Motivational Friday | 5. Believe In Yourself

Vendredi, 6 Mars, 2015

Verse of the Day: «O Eternel! tu es mon Dieu; Je t'exalterai, je célébrerai ton nom, Car tu as fait des choses merveilleuses; Tes desseins conçus à l'avance se sont fidèlement accomplis.» Ésaïe 25.1

Quote of the Day: “Those whom we call ancient were really new in all things.”—Blaise Pascal

«Ceux que nous appelons anciens étaient vraiment nouveaux en toutes choses.»—Blaise Pascal

French Fun Fact: The most visited attraction in Paris isn’t the Eiffel Tower (5.5 million), or the Louvre (5 million), but Disneyland Paris at 13 million people. (confessedtravelholic.com)

What’s Really Happening Over Here:

Weather – Mostly Cloudy, Precip. 0%

Temperature – 37⁰F, high of 46⁰

News – Norway 'won't arrest' Paris bombing suspect (thelocal.fr)

More News – http://sports.orange.fr/

A Day In the Life:

My interview with the missionary from my church (I am not giving his name for obvious reasons) was very eye-opening and informational. Honestly, it totally changed my perspective of missions in France. I realize now that missions must be completely tailored to the culture. Perhaps this is why missionaries such as Hudson Taylor (you can read about him in this week’s missionary blog post here) were so successful.

-          Why France?

“Felt the call to Western Europe”

-          How long have you been here?

“Since late 2011, so 3½ years.”

-          How long do you plan on staying?

“We’re here.”

-          What did you do before coming here?

“Pastored a church in Texas, but felt the call to do Missions. Spent a year serving in the Philippines, and then when we first came to France we lived in Paris for a bit.”

-          What led you to making this decision?

“There is a lot of spiritual need here. Less than one percent of the population are Evangelical Christians.”

-          Do you connect with other American missionaries here in France?

“I do! As well as other missionaries here from other countries. But it’s never easy, we are all over the country.”

-          Was it difficult adjusting to the culture? Why or why not?

 “Yes! There are a lot of unwritten rules that you have to be aware of that they expect you to know about and abide by, especially in Paris.”

-          Did you go to language school before coming here?

“Yes, 18 months. It was very intensive, on the same schedule as the kids’ schooling, and it was all French, all day. I still have to go to a tutor as well to make sure I’m staying up to par.”

-          Have you noticed any differences between the French Christian and the American Christian?

“The French Christian is more all in, because in their culture they are always looking for something to pour themselves into. For the vast majority, it is their work which they take real pride in. [Not so much in the American sense of chasing the American dream, but they are searching for something to give themselves to.] So, once they find Christ, they know no other way to go about it than to give Him everything.”

o   Between the French Church and the American Church?

“At the same time, the French culture is one wherein everything has its box and its rightful place. And so often it is somewhat of a foreign concept to them to consider the church as more than a building, but a body of believers. So fellowship outside of the church is different for them, but it is cool to see them growing in that aspect and getting involved in home Bible studies and such throughout the week.”

-          What are some obstacles to sharing the Gospel here in France?

“You can’t. Really the best you can do is hope that they ask a question after a few years of seeing you live your life differently. Another big obstacle though is that they just know nothing about Christianity. I once asked a boy if he knew what Jesus had done for Him, and He asked me who Jesus was.”

-          How important is fluency to sharing the Gospel?

“Very important. Even in the States you have to try and use language that doesn’t sound ‘Christianese’, so that they can actually understand what you’re saying. In a culture where they don’t have the slightest inkling of what you’re talking about in the first place, it makes it that much more important to have a solid command of the language.”

-          How have you had to adapt your communication styles to be more effective in this environment?

“The biggest change for me was adapting my style of preaching and teaching when I got here. Back home, I used to never manuscript my sermons or lessons before speaking. It just wasn’t me. But when I got here that was a change I had to make just to make sure what I was saying was coming out right and making sense. It was a great relief to be able to finally get back to my usual style after some time.”

-          How open can you be about your intentions?

“You really can’t be. That being said, there have been some doors opened in some situations – when people hear my accent, normally they think I’m from England. But when they find out that I’m American, and that I live here, they ask me why I’m here. So that’s been a great opportunity to slip the Gospel in on a few occasions.”

-          Do you have a “tent-making” job? If so, what do you do?

“No, I’m fully supported by my mission board.”

-          What is a story of triumph you’ve had during your time here?

“There’s a couple who owns the café where I go every morning, and we’ve become pretty close with them; they’re not saved. One morning I was in kind of a hurry so I didn’t have time to stay and chat as much as I would’ve liked, but I could tell that they were down about something. As I walked out the door I felt the Spirit tell me to go back in and ask how they were really doing, and so I did. This took them back a little bit to know that I actually cared, and our relationship made a major breakthrough that day. They still haven’t accepted Christ, but I pray every day that that will be the day they do. You never know when it could happen but I think that day made a big difference.”

-          What was the reason you were successful?

“I think just because I was obedient in that moment, the LORD used it.”

Believe In Yourself

This week’s motivational video is about the power of belief. Basically, you have to believe that you already are who you want to become. This is done by acting the way the person who you aspire to become would act. In doing so, you find that you already are that person. The process begins when you make the decision to begin the process. Enjoy!