Immeasurably More…
By: Sara Payne, Magnify Missions Coach
Email: sara@magnifymissions.com
Over the course of the last year, I have been reflecting on Ephesians 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
These verses came up as my boss and fellow collaborator, Ryan Steuer, and I were thinking through the heart and spirit of the work we are beginning with missionaries and Christian entrepreneurs. God had planted a seed and vision in Ryan’s heart that resounded with my own longings and desires to do work that more directly impacted God’s kingdom. I had been working for a PBL (Project Based Learning) professional development company for the last 5 years branding and facilitating professional development for educators. Prior to that I had been a high school teacher in a PBL school for 9 years. I definitely saw my work having an impact. My high school classroom had been a mission field for me. Then working with educators to teach them PBL had been a way to impact a broader audience. Still there was a stirring for something more. God was causing me to be restless, but I didn’t know why or for what.
I kept praying about it and having conversations with God. I was volunteering with Youth for Christ and still connected to ministry on some level, and I kept wondering if I should quit my job and work for YFC. It seemed logical, but I didn’t have peace about it, so I kept waiting.
What Happened in the Waiting
In the waiting, my husband and I were finally matched with and adopted a beautiful baby girl. I took a three month maternity leave, and began thinking that I really wasn’t excited to come back and work in my current job anymore. It was a strange feeling because I loved the work I was doing. I had been thriving in that job, and I was able to use a variety of skills. Right around the time when I needed to think about returning to my job, Ryan shared his vision to start a company that would do hands-on work with missionaries and equip them with tools for long-term sustainability. He asked me if I would want to take on this new endeavor and help grow it. I felt my heart stir and tears coming to my eyes. This was it-the work I had been longing for, the next chapter of God’s story for me-and I was ecstatic! This was truly my heart’s desire, but nothing I could have thought of or dreamt for myself.
In fact, I had felt empty in the dream bank for years. I had longings and desires, but truly dreaming big dreams with God felt intimidating and on some level even pointless. I had dreamt big dreams in my past only to see them dashed and my heart utterly devastated. Did I really know how to dream? What if I got it wrong again? What if they were Sara’s dreams and not God’s dreams? Having this job opportunity presented before me was the first time in a decade I had felt my heart stir for something big. I don’t exactly know how we landed on Ephesians 3:20, most likely it was the Holy Spirit, but somewhere in those conversations we realized that dreaming with God was what we wanted to see in our lives and the lives of our fellow believers. Before people could dream though, they would need to have a mindset shift.
Why does Christian Worker = Poor & Tired
As Ryan and I started deep diving into our work, we were having conversations and pulling from our own experiences. We kept coming across a common theme and mindset: missionaries and those in ministry should be poor or at least not have nice things and run themselves ragged for Jesus . We heard stories of missionaries losing their support because they were gifted too nice of a vehicle or those who were barely making enough to pay the bills. We kept coming across stories of burnout and leaving the field, divorce, depression, mental breakdowns, you name it.
I had been pondering and finding myself frustrated for several years as to why it was that so many of those on the front lines, whether in ministry or churches, were often the most burnt out and underfunded in the Kingdom of God. Where was the abundant life and the living out of God’s goodness and provision? Why was doing full time work for Jesus equivalent to living a life of scarcity and barely scraping by? Why were my brothers and sisters in full time ministry the least paid, the most overworked, and often neglected caring for themselves and their families? Why were so many people in the church operating out of a poverty mindset when they served a King who made everything and owns everything?
My Own Burnout Experience
I myself had personally experienced this kind of thinking when serving as a missionary overseas right after college. I would work long days, be regularly concerned about my finances, and felt myself running ragged all for the sake of the Gospel. You could never do “enough” for the Kingdom of God and somehow this kind of lifestyle was acceptable and almost expected. I was already struggling with and battling the residual effects of a legalistic and works-oriented faith perspective. I had grown up in a Catholic home and tradition, so “doing” was interwoven with believing. It wasn’t until college that I really fully understood the Gospel and the beauty of grace. Still as a 1 on the enneagram (perfectionism), and being a first born Type A combined with 18 years of a works-based understanding of the Gospel, I had a lot to overcome in my experience of grace. My missionary leaders would regularly comment on how I needed to be putting in 50-60 hours a week. I felt like every interaction and conversation needed to be Gospel-oriented. Anytime I was resting, I kept thinking about what I should be doing instead of resting. Somehow the idea of rest and refreshment kept being swallowed up by productivity and numbers. I left those two years utterly depleted and defeated.
A Poverty Mindset
This poverty mindset is deeply rooted in Christian circles, and it is the antithesis of how the God we serve operates. This kind of thinking is pervasive, and it is wrong. If we’re ambassadors for Christ, but we’re living lives that reflect that we don’t have enough and are always tired, what kind of witness are we? Why would people be attracted to a God who barely provides for His children and just lets them scrape by? Matthew 7:9 reads, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” This is the Father we serve-a father who gives good gifts to those who ask. We also have a Father who is ready to give immeasurably MORE than we ask or imagine. So why is it that Christian workers are scraping by for leftovers in the dumpster when God has lavished a table that is ready for them?
More Than We Can Ask or Imagine
We started thinking and reflecting,
What does it look like to dream with God for immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine?
What would it look like for believers to operate from a place of health, rest, and sustainability?
How would God’s kingdom be impacted if every Christian worker was fully funded and operating from a place of abundance?
We got excited and we got to work. Thus was born Magnify Missions! We had experience running successful workshops for educators that brought about transformation for the classroom, so we decided to create a workshop that could do the same for Christian missionaries and entrepreneurs. We wanted people to start operating from an overflowing cup, not a dry one.
It takes work and courage to make changes in our thinking, habits, and rhythms. We aren’t just talking about short-term fixes. We’re looking at the long game and viewing ministry as a marathon not a sprint. Marathons take training and discipline. Reimagining or imagining for the first time is both exciting and exhausting. So many Christian workers have grown accustomed to being worn out, frazzled, and ignoring true rest that it takes time to reorient. We decided that we would not just start and end with a workshop. The workshop is the launching point to a relationship. We are also coaching our people to focus on the areas God is leading them to change and transform. Some people need to focus on building support, others need help communicating with donors, and others need guidance on how to manage their time. It’s amazing to see how God is showing up and moving because that’s work that He loves to do!
What’s Next
Not only do I see this work transforming those who work with us, but I also see it changing me. I’m having conversations about dreaming alongside God with my spouse, my friends, and my church community. I’m remembering what it’s like to be excited for the future and to see God do His thing, because it’s awesome. Just this past weekend I had a conversation with a friend and we both agreed to ask God over the course of the next year to show us what “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine” looks like. I’m waiting and watching with an expectant heart.
If you’re interested in taking some time to dream and imagine with God about your future and ministry/work, then check out our Magnify Missions Workshops.
Sara Payne is first and foremost a beloved child of God. She likes to surround herself with people who love Jesus, be out in nature, work out, cook, and drink delicious cups of coffee. She is married to Ryan, an amazing man who loves Jesus, and also is (in her opinion) a rock star with a band called Attaboy. They have one beautiful little girl named Isabella who is a joy and delight! Sara’s first job after college was as a missionary serving overseas in Budapest, Hungary. She then transitioned into being a full time English teacher in a PBL school on the south side of Indianapolis, IN. There her mission field was high school students. After getting married, she worked for Magnify Learning as a Branding Manager and PBL facilitator. Since becoming a mama, she now works for Magnify Missions where she is able to combine her love of missions and teaching to serve and coach missionaries around the world.
