Brothers-in-Arms

One lesson I have learned on deputation and has become more important the longer I go is the importance of friends - Brothers-in-arms. I mean friends that are in the same position as me. I have a few close friends who are fellow missionaries that I keep in touch with since I joined missions. We have much in common due to deputation and are all finding and contacting pastors all around the country and working to schedule meetings in order to share our ministries. We feel the pressure of learning the balance of supporting our families, doing ministry, travelling, and trusting God to provide for it all.

Brothers-in-arms that are on the same deputation page are powerful encouragements. They can listen and "get it" when things are difficult. Our non-ministry friends are great encouragements but they don't always understand what we are going through. It is a wonderful feeling to be with someone who is experiencing the same things in life as you are and ministry friends can help keep our focus right.

These Brothers also are a source to share and compare strategies of the ministry. Sometimes we can get bogged down with the same old thing and don't realize that we are in a rut. Talking with your "deputation buddies" can offer new thoughts, ideas and directions for deputation. This can ignite the imagination we need to think of new ways of presenting our ministry and sharing what God has called us to do.

Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

 Who is sharpening your countenance?