In the Fall of 1980 I fulfilled a personal dream by traveling to rural Honduras. I was in medical school at the time, and went on location for two months of tropical medicine study and service among the indigenous Mosquito people. The site was Ahuas, a town on the northeastern coast of this Central American country. My hosts, Sam & Grace Marx from North Carolina, had already been leading a medical ministry among these people for some twenty-five years.
The terrain was jungle, and travel to outlying clinics nearly impossible but for the pilots and planes of Missionary Aviation Fellowship. They’d drop me off in a village to hold clinic, and then pick me up a few days later. Through these experiences I became enthused with the prospect of both a career in medical missions and one day myself learning to fly. Six year later, I was piloting a large craft high over Angola, Africa. The civil war was intense, and numerous non-military aircraft had been shot down. As a student pilot, I rarely flew above 3,000 feet. As my experience grew, I’d climb to 8 or 10,000 feet on longer trips where airplane performance improves. But working amid the challenges of Angola often demanded that we climb to 15,000 feet – out of range of surface-to-air missiles.
I find striking the parallels that can be drawn between this progression in altitude and the progression in our lives toward what I term the Tertiary Life – one of the highest levels of human experience.
Primary Life refers to our personal relationships – the quality of interaction we have with God, our families, friends, and coworkers. It is here that I would also include the efforts we make to care for ourselves – for rest, exercise, and rejuvenation. Every person, no matter what their status or preoccupation in life, is wise to assure their Primary Life is in good order before all else. History is filled with examples of men and women (Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, Henry Ford) who were ‘successful’ in some sense, but whose personal life was in disarray.
Secondary Life focuses on the vocation or ‘ministry’ each person undertakes as their way of serving God and one another; for example, leading a Sunday School, a youth group, or political action league. It could involve teaching, organizing, trouble-shooting, and giving financially. It may encompass the work one does as a career, or be an entirely separate undertaking. The Secondary Life is a place where things can get VERY interesting. Experimenting and discovering the unique interests and talents we each possess can one of the most thrilling, “self-actualizing” experiences possible.
One helpful way to discover ones special ministry is to explore Roman 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. These chapters of the Bible describe how each of Jesus’ followers are uniquely endowed with a ‘spiritual gift’ that enhances their ability to serve. Discover and employ your particular gift, and you’re on the way to fully enjoying the next level of life!
The essence of the Tertiary Life is to pass on one’s unique ministry to others – to equip and train ‘disciples’ to follow and build on the experience and example of forerunners like yourself. This ‘reproduction’ helps assure that the outreach you’ve created will continue to grow long after you are off the scene. Sometimes this training occurs through the medium of books, conferences, or small groups. Even more effective is for the knower and the learner to work together one on one until the vision and skills are imparted. Whatever the means, little in life is more satisfying than to see another learn what you’ve learned, and to be confident that he or she will develop and pass on to yet another person the skills that you yourself discovered.
In my own Primary Life I am particularly drawn toward strong and pure relationships. I love the warmth and comfort of being with friends, colleagues, and family – and of knowing that in my personal connections are in order. Certainly stresses and fatigue are a daily challenge to this vision, but they are simply a fact in the drama of life. In my Secondary Life, providing healthcare to forgotten people is a form of ministry that continues to captivate my attention and motivate my work in China and Angola. Much of this focus is due to the living example I witnessed years ago while living with Sam & Grace Marx. On the Tertiary level I particularly strive to cast a vision for those in the healthcare professions to look beyond themselves and extend their services to the poorest of the poor.
The ability to fly safely at 3,000 feet is essential to proficient piloting. Yet a pilot’s skills would been drastically underutilized if he or she never flew higher. Similarly, let’s pursue the challenge and experience the satisfaction that comes from developing our personal lives, our particular ministries, and then passing on the vision to others.