6 Reasons Not to Be a Missionary
Is Mission Work God’s Default?
I’m not sure who was the first person to say it. I bet I’ve heard it 100 times in various talks or read it on countless pages. It usually flows from the hearts of sincere lovers of the gospel and of missions. It’s stated in various ways, but most variations say the same thing: You don’t need a reason to go as a missionary; you need a reason to stay where you are.
I’ll admit I don’t love this saying. Yes, it’s a catchy phrase, but it’s not especially good theology. Among the many problems with this phrase, it seems to assume that God’s default plan is for all Christians, or at least most, to go out as missionaries. We don’t have time to unpack the problems this creates for Christian freedom—the role of the local church, the importance of wisdom and self-knowledge, or the high standards that should prevail for those actually sent as missionaries—but regardless, I think it’s still helpful to realize that there are a number of solid, biblical reasons not to be a missionary. And ironically, I think the long-term health of the global advance of the gospel would be helped mightily if more people (and local churches) were more aware of good reasons NOT to be a missionary. Here are just six for you to consider.
Should I Be a Missionary?
Andy Johnson
In this addition to the Church Questions series, Andy Johnson presents a clear-cut, gospel-centered standard for current and aspiring missionaries.
1. If your motivation for missions is a sense of guilt, you probably shouldn’t be a missionary.
If your main reason for thinking about being a missionary is a sense of unwelcome obligation or the fruit of manipulative, heart-tugging appeals, then I’d encourage you to rethink the wisdom of pursuing missions. That’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of people who may be guilty of putting their personal comfort and convenience above the gospel need of the nations, but the solution isn’t more guilt. The solution is more love and more hunger for God’s glory. God is not wringing his hands in desperation, worriedly hoping that his ripe fields won’t spoil before harvest. Yes, the task is urgent. But our role is more like the biblical Queen Esther’s who was urged to radical faithfulness by the knowledge that God’s plan would absolutely be accomplished with or without her participation. (Est. 4:12–14) The question for her was whether she would willingly join in God’s great plan of deliverance and make his unstoppable plan her refuge, too. That God’s plan might fail without her was never even suggested. The Lord reigns! He works everything out according to his own will! His Son will have those for whom he died! But will we find the joy of laboring extravagantly in his unfailing plan? A love for God’s glory and confidence in his plan, not a sense of guilt over human need, is the best fuel for missions.
2. If your attraction to missions is an untested zeal, maybe you shouldn’t be a missionary.
It’s sometimes easy to get excited about the supposed adventure and glory of missionary work, especially when you don’t have much actual exposure to missions. And it’s sometimes easy for a wonderful delight in our recent salvation to overflow into a desire that is long on passion, but short on information and self-reflection. But if you haven’t had the opportunity to learn more about the slow, ordinary, patience-testing aspect of missionary work, then maybe you should slow down, get more advice, and reconsider. Most of missions work is just transplanting a normal, ordinary Christian life to a new place for the sake of the gospel. It’s seldom more glamorous than life anywhere else. Think about that soberly—and hopefully.
3. If a desire for a fresh start is a big part of your missions rationale, maybe you should rethink being a missionary.
Over the years I’ve also seen a number of sincere but troubled folks attracted to the work of missions, not because of church-supported suitability but because it seems like a chance to start over, to escape themselves, to try a reboot as “me version 2.0.” It takes a lot of self-knowledge and, frankly, a lot of humility and candid input from folks who know you well to discern if this is the case. But you should beware of that possibility and seek honest advice from the people who know you. And if self-reinvention is the goal, missions may not be for you, at least not right now.
A love for God’s glory and confidence in his plan, not a sense of guilt over human need, is the best fuel for missions.
4. If you are characterized by an impatient nature, you really shouldn’t be a missionary.
The biblical definition of faithful gospel work is to do the same thing God has told us to do over and over again, patiently, until God chooses to bring results from our efforts or until we die or Christ returns. If you don’t think you are the kind of person who can delight in faithfulness, even in the absence of visible results, you probably shouldn’t be a missionary. Paul was clear about this to his missionary protégé, Timothy, telling him that he would have to work “with great patience” because faithful gospel work anywhere will often test our patience and our obedience to God. Missions is no exception. Too often in recent years, impatient Christians have gone overseas and, when fruit was slow, decided to change the message or to ignore biblical instructions. They came up with new, faster, cheaper, easier ways to draw a crowd and produce visible results. But the end result has been disastrous—people who imbibed a rapid, simplified, watered-down version of Christianity now seem inoculated against the real gospel. That’s tragic. So if you are impatient or easily attracted to new approaches, short-cuts, and get-rich-quick kind of schemes, you should probably steer clear of Christian missions.
5. If you are the only person who thinks you should go, you should reconsider being a missionary . . . at least until your local church affirms your desire.
In the Bible, we see local churches as the engine of gospel advance as they send tested workers and plant faithful churches. Other organizations or groups may come alongside the churches and help this effort, but it is the local church that is both the engine and end goal of missions, all to the glory of God. So if you are thinking of going out as a missionary but there isn’t a local church behind you—one that knows you well and has tested and affirmed you and your desire—please think again. Even if some parachurch group with a Christian-sounding name is happy to send you without a local church involved, don’t do it.
6. If you are a new believer or newly growing, then at least for right now, maybe you should stay right where you are.
Not all of the reasons for saying no to missionary service are negative or cautionary. There are positive, healthy reasons too. So if you are new as a Christian, or a long-time believer who has just begun to really grow in faith, consider the preciousness of this season in your life. Like a teenager shooting up in a glorious “growth spurt,” seasons of spiritual growth are generally just that—seasons. And those limited seasons of extraordinary growth in the gospel are precious and not to be messed with lightly. Perhaps you should focus on growing and maturing in the present context and with the prosperous means that God has given you. It could be that a temporary season of growth will make your spiritual stature all the greater for some future season of missionary service.
But what if none of these reasons apply to you?
What if none of these warnings are true about you? What if the pull of God’s greater glory, not just guilt, makes the sacrifices of missions seem worthwhile rather than merely obligatory? What if your zeal has been time-tested, informed, and yet is still enduring? What if your contentment in your current circumstances makes your willingness to consider changes to join God’s overseas mission feel surprising, yet more like prudence than desperation? What if your persistence in faithfulness where you are now makes that same effort overseas seem actually doable? And what if wise and mature Christians around you are speaking knowingly and positively into your suitability for cross-cultural gospel work?
In that case, I’d encourage you to continue to think and pray and get counsel about missions. I assume that most faithful Christians will live out their lives in their home cultures. There are plenty of good reasons to do just that. But there are also reasons for some Christians identified by their local church and excelling in maturity to be sent to places where Christ is not known. That may not be the path for most Christians. There may be plenty of good reasons for most to stay right where they are. But surely some should be sent. Maybe God intends for you to be one of those?
Andy Johnson is the author of Should I Be a Missionary?.
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