When I share about the work I’m doing in missions, I’m often asked,  “Is it safe?”  I admit, I didn’t like the question.  I’ve since realized it is a valid question and deserves a fair answer.

So, “Is it safe?”  In Guatemala, we have the most notorious gang in the world and drug lords running many parts of the capital and country.  In fact, September 15^th (Independence Day) there was a large shoot out at a public parking lot.  The people in our area are known to take matters in their own hands and lynch or burn people at the stake.  And I’ve known of Americans that have been told to leave the country immediately because they were being extorted.   These are just a few of the things of the dangerous we face in Guatemala.  (I won’t detail any from Africa now.  I think you get the idea.)

Yes, I will admit, especially as an American in a developing nation, who is assumed to have lots of money or out to make more, there may be a few more risks in other countries. However, is it really safe in the United States?  We have gangs, drive by shooting, an increase of drug use and crimes.  And most car accidents occur within a 20-mile radius of your home?  However, I believe we’re missing the point and true measure of safety.

Safety, I believe, is measured not by the outward circumstance, but in our relationship to God and our obedience in following Him. I am safe in Guatemala, Congo, or any other place I go not because of the outward circumstances, but because I am following, to the best of my ability, what God is telling me to do.   And it’s much safer to be in the will of God than outside of it.

So the next time I am asked, “Is it safe?”  My answer will be, “Yes because I believe I’m following God.  He is my security.  It’s safer to be in Him and His will than out of it, regardless of outward circumstances.”

(Note:  While trusting that God is my security I also use wisdom in making choices of what I will or won’t do in different countries because of some of the differences in outward circumstances.)