I know that the Word commands everyone to honor their mother and father, and the last couple of years I have been trying very hard to honor both parents - although sometimes it is a little difficult as they are never on the same page.
I have been talking with a few people from Cadence International for several months, and after much prayer I have decided to apply. This isn't exactly a 'paying' job, I will have to raise all of my own support and I am OK with this. There is no doubt in my mind that if this is where He wants me He will make it all happen and provide for me financially.
My dad, however, is not so sure. He got very angry with me when I told him this, and he thinks it would be a bad idea to head off to a different country for a job that doesn't have a 'secure monthly income'. He thinks if I want to go into a youth ministry position & use my degree, I should find a job in a church that pays a monthly salary. He says that the missionary lifestyle of raising your own support is not a good way of life and he doesn't want me to pursue that kind of lifestyle.
Would it be dishonoring my dad if I continued to apply for this position?
A few years ago I really felt God tugging on my heart to attend a semester at a little tiny Bible college on the beach in Oregon. I got all of my papers together and was ready to apply. I had mentioned it to my parents a few months before, but when I told them I was actually applying they were very upset, and we actually got into a fight about it.
If this is truely something God has laid on your heart you and your dad may have to agree to disagree, like my parents and I did. Also know that if he really feels so strongly it's because he loves you.
I think the best way to honor your parents in this situation is to aproach them with patience and be slow to get defensive. :angel:
You've received excellent counsel here. You must do what Abba is calling you to, but continue to communicate with your parents respectfully and lovingly. The reality is that no job is secure and no income is assured these days. The most secure place to be is smack in the middle of God's will for your life. :-)
God bless you, precious one, as you prepare to serve our Lord in humble obedience, as His will and timing are made clear.
When I told my parents I was quitting my job to become an unpaid missionary, they pretty much lost it. They had sacrificed so much to send me to college to prepare me for a career. My going was unthinkable. It didn't help that they could not support me and I was not going with a large organization....just my church. Each month, people would put money in the offering plate in an envelope with my name on it. There was no guarantee of anything. When I got to the country, I had almost 5 dollars in my pocket.
As parents, they were looking out for me. However, God had set me a task to do. As God showed and continued to show His will, they witnessed my struggles. One of the best things for my survival and sanity was them getting a computer and internet access. Before leaving the country, I taught them how to email, instant message, and voice chat. With snail mail taking weeks and sometimes months, my parents would have been basket cases. However, I made a commitment to log on two evenings a week at set times. My commitment to keep them in the loop and ensure they knew how I was doing and was safe really eased the tensions.
Our parents love us. They want to protect us. Grin, and that isn't all bad. Sometimes it is stifling and infuriating, but it really does have benefits.
Honoring parents and showing them respect does not mean acquiescing to every demand. It does mean listening respectfully and taking what they say into consideration. From the sound of your posting, you love your parents a lot and do not want to hurt them. Share that with them. Let them see your love as well as your respect. You may be surprised at what happens.
Look at your situation in your father's/parents' perspective. Might be they are against it because they know you better? on what is best for you? or just parental fear to what might possibly happen to you in that other country. Sometimes it is not the good income that really matters but fear of might be losing you. Yes, safety is not in a place but in the presence of God, but parents do wish their children will do the usual safe ordinary ways others are doing. So, if you cannot loving convince your father to support what you would to do, I think you won't be effective either in where you would like to go.
