Q: When does a "pursuit of excellence" become workaholism and self-abuse? How do we know when we have allowed ourselves to sacrifice the wrong things (e.g. family) for what we believe is the work of God?
A: This is an important distinction. Although excellence does involve a commitment of time, it is more about quality of investment than quantity of investment. Excellence involves choosing to reflect, to invite others to give honest feedback, to discuss the specific outcomes you desire ahead of time so you can track performance, and to debrief experiences to make sure all learning lessons are captured. At IJM, we believe in excellence in our personal lives as well as our work lives. This means that you give the best you have in the time allotted. For instance, we have a limit on the nights of away travel because there will always be more opportunities than is healthy for someone to engage. If we are missing the joy in our personal lives it will eventually impact the ministry. As a result, it is both right and smart to invest with excellence in our families/personal life as well as ministry.
Q: Since excellence is a huge value, how do untrained people in "the cul de sacs" actually do this dangerous mission without hurting (hindering, working against) the cause?
A: One of the ways that everyone can advance the work of justice is to identity injustice issues in areas where your church is already working. IJM has developed a DVD training called AS YOU GO that equips short term mission teams to identify injustice issues while they are in the field - regardless if they are there to build homes, work with orphanages, share the faith, etc. Once you identify injustice issues, it is important to share this with your church leadership so that a discussion can begin on what the church might do in these communities. In this process, IJM can serve as a consultant to equip the church to respond in a way that helps rather than hinders the situation. To learn more about this resource and to read stories about what churches have done, visit ijm.org. The short term mission training is located in the store and the church stories are located in the get involved - churches section.
- Gary and the IJM Team