By Jessica Rivera

I’ll be on a plane to Guatemala in 42 days. I first visited Guatemala on a mission trip in August 2015, and I knew God had called me to be there. After much prayer, emailing back and forth with the missionaries in Guatemala, and a lot of waiting, I was offered an internship for the summer of 2016. I was ecstatic, and then it hit me…“I’ll be in Guatemala for an entire summer.” I got a little panicked. Don’t get me wrong; I can’t wait to go, but there are those lies that get into your head as soon as you say, “Of course I’ll go!”

1. Lie: Being a sinner makes you unworthy of discipleship and sharing the gospel with others.

Truth: No one is perfect or without sin, and we were made worthy when Christ took the penalty of our sins and, in exchange, clothed us in His perfect righteousness.

2. Lie: You won’t make much of a difference.

Truth: Maybe only one person will come to know Christ through you, but changing the rest of eternity for one person is huge. Even more so, you’re fulfilling the Great Commission: Jesus said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24

3. Lie: You shouldn’t go because of the “what if’s”: what if you get sick, what if this isn’t God’s will, etc.

Truth: Jesus never promised that a life following Him would be easy, but He promised to be with us every step of the way. We’re not here to seek comfort, but to comfort the afflicted.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” Matthew 16:25-27

4. Lie: You’ll never raise enough support to fund the trip.

Truth: The Lord will provide. I know it’s annoying to hear, and hard to believe at some points, but last year I thought I would never fund my trip to Guatemala. While I still have a bit of a way to go for this trip, I have faith that, once again, the Lord will provide. He is forever faithful.

5. Lie: You’ll miss out on things at home, so you shouldn’t go.

Truth: You will miss out on things at home, but it doesn’t matter. This is a selfish thought, but I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t crossed my mind. However, I know that whatever plan God has for me in Guatemala is far greater than any plan I could make for myself at home. Truly living is following Jesus wherever He calls you and getting to be a part of His mission on earth.