Is this for me?

How do you know if Wycliffe, or any other mission or ministry, is the right one for you? Graham Scott shares some of the insights he has gained after spending time serving on the field and training with SIL Australia.

By Graham Scott

After eight years of trying to find a good fit, God led us into Wycliffe. We later faced a change of direction from West Africa to South-East Asia and had to wrestle with discerning what context would suit us. More recently, health issues have challenged us to again ask God what his good fit is for us. But through it
all, we remain confident that God will guide and lead us. We have not
always felt 100% certain about our decisions but we have definitely felt the Lord prompting and leading us at each stage of our journey.

In Scripture, God guides his people through:

His Word with the Spirit’s help

The principles in God’s Word light our paths (Psalm 119:105).

The gathered church

There is a consistent pattern of faithful believers appointing others for ministry and mission (Acts 13:1-2; 14:23; 2 Cor 8:19; Tit 1:5).

Events and circumstances

A shipwreck may seem like an accident for the apostle Paul, but God used it
to lead him into ministry in Malta (Acts 27:27-44). In the wilderness, Philip
met the Ethiopian man who had been forced to leave Jerusalem due to
persecution (Acts 8:26-40). Through the poverty and needs of the early
church, the apostles were led by God to appoint the first deacons to serve
the family of believers (Acts 6:1-6).

Wisdom

God’s people need wisdom to live godly lives in a challenging world. Old Testament books like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and the faithful lives of Esther and Daniel, demonstrate how God gives practical wisdom for daily life to people who desire to know Him.

A whole variety of other ways

We see this through Scripture – God even used a speaking donkey (Num 2:28-30)  He is a great God who is interested in each person and patiently prompts and nudges us as we need.

So how can you discern if Wycliffe would be a good fit for you?

Begin by asking yourself these questions:

1. What gifts, abilities and skills has God given me that I can contribute?

2. Do I long to see disciples of Jesus from minority language groups of the world grow through the Scriptures in their heart language?

3. Do I desire to serve the Wycliffe community and local communities around the world by walking alongside, training, supporting, and encouraging in practical ways?

4. Are there believers in my life who are supportive of cross-cultural mission and willing to pray for and advise me? (If not, ask God to bring someone alongside you to share the journey.)

5. Is Wycliffe a community I want to be part of? Joining the work of Wycliffe
means joining the Wycliffe family. You could visit a project to see what the work looks like in action, or visit the Wycliffe Australia headquarters at Kangaroo Ground and meet some of the Aussie Wycliffe family.