly surrendered).
Those who return from short-term mission trips will often tell you that it was a challenging week, but in the next breath they'll say something like: "lt was one of the best experiences of my life!"
Why Is That?
1.) It's a great experience because we've been created to DO JUSTICE in our world. When we actually roll up our sleeves and get involved in doing for others what we would hope they would do for us, we're doing what God wants us to do.
2.) It's a great experience because we've also been created to LOVE MERCY. Showing mercy involves doing acts of kindness for others especially those who really need the most help. Whenever we get involved in doing random acts of kindness, we're doing what God wants us to do.
3.) It’s a great experience because we've been created to WALK HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD, which means that we need to be openly surrendered to what God wants. We need to include Him in each step of the way. lf we decide to walk humbly with God, the Bible promises that God will show us the way. lt takes focus and faith, though. Mission trips help to give us the focus on God we all need. lf we walk humbly with God and surrender to His purposes God will be our guide.
So, welcome to this incredible mission opportunity to plant the seeds of justice, mercy and humility within yourself and others. Micah tells us that God requires this of us: we're to live God's mission of justice, mercy and humility in our world. lt's what life is all about!
May our team represent Christ to the people we will soon be meeting and serving.
Amen."
