To connect with the Lord, you do you
Bryan Williamson and his wife, Marcie, are longtime members of SEND International. They served in Japan and now serve in Michigan, at SEND’s US headquarters. This article in our Flourish series is drawn from Bryan’s pre-field training session on Sacred Pathways, based on the book by the same name.
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“Expecting all Christians to have a certain type of quiet time can wreak havoc in a church or small group. Excited about meaningful (to us) approaches to the Christian life, we sometimes assume that if others do not experience the same thing, something must be wrong with their faith. Please don’t be intimidated by others’ expectations. God wants to know the real you, not a caricature of what somebody else wants you to be. He created you with a certain personality and a certain spiritual temperament. God wants your worship, according to the way he made you.”
― Gary L. Thomas, Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God. Click here to read the first chapter.
“Expecting all Christians to have a certain type of quiet time can wreak havoc in a church or small group. Excited about meaningful (to us) approaches to the Christian life, we sometimes assume that if others do not experience the same thing, something must be wrong with their faith. Please don’t be intimidated by others’ expectations. God wants to know the real you, not a caricature of what somebody else wants you to be. He created you with a certain personality and a certain spiritual temperament. God wants your worship, according to the way he made you.”
― Gary L. Thomas, Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God. Click here to read the first chapter.
As missionaries prepare to leave their comfortable church communities and head to places where they likely will feel much more alone in their faith, it can be helpful to pinpoint how they most naturally draw near to God. Gary Thomas identifies nine spiritual temperaments — naturalists, sensates, traditionalists, ascetics, activists, caregivers, enthusiasts, contemplatives and intellectuals — and the internet abounds with tests to help you determine your temperament.
Recognizing, accepting and even celebrating that different people draw near to God in different ways can be particularly useful for people in cross-cultural service. If we aren’t aware of this reality, we can fall into thinking that other people should be connecting with the Lord in the same way we do. We can even be tempted to consider others as less spiritual if they take a different approach. Understanding the spiritual temperaments can help us guard against judging others.
But the temperaments can also add life to our personal spiritual journeys. Are you spiritually hungry? Is your method of connecting with the Lord feeling lifeless or rote? Perhaps there are different ways that you aren’t aware of or haven’t been doing that would help you draw near to God — things that fit your personality and your soul.
I wish I had known my natural spiritual temperaments while we were serving in Japan. After we moved, I did language study all week, then I’d block out three hours on Friday afternoon for dedicated time with the Lord. I’d sit at the same desk that I’d sat at all week for my language study and focus on the intellectual part of my connection to the Lord. And that does appeal to me. Finding new things in the Word, getting into the commentaries, reading and discovering are very important to me.
I also rank very high on the ascetic and natural pathways, and I pretty much ignored those while we were in Japan. In hindsight, I realize that during some of those Friday afternoons, it would have been much better for me to spend an hour getting out of Tokyo; enjoy an hour out in nature, reading my Bible and being in solitude away from the noise of the streets; and then spend another hour coming back home. Without understanding my spiritual temperaments, a two-hour commute to spend one hour outside of the city felt like a waste — but it wouldn’t have been, because that one hour would have brought me to a space that was really important to my heart.
Knowing my spiritual temperaments would have helped me take intentional steps to spend time with the Lord in a way that most suited the way that he made me.
A few warnings
A few questions
After you’ve identified your spiritual temperament(s), ask yourself:
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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