Does God Care Where I Go?

Wesley Mills • Aug 28, 2017

Many of us prefer to deal with situations in black-and-white terms and steer clear of the gray areas in the Bible. We like rules, even if we fail to stick to them. But there are areas where Scripture is less clear about what to do, like, “What college should I go to?” or “Who should I marry?”

For missionaries, the question is often, “Does God care where I go overseas?”

Many prospective missionaries feel God is leading them to move their lives across the world, but don’t know where. They may have some thoughts of where they would like to go, but they don’t hold strong convictions on any one place.

TEAM has put together a series of blog posts on discerning your call and knowing when you’re called. But as a missions coach , I’ve often heard people wrestle with where they are called — either not feeling confident or feeling fearful that they will make a wrong choice.

For many, this comes from a sincere desire to be obedient to God’s call on their life. But underneath the question of “Does God care where I go?” are some assumptions we should address:

1. “My destination is a moral decision.”

Yes, obedience is a crucial and vital part of the Christian life. But let’s be careful we don’t paint God as a game show host who offers three doors of possible choices but will only be pleased by one of them.

In this situation, we are left to a mere guessing game, praying our choice is also His. But our God doesn’t play games with us. He is with us in our decision and destination.

Paul, for example, was compelled to revisit all the places Barnabas and he had gone to together. However, after some disagreement, Barnabas took John Mark and went to Cyprus while Paul chose Silas and went to Syria and Cilicia ( Acts 15:36-41 ).

This doesn’t seem like a decision of morality, but a judgment call where a decision was made when no specific rule of Scripture applies. They parted ways, both serving the Lord and the Gospel in their respective cities.

2. “My destination will impact God’s will for my life.”

If by “God’s will,” we mean the unknown future, then yes. Every decision we make will impact our futures. But God’s plan for our future will not be thwarted.

We tend to be preoccupied with what God’s unknown will is (future jobs, relationships, places, etc.) and less focused on what His known will is: “to seek justice and love mercy and walk humbly with your God” ( Mic. 6:8 ); “look after widows and orphans in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world” ( James 1:27 ); “honoring your father and mother” ( Ep. 6:1-2 ), loving your neighbor and delighting in the law of the Lord.

We should give our worries and anxieties to the Lord about our futures, “for tomorrow will be anxious for itself” ( Matt. 6:34 ). We should lift our eyes to the Lord in the present, “seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” ( Matt 6:33 ).

3. “My destination will always be a clear call of God.”

Look at Paul’s missionary journey. At times, yes, he heard directly from the Lord ( Acts 16:9-10 ). But other times, he was merely fleeing for his life and ended up in destinations based on circumstance or danger. Paul also changed his plans when attempting to visit the Church at Corinth a second time ( 2 Cor. 1:15-2:4 ) because of issues found within the church and the pain it had caused.

At TEAM, we also have examples of people feeling led to a particular destination and then having to change their plans. Kristine is a TEAM missionary serving in France , but only after she felt the Lord calling her to Southeast Asia and South Africa — and getting denied twice. As Kristine said, “Destinations are the Shepherd’s job; the sheep’s job is just to follow.”

Ultimately, like Paul, our lives are not boiled down to just one option. And even if we do make plans — as Paul did — “it is God who directs our steps” ( Prov. 16:9 ).

The Lord gives us both wisdom and faith, but too many times we pit these against each other. Some of us only look at things from a practical level. Others toss wisdom out the door and go off our gut. But our wisdom should inform our faith.

We need to think hard and carefully about where we might serve the Lord, and then take steps of faith (language learning, cultural adaptation, moving) that support our decision. And we do all of this with a heavy dependence on the Lord and open hands for Him to change our course if He pleases.

So when we ask, “Does God care where I go?” we need to clarify what we are asking.

Yes, God cares where we go if by “care” we mean that He longs for the salvation of all peoples. Whether it’s Lithuania, Laos, Argentina or Australia, we know that “a great multitude from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages [will be] standing before the throne and before the Lamb” ( Rev. 7:9 ). Because we are part of God’s mission to reach the world, He cares where we go and that we go.

But no, God does not care where you go, if by “care” we mean that God will be disappointed in our decision to go to one place over another when He has not made a certain direction clear.

If there are times you sense the Lord speaking directly to you about a destination, then do not go against your conscience. Follow where the Spirit seems to be leading, and go until He shuts the door.

If, however, you are unsure where to go, begin to take steps (learning a language, befriending cross-cultural neighbors, learning about different areas of the world) that can help clarify your giftings and longings and specify places where those can be used.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Whatever you do — eating, drinking, playing, working — and wherever you go — the Arabian Desert, Oceanic region, or Latin America — do it and go there for the glory of God.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
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