The most important thing in the
mission is the Spirit. I know everyone always says it but it really is
100% of the mission, the Spirit. We aren't here to speak for ourselves,
we are here to be the mouthpieces of the Spirit. When I got on the
mission I immediately went into focusing 100% on spanish, spanish,
spanish, because it was my most obvious weakness, I looked at other
missionaries and thought, if I could just speak spanish like that guy I
would be such a better missionary.
Unfortunately I didn't focus too much
on learning to teach by the Spirit, and that was a huge mistake that I
have paid for many times on the mission. I don't care if your native, I
don't care if you are charismatic and funny and bold and everything else
that is useful as a missionary, If you don't have the Spirit - YOU ARE
NOTHING.
Charisma, a sense of humor, all that makes for good friends of
investigators that are just coming to church because they like their
missionaries, and when the missionaries leave, so do the investigators,
nothing makes a convert but the Spirit.
LEARN TO TEACH BY THE SPIRIT.
When you feel slow and not smart at the start of the mission because you
can't understand and can't be understood, no amount of language study will
save the lesson, The Spirit saves the lesson. When you have more
experience in the mission and are more comfortable speaking, no amount
of confidence will save the lesson, The Spirit saves the lesson.
So with this talk (Becoming a consecrated missionary) and with my mission I have learned the two
hardest by far to put on the altar of sacrifice are fear, and pride,
and trust me both of these kill your ability to teach by the Spirit.
Don't be afraid the worst they can do is say no, don't be afraid because
that is is a lack of faith.
On the other hand don't be over
the top and arrogant because that just makes people angry or makes them feel
afraid. Pride and fear are two emotions that literally have nothing to
do with the Spirit. God feels a lot of emotions like us, love, hate(of
sin), anger, sorrow, all of these God feels, but I am convinced that two
emotions that are completely of the devil are fear, and pride.
Don't be
afraid but don't be arrogant either, humility isn't being afraid, its
recognizing your complete dependence on God and then showing your
confidence in Him by doing what He says and being obedient -
faith. Humility and Faith are the opposites of fear and pride.
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