Home christian living Home: The Overlooked Mission Field

Home: The Overlooked Mission Field

by Kelly Crawford

When Kathy, Robin and I prepared for the Living a Legacy Conference, without really talking to each other about the specifics of our individual talks, we realized there was a common thread weaving it all together: the mission field of HOME.

I asked in one of my sessions, why we are so receptive, supportive and excited about foreign missions (and we should be), but the same things we praise about the foreign missionary we actually disdain in a mother who has given her life to mission work.

For example, the more a missionary suffers and sacrifices for the sake of imparting the gospel to a people group, the more we extol his work, never once thinking the hardship to be a “sign” that he is doing the wrong thing. Again, this is true and right.

But if a mother suffers (pregnancy hardship?) and sacrifices (gives up comforts to afford to be home) so she can disciple (impart the gospel to ) her children (people group) (so they can go out and plant mission fields), take meals to her neighbors, send cards of encouragement to her hurting friend, or walk with her through a difficult marriage, she is somehow wrong, wasting time and/or invoking her own (and her family’s) hardship by her “irresponsible” choices.

We’ve missed it. The examples I gave are all equally important, equally necessary and should be equally esteemed.

When our homes ceased to be “mission bases”, myriads of problems arose that have had to be solved by means never intended.

Kathy spoke in more detail in her session, “The Heart of Hospitality, How to Disciple the Nations, One Home at a Time”, but suffice it to say, that we need an awakening of the importance of home and its vitality to the gospel, our communities and our churches.

We need families in tune with the needs around them willing to minister in whatever way they are able.

Once you look, you’ll be amazed at how white unto harvest it is.

 

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13 comments

Brittany May 18, 2012 - 10:19 am

I think that people who don’t want to sacrifice and change what they are doing must find some way to attack what the other person is doing in order to feel better about thier choices. The mother who does not stay home with her kids looks and sees all the stuff her kids have and thinks it is good and that she is providing the stuff for her kids, so therefore the mother who does not work is cheating her kids out of those things, which don’t really matter at all, but that is how she justifies it to herself. People don’t want to feel guilty about the choices they are making, so those who are making the opposite choice must be doing something wrong.

Foreign missionaries are not seen as a threat because that is considered by those who belittle the role of the mother in the home, the mother with multiple children, or the homeschooling mother (to make themselves feel better about their own choices) to be something totally different. They do not see the need to COMPARE themselves to the foreign missionary, therefore they do not feel threatened by them or guilty because they are not choosing to do what they do. If they saw the mother missionary at home to be a positive thing and praised her, then they would have to question their own choices and they are quite comfortable as things are, so they must attack that role and try to find things “wrong” with it.

Just my opinion.

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Bambi @ In the Nursery May 18, 2012 - 2:53 pm

Amen, Sister. Truthful, encouraging words.

Bambi (a missionary kid gone missionary mom 🙂

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Kristen May 18, 2012 - 5:07 pm

It shouldn’t surprise us that since the home and family were the first things God instituted for the care and nurturing of mankind, that should be the thing the devil focuses so much of his energy on to destroy. If he can denigrate and devalue the home and the family enough, then we end up believing it is not worth anything. Certainly not worth the work put into it to make it a success or any amount of sacrifice.

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Shawnele May 18, 2012 - 8:30 pm

WONDERFUL post!

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Darby Dugger May 18, 2012 - 8:48 pm

Amen and beautifully written. I am a stay a home mother and some days when I miss my previous life of ministry, my husband will lovingly remind me that, “if we do our job right with our children – they will impact far more people for Christ than you or I ever will.” And with that, I’m given a much better image of the home as a mission field. Thank you for encouraging my heart with this post!

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Mrs. S May 19, 2012 - 2:08 am

Very encouraging!Something I needed to hear today 🙂

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tamela May 19, 2012 - 7:40 am

Our thoughts are running parallel~ I wake each morning praising the Lord that I am a missionary and it happens all in my own home~
Have a most Blessed day

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Keri May 19, 2012 - 7:52 am

I think this is where we as other moms can really encourage each other.Our home should really be our main mission field but not our only one.There are so many ways to “reach out” to those around us as Kelly stated.Taking a meal,encouraging someone,just being there for someone, and the list could go on and on.

We have to remember in the midst of it all to share the good news of Jesus with others.We as Christians have Truth and if we want our kids to be vibrant Christian Witnesses for the Lord..they have to see us caring about not only those around us but also a lost and dying world!

Kelly,I am not at all saying that you have said this with any of your posts..I’ve never taken them that way..but one of the things I have seen happen over the years,especially in Christian homeschool circles is a list of rules and regulations on how we should raise our kids and then everything will turn out okay.I’m not even talking biblical things here,just personal things mixed in under the name of Christianity.

This has me really thinking because after attending a Christian School graduation last night and hearing everyones “goals and dreams” for the future..well..not a one of them mentioned Christian Service..not that you can’t serve Christ in any joy..yes you can but it made me kind of sad.

My four older kids..Three in their 20’s and one almost 20 have been able to minister in ways to people..our own unsaved relatives including in a far better way then my husband and I ever could.As they have gotten older and people have seen that this has become their own faith(and not just something we have taught them)..they have been able to be far better witnesses for the Lord then we ever were at that age.

I have also noticed and I’m ashamed to admit it..that my grown kids have more compassion and love for those that I have become hardened and cynical about.That can be a pretty humbling thing.And yes..I’m even talking about some of my fellow members of our faith here.Those thoughts have been pretty much in my heart..so when I see the compassion my kids have..well..it’s convicting!

So much more on this subject..have to run..Two more graduations today.Looking forward to everyone’s input!Have a Blessed Weekend everyone!!

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Graceful Birth May 23, 2012 - 4:23 pm

Is the home really an ‘unreached people group’? Not that it is less important its just very different.

My family is not a ‘them out there’ or people to reach, they are people ‘in here’ to love.

I think missions has more to learn from raising family, than raising family has from missions.

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Word Warrior May 23, 2012 - 5:05 pm

Graceful,

“unreached people group”

I think this is the point where we miss it the most. The Great Commission doesn’t speak of an “unreached people group”. It simply implores us to “go (in the Greek, the reading is, “in your going”) and make disciples of all the nations (“your people group”). We *assume* the command is to go to the unreached people. And while some ARE called to that, most of us are called to missions right here.

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