So You Want to Be a Missionary?
Whenever someone from our church shares that they recently heard David Platt preach, I always jokingly ask, “Have you bought your plane ticket yet?” Platt’s passion for the mission of God bleeds into every corner of his sermons because he longs for the glory of God to cover the face of the earth (Hab. 2:14). Almost every time he speaks about the millions of lost and unreached people on our planet, tears blur his eyes, and his voice cracks. But as Platt’s own life evidences, an overwhelming desire to see the gospel go to the uttermost parts of the earth does not necessarily mean that you should go.
Every Christian should share Platt’s heart because it beats in perfect rhythm with the Scriptures, but at the same time, not every Christian should be an international missionary. As a pastor of a church that longs to send workers to the global harvest, I never want to smother missionary zeal. I do, however, want to provide helpful counsel to members of our congregation who are discerning a call to missions. Since every Christian should be open to the possibility of going to the nations, consider this blog a primer before you buy your plane ticket.
Engage Cross-Culturally (Right Now)
My first question for anyone interested in international missions is, “Are you reaching the nations in your own backyard?” New Orleans has a significant population of immigrants and internationals from Vietnam, Central America, and the Middle East. The mission field is in your city! There are markets, corner stores, and neighborhoods full of people who do not know Jesus––all within fifteen minutes of your home. So what are you doing to engage cross-culturally right now?
Regularly engaging with other cultures allows you to discover your own aptitude for acquiring cultural knowledge and language skills. Learning how to say, “Hello” and, “Where’s the bathroom?” is fun, but wading through a swirl of unknown words for weeks at a time is disorienting. For many, the reality of international missions is far less attractive than the romanticized idea of it.
Short-term trips can also be helpful in this regard. I spent portions of four summers in Thailand during my undergraduate years. Each summer I was allowed to immerse myself a little more in Thai culture, and I even had the opportunity to live with a Thai pastor and his family for one month. If at all possible, potential missionaries should spend at least six to eight weeks in the context where they desire to serve. If this investment seems costly and extreme, consider the social, emotional, and spiritual cost of moving your family overseas only to come back in the middle of your first term.
Know Yourself (and Your Family)
Are your giftings, temperament, and personality suited for international missions? Even more specifically, are you a good fit for the particular role that you are pursuing? God can certainly use anyone to advance his kingdom, but a healthy dose of wisdom and self-awareness never hurt anybody. During my time in Thailand, I saw the everyday life of international missionaries. From evangelistic medical clinics to coordinating events with short-term mission teams, I thoroughly enjoyed the work being done. I flew home each summer believing (rightly) that life as an international missionary was a viable option, but the more time I spent overseas, the more God stirred up a desire to pastor back home in the United States.
International missionaries often have a broader ministry. Even if they have a home base, they are constantly traveling and training other leaders to lead churches and ministries. As I was exposed to different Thai pastors serving in various contexts, I caught myself thinking, “That’s what I want to do with my life!” Investing in a particular people and a particular place for a long time was more in line with my giftings and desires. As I grew more acquainted with how the Lord had made me, I realized that I could be an international missionary, but that didn’t necessarily mean that I should.
If you are married or have children, knowing yourself is not enough. You must know your family. William Carey was the pioneer of the modern missions movement, but he would not pass the assessment process of modern sending agencies. Whenever William decided to take the gospel to India, his wife, Dorothy, refused to go. Only after intense pressure from other Christian leaders did she consent.
To say that Dorothy fared poorly in India is a gross understatement. The dangers of missionary life caused her to spiral into devastating mental illness. Two years into his ministry, William wrote that Dorothy had become “insane,” and by year seven, she had to be confined to a locked room for the safety of herself and her family. Six years later, she died from one of the many fevers that she incurred during her time abroad.
Simply put, if your spouse does not share your call to the mission field, then you are not called. Hesitations, fears, and doubts are normal, but settled opposition is a recipe for disaster. Your desire to go to the nations does not override marriage vows made “until death do us part.”
Submit Your Calling (to Your Local Church)
For many young North American believers, the missionary impulse is often accompanied by discontentment with the church at large. Awakened to the glory of God and the lostness of the world, young people can grow frustrated with the lack of evangelism and discipleship in their own circles. Their desire for something pure, authentic, and genuine often culminates in a desire to participate in missionary efforts. Holy discontent with the status quo should lead you to work for reform within the church, not disdain her. If the end goal of missions is the establishing of gospel-proclaiming churches, why would you give your life to starting what you refuse to submit to back home?
Your calling is not your own. The inward desire to serve as a missionary should be matched by the outward affirmation of your local church. In Acts 13:1-2, the church at Antioch is directed by the Holy Spirit to send out Paul and Barnabas. After they completed their first missionary journey, they returned and “reported everything God had done with them” (Acts 14:27). If the apostle Paul needed a sending church, then so do you.
The love, prayer, and support of a healthy sending church will sustain you on the darkest days of your missionary endeavors. These people are the rope-holders who will fly around the globe on their own dime just to see your face. But this sort of support only comes through a relationship built on mutual accountability and responsibility.
As you are walking down the path towards international missions, submit your calling to your local church. Invite them into the process. Sending agencies like the International Mission Board vet candidates through a lengthy assessment process, but they are often working with information gleaned from your local church. If no one in that congregation knows you deeply, the validity of that assessment can be skewed. Tell your pastors and fellow church members to ask the hard questions. Ask the church to make concrete committments. Let them know that you will not go without their blessing, and do not resent their counsel.
Conclusion
I always want to fan the flame of missionary passion for Harvest Church, but I want to do so in a way that pleases God. Sending well-intentioned but ill-suited missionaries hurts both the global church and the sheep that God has called me to pastor. Walking through your missionary calling in the context of a local church will probably reveal uncomfortable truths about your own personality, giftings, and character. A painful “no” or “not now” is a good gift from a loving community. I want our best and brightest to leave Harvest and take the good news to the nations. I just want them to ask a few questions before they buy their plane tickets.
