Where is Our Treasure?
Matt and Michaela Voeller
Many said for years that running a marathon in under 2 hours could never be done. That’s running a mile in 4 minutes, 34 seconds, or 13.2 mph for 2 hours straight. But on November 17th, 2019, in Vienna, Italy, Project Breaking 2, Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge achieved the feat in a sensational effort running a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2 hour mark.
My purpose in bringing up this historic event is to ask you to think about what is the “Breaking 2” in your life? Current, past, or future, what mountainous leap of faith have you felt the Lord drawing your heart to that you have always told yourself could never be done?
My Breaking 2 first came while on my knees at an altar call at a summer Bible camp. The Lord laid on my heart a burden for missions. I didn’t want to hear anything of it, so I forgot about it. For the next 10 years I limited how God wanted to use my life to spread His Good News.
Sponsors for the Breaking 2 attempt had the job of optimizing every factor they could to help Kipchoge succeed. The latest, most efficient shoes, smooth track with minimal elements, and elevation, etc. But the one factor they could not quantify was the mind. His body would go only as far as his mind was willing. Is that what often limits us in how far and amazing the Father wants to use us as His ambassadors?
Through a period of physical illness, God renewed my heart and mind and softened it with an eagerness for missions. Since then my wife, Michaela, and I have led multiple missions trips to Central America.
Most recently we went to El Salvador to help construct a men’s dormitory. This would allow increased student capacity at a missionary training campus called King’s Castle, that we worked with. I want to share some stories that might encourage your faith in God’s Breaking 2 in your life.
Angela, a first year student, shared her testimony of having grown up with an abusive dad and a volatile marriage between her parents leading to divorce. Years later rumor got to them that he had become a Christian and was going to church. Angela was sent by her mom to scout out if her dad had truly been transformed or was just seeing other women. Through Angela’s exposure to church and seeing her dad living a transformed life, she too was saved.
Her mother didn’t believe Angela’s scouting report on her dad’s renewed life and had to find out for herself. Once again, Angela’s mom’s experience at church with ulterior motives resulted in her salvation. What was a horrific mess of a family, God orchestrated into a beautiful symphony to share His transforming love with the lost. He transformed it even to the extent of giving Angela the courage and heart to dedicate her life to missions, beginning training at King’s Castle.
Hector was a second year student raising funds to go to Cambodia as a missionary. His story represented many of the students there. Life had been going smoothly for him, until suddenly it wasn’t. All the things he had once enjoyed - college, work, family, and friends - began to crumble all around him. He saw his life breaking apart before him and realized all he had was Christ. Hector submitted his life to the calling of Jesus and enrolled in the Master's Commission missionary program. This is living out Luke 9:23-34, when Jesus said, “ If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me will save it.”
As much as we are able to help spread the gospel on these trips, it impacts our lives even more. We overflow with joy as we remember Jesus’ urgent plea to His disciples at the end of Matthew 9, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.” That field is the Lord’s Breaking 2 for you. He made you for it to glorify His name. He’s calling you to it. Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I. Send me!”
We all have a response to make. Our field may be full-time overseas missions, short-term missions trips, serving in the church body, letting our lights shine to those around us, or praying for divine unexpected encounters each day. Will you respond as the people of Gadarenes in Matthew 8:34 who were more concerned about their business losses than what Jesus was trying to show them in the salvation He came to offer. Or will you respond as the man in Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
Where is your treasure today? How big is God’s Breaking 2 for you? Ask Him for faith that is bigger than your wildest dreams. I promise you, if you live for Him, your life will be full of God’s joy.
Matt and Michaela will be leading another ECC trip to El Salvador in 2025, more details will be posted at evergreenpnw.com/missions as they're available.