(Great Expectations Part 3 of 3)
Today’s blog post is the third and final installment of a three-part series—Great Expectations. So far, we’ve talked about clarifying others’ expectations of us (see Let’s Talk About It – Communicating Expectations With Others [Great Expectations Part 1 of 3]) and dealing with our own unmet expectations (see Is This What I Asked For?! – Identifying Our Own Expectations [Great Expectations Part 2 of 3]).
It’s one thing to clarify expectations with friends and family members, but what about our organization and missionaries within it? For example, why do those in the organization handle finances and member care the way they do? And why are other missionaries behaving the way they are? And why do the nationals in our host country do things one way when it would be much easier to do it differently? Before we try to fix it, we need to understand it.
It’s important to remember that the organization is not Jesus. If we put all our trust in an organization, we will always be disappointed.
Many missionaries have left the mission field or an organization because they disagreed with leadership. It is important to remember that organizations are businesses. Though our business is to be about God’s business, if you want a salary, organizations have to make money. And organizations are run by people. People are imperfect.
Seek to Understand
If you have a question about how or why something is done, it would be prudent to approach leadership in a position of humility and ask. If their answer is akin to “That’s just the way it’s always been done,” maybe you could prod a little more and see if there may be a better way.
Much like we can’t understand God’s ways, we often won’t understand the ways of our spouse, our family, our friends, or our organization.
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” ~ Dr. Stephen Covey
Perhaps you see some areas in which you feel your organization or the people within it could improve. My prayer is that you don’t let what you consider inefficiency overshadow the overarching goal of sharing the gospel.
Allowing our frustration over the practices of an organization or a culture to rise in our hearts only feeds bitterness and undermines our effectiveness in ministry. If the fruit of the ministry honors God, unless the methods are against moral ethics or outright illegal, is it worth the effort to press for change for the sake of efficiency?
When working in a non-Western culture, the Western way is not necessarily the best way. We should seek to understand the “whys” of those before us before coming in guns blazing with how things need to change. If we watch and observe for a time, we may discover that how they are doing things is best.
If you and your team determine a change does need to happen, think of changing an organization like turning a big ship. The bigger the ship (organization), the slower the turn (change), but even a small rudder can turn a large ship.
We also need to be willing to step up and be the change we seek. If we are not ready to help implement the change, there is little motivation for leadership to do it for us.
“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (Proverbs 1:6).
It is wise to learn and understand what we are facing, and wiser still to seek guidance.
Conclusion
We all have expectations whether or not we communicate them. When we have a lot on our plate, we might overlook things. We may not even know we have expectations until they go unmet. When we have a situation that causes friction in our hearts, it would be wise to determine whether this is an expectation that is going unmet. Knowing how to tell when that is the case will serve you well for service in overseas ministry.
Think about how you respond when your expectations go unmet. How will you adapt, alter, and adjust when things don’t measure up to your expectations? If changes need to be made, how can you address them in humility, and what can you do to help implement them?
I invite you to pray with me.
Father God, I pray for Your grace and intercession as we clarify others’ expectations of us. Help us understand what we expect of others, our organization, and our team. Help us grow in humility, set aside our pride, and seek to learn and understand before trying to implement our way. Please give us teachable hearts and spirits, and guide us in Your ways. In Jesus’s name, I pray, amen.
I adapted this series from my book Living Uprooted: Encouragement for the Missionary Wife.
If you would like to hear a little more about the heart behind Living Uprooted, head on over to my Interviews tab on my website and select the interview you’d like to listen to.
You can find the print book and ebook online at the Redemption Press bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
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Let’s Talk About It – Communicating Expectations With Others [Great Expectations Part 1 of 3]
Is This What I Asked For?! – Identifying Our Own Expectations [Great Expectations Part 2 of 3]
