Living on Mission with Gloria Furman
On this episode of the Journeywomen podcast I had the privilege of chatting with my own present-day hero, Gloria Furman, about living life on mission for Jesus. Gloria is a wife, mother, cross-cultural worker, and the author of some of my favorite books. Gloria and I laughed a lot as we discussed what it looks like to live on mission no matter where you’re at in the world. So you’ll know, she’s actually located across the world and because of the time difference, I woke up around 4:45 in the morning to have this conversation. If you thought my voice was low, just wait till you hear this. You’ll have to excuse my morning voice and delirious laughter for the first five minutes of our conversation. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Every time we talk, I’m astounded by Gloria’s knowledge of Scripture and her ability to answer all of my questions from a gospel-centered perspective. Listen to what she said, “Your own personal fitness is not the most important thing about your ambassadorship. The most important thing about your ambassadorship is the One who is sending you.” I left this conversation challenged to intentionally pursue those who are already in my direct sphere of influence as an ambassador for Christ. Alright, enough of me! Let’s dig into my conversation about living on mission with my friend Gloria Furman.
Tell us a little about who you are and what you do.
What does it mean to live missionally and why should we even pursue that kind of lifestyle?
What is the Biblical mandate for living on mission for Jesus? Where do we see Jesus living on mission?
How can we support the Great Commission to go and make disciples of ALL nations wherever it is that God has us today? How do you rectify your idea of "mission" and God's idea of "mission"?
How do you live missionally despite the inconveniences that come along with life—like sickness, disease, sleepless nights with an infant, fussy toddlers, etc?
How might this look different based on our season of life? What does it look like to live on mission when you’re in a demanding season that doesn’t seem to allow you to do ministry the way you’ve always done it or the way you want it to look?
Galatians 6:9 tells us not to grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Have you ever had seasons where you did grow weary of doing good and how did you get through that?
How do you live on mission/ fight for contentment with your mission when it feels little and mundane? When we have outlets (thank you social media) to see everyone else's mission seeming to affect the masses, while we aren't convinced ours is affecting anyone?
What do you think it would look like if the women in the Church intentionally lived on mission... scheduled it, prioritized it, made it a practice... instead of filling schedules with "holy things" like church activities, another bible study, another life group, etc?
Obviously Jesus is the ultimate person who lived on mission. Who else has inspired and encouraged you to live missionally?
3 Questions I Ask Every Guest
What are 3 resources you'd recommend for someone who wants to live on mission?
What are your 3 simple joys?
Who has had the greatest impact on your journey with Jesus?
Note Worthy Quotes
“Living missionally means that you’re living the life that God has set apart for you. That’s in the context he’s put you in, with the gifts that His Spirit has provided you with, with the ministry of reconciliation, which we’ve all been given if we are in Christ, and doing all of that in the strength that He provides. We look to him for the model for that.”
“God is on mission. His Son was sent on a mission. And He sends and equips us!”
“God’s mission doesn’t have any boundaries.”
“If I find myself with free time I didn’t count on or when I'm in a situation I wasn’t planning for, I ask myself ‘What would an ambassador do or say?’ That is a picture he does give us. We are ambassadors for Christ--God is making his appeal through us. With the ambassador illustration that Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 5, if we know anything about ambassadors we know that they are representatives and that they don’t represent themselves, they represent God… The message you’ve been given is this: reconciliation. You don’t have to wonder, ‘What is it that an ambassador would say?’ We don’t have to wonder. We have the message. Walk by the Spirit and proclaim that truth.”
“How amicable are God’s people to being sent out to the world? How happy are they about that sent-ness?”
“My own self-perceived fit-ness of being an ambassador for Christ is something that I have to wrestle with all the time. Your own personal fitness is not the most important thing about your ambassadorship. The most important thing about your ambassadorship is the One who is sending you.”
“How our ideal situations look can be so different than what God’s actually doing in and through us and in the people around us. You talk about going to the other side of the world, but are you willing to go to the living room?”
“Don’t sit in your restlessness alone. Bring somebody into that.”
“Weep as somebody who has hope.”
“Remember that the world is round. It’s always morning somewhere. The glory of God is going to cover the face of the earth when every corner of the globe is reached. Maybe you don’t know anybody on the other side of the world, but you can pray for them.”
“Don’t resist the urge to pray. If you sense the Spirit urging you to pray, stop and pray! It’s only the Spirit leading you. Your flesh doesn’t lead you to pray! If you feel it in you, that’s the Spirit.”
Gloria's Resources
The Temple and the Church’s Mission by G.K. Beale - see how God has been on mission throughout the whole of Scripture and see yourself in that Story
(order the book above on Book Depository if you’re overseas for free shipping)
Joyfully Spreading the Word (coming out next Spring by several female authors)
Gloria's Simple Joys
Mexican Food
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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