Following Jesus’ Example: Empowering Leaders in Global Missions, by Victor H. Cuartas

Lack of trust is one of the biggest challenges. Trust is the basis of all relationships. Trust is an essential element to work with other people in any environment. Trust is even more important for us, since our intention is to explore possibilities of working together to bless other people who desperately need to hear the message of Christ. Our focus is on people, so we must develop a sense of trust. “A breach of trust will cause a sudden break in the relationship, which, if not resolved, will cause a deterioration of the relationship.”¹⁶ Trust is mainly developed through our relationship with God. As believers, we are called to trust in God always (Ps 20:7). Finally, Jesus Himself encourages us to trust in God and also in Him (John 14:1).

Different expectations are frequently a cause of disagreement. Conflict can occur due to either misinformation or to different views in understanding the appropriate way to respond in a specific situation. When working with diverse ethnic groups, one needs to communicate sincerely and ask when we are not sure of how to react in specific situations. “Understanding different cultural expectations can facilitate better communication and the avoidance of conflict.”¹⁷

Conclusion

Jesus has provided His great example to follow. When working with different ethnicities, we need to be aware of the different expectations and perspectives in regards to service and power. The more than we focus on God’s kingdom, the more than we can serve others with love and passion.

PR

Notes

¹ A. M Hunter, Christ and the Kingdom (Michigan: Servant Books, 1980), 92.

² Joachim Jeremias, New Testament Theology (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1971), 31. The author lists 13 instances in Mark, 9 in Matthew/Luke (Q), 27 in Matthew, and 12 in Luke.

³ See Mark 1:15; cf. Matthew 4:17; Luke 4: 42-43. (NASV)

⁴ See Matthew 13: 24, 44, 45, 47; Mark 4:26-30; Luke 19:11.

⁵ John Fuellenbach, The Kingdom of God: The Message of Jesus Today (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2006), 55.

⁶ BibleWorks 4: The Premier Biblical Exegesis and Research Program. Software for Windows Version 4, (Big Fork, MT: 1999).

⁷ Carl F. Henry, ed., The Biblical Expositor: Matthew to Revelation 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Philadelphia: Holman. 1960), 80.

⁸ BibleWorks, 4.

⁹ Ralph A. Earle, Elwood Sanner, and Charles L. Childers, Beacon Bible Commentary, vol. 6 (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1964), 294.

¹⁰ Henry, 84.

¹¹ Enoch Wan, and Michael Pocock, eds., Missions from the Majority World: Process, Challenges, and Case Studies (Pasadena: William Carey, 2009), ii.

¹² Gary, Corwin, “Doing Diversity Well,” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 44 (October 2008): 417.

¹³ G. Hofstede, and M. Bond “Hofstede’s Culture Dimensions: An Independent Validation using Rokeach’s Value Survey,” Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 15 (1984): 419.

¹⁴ Marvin K. Mayers, Christianity Confronts Culture (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1974), 147-70.

¹⁵Lianne Roembke, Building Credible Multicultural Teams (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library Pub, 2000), 17.

¹⁶Ibid.,28.

¹⁷ Lane, 121.

Tags: cuartas, empowering, featured, global, jesus, leaders, missions

Category: Ministry, Pneuma Review, Winter 2013