Luke 8:38-39 — Now the man, out of whom the devils were departed, besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

A post on Facebook pointed me to a really-thought provoking article the other day. And it brought these verses from Luke’s Gospel to mind.
It also crystallized something in my mind, and help me get a clear perspective on something I’ve often wrestled with.
Here’s the original article:
http://pippabiddle.com/2014/02/18/the-problem-with-little-white-girls-and-boys/
The heart of the article is this:

Before you sign up for a volunteer trip anywhere in the world this summer, consider whether you possess the skill set necessary for that trip to be successful. If yes, awesome. If not, it might be a good idea to reconsider your trip. Sadly, taking part in international aid where you aren’t particularly helpful is not benign. It’s detrimental.

You see, I’ve often thought about a short-term mission trip, but I’ve always been deterred by the knowledge that I am (humiliating confession …) practically useless. Give me a hammer, I’ll probably drop it. Want a nail bent? Give it to me. Want that picture to fall of the wall? I can hang it … But still, surely I should go and share the Word? I’m a nice guy, like telling stories, love to worship …
This article really made me think about why Jesus wouldn’t let the man from whom he had driven the demons go with Him. I saw there were at least two reasons. The first is embodied in the text — “Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee”. If you have plenty of people at home to share with, maybe that’s your mission field. The second reason isn’t so obvious — but perhaps a man who has been possessed by demons for a long time really isn’t equipped.
Now don’t get me wrong … This devotion isn’t meant to tell anybody not to get involved in missions activity. The fact that I’m not mechanically gifted doesn’t excuse me from the Great Commission. It just means I have to be thoughtful about my proper part in it. I’m familiar with (and I’m sure you are too) the idea that there are four great compartments to missions — praying, equipping, sending and going … Your talents, resources and Spiritual gifting will certainly allow you to play a part in one or more of these areas. Not only that, but this age provides some unique opportunities for “going” that may not need you to travel or get involved in practical tasks for which you are just not suited. For myself, I participate in an online ministry (see http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com for details) that allows me to help new or returning Christians by playing to my strengths.
So there it is. If you’re “a little white girl (or boy)” make sure your missions activities really do promote the Kingdom — or stay at home!