5 Essentials for a Global Worker
Ever wonder what are the essential keys to a lifelong career as a global worker? Over my 20 year career of global work, I have seen many global workers come to the field excited to begin their new career in cross-cultural ministry. I have also seen many of these workers leave the field much sooner than anyone expected. There is a pattern that plays out for the global workers who stay, as well as the ones who end their careers early. The pattern involves 5 keys for success. The workers who have lifelong careers tend to make these keys a priority.
Spiritual Formation - The global workers who thrive on the field have a practice of spiritual formation. They know that the work is not done alone, but through a deep reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit. Although their lives may become busy with their work, they make time to spend with their Lord so they can draw on His strength and wisdom to carry out the work He has called them to. They live a life in partnership with the Trinity to see their Father’s work done here on earth. They spend time listening to the Father for direction on how to effectively reach the people they have been called to reach. This type of Holy Spirit inspired and empowered ministry is effective. Some global workers, however, become so driven by the desire to be effective in their ministry that they focus more time on “doing” and less time partnering with the Father. For some, resting in Him and listening to His heart can become a duty or chore. Unfortunately, the idea of partnership with God gets lost in the worker’s striving and pushing to reach goals and get the task done. This manner of serving can lead to burnout for the global worker. If this happens, how do you get back on track? Get back to the basics of partnering with the one who called you and wants to work with you to reach these people.
Social Support System - Like all humans, global workers need people to walk alongside them in their work. This is the way we have been created - to need relationships. A support system includes prayer partners, small group members, mentors, teammates, family, and friends. Living overseas can be a lonely task at times. A global worker has left his home social support system behind to move overseas. Our social support system helps us to manage stress and persevere through challenges. It is essential for global workers to create a new social support system in their adopted home overseas. Attending a small group Bible study in English can be so life-giving. Global workers need to have what I call “3:00 a.m. friends.” These are people they can call at 3:00 a.m. and the friend will ask. “How can I help? What’s wrong?” rather than, “Why did you wake me up?” These friends are hard to come by, but these are the people who “have your back.”
Language and Culture - Learning the language and understanding the culture of the people is essential to thriving in the foreign field. Some global workers feel the need to shorten their language learning because they feel driven to “get to work” right away and not waste time in language study. But the consequence of not learning the language well is that the global worker will be less effective. Having to work through translators does make a worker less efficient. Also, there are many more misunderstandings that will occur. A people group’s language will teach the learner much about the culture, as well. When you speak a person’s heart language, their first language, they feel honored you have taken the time to enter their world. If you have ever taken a short trip abroad and you took the time to master how to say “Hello,” “Goodbye,” and “Thank you” in the local language, the local people likely appreciate your efforts. It communicates that you care about the people when you learn their language and understand their culture.
If you understand the local culture you will avoid making frequent cultural mistakes. I had a US friend who visited an Asian country and during his time there he was invited as a guest to sit on the church platform during a service. Unfortunately, he was unaware that in this culture it was offensive to sit in a way that exposed the soles of his shoes. It was so offensive for him to do this that the pastor interrupted his preaching to tell the guest to sit with both feet resting firmly on the ground. Learning culture is an important key to being accepted by the local people and building relationships with them.Spiritual Giftings & Passions - Knowing your spiritual giftings and following your passions are essential to successful and fulfilling work on the foreign field. I’ve seen global workers become frustrated and burn out because they were working outside of their God-given giftings and talents. It is common sense that if you can’t sing on key, then it is not a good idea to focus your energies on becoming a professional singer. However, this logic should not be ignored when placing them into roles that are clearly outside of their giftings. In ministry, there is never a shortage of needs, so sometimes global workers jump into a role quickly to meet a need. For example, in Asia it is very easy to find a job as an English teacher. But if you are not gifted as a language teacher and/or do not enjoy teaching, then even though this job will grant you a visa to enter the country, you may be very unhappy in this role. And this could lead to your burnout. But, if you know from past business experience that your giftings are in starting and running a business, you will likely be much happier in this role. Simply put, don’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole just so you can get a visa to live overseas.
Physical and Mental Health - Although this is the last of the essential keys to success, it is certainly not the least important. Physical health is something that cannot be ignored. Healthy sleeping and eating habits, regular exercise, and preventative healthcare are key components to staying healthy in a foreign land. Just as physical health needs to be a priority, mental health must be a priority. Global workers often live in countries impacted by poverty, war, disease, terrorism, and religious persecution. Living in these environments creates stress. The global workers who know how to manage this stress will be able to live in these environments over the long haul. Those who do not have healthy coping skills will struggle to thrive. Counseling can be a powerful tool for learning coping skills needed to manage stress, anxiety, and depression. Valeo excels in this area because we are able to provide counseling directly to global workers who want to learn coping skills for the challenging work they do.
At Valeo, we only work with like-minded global workers, so we clearly understand the unique challenges of this work. If you or someone you know could benefit from counseling or psychiatry at Valeo, please connect us. Why not START NOW? We are here to help!
Erica, one of our counselors, is the author of this article.
