Want to Be a Missionary? Check Your Motives
Missionaries Are More Than Warm Bodies
We don’t just need more warm bodies called missionaries; we need qualified people sent by healthy churches who are equipped to do missions well.
As you think about your own desires, let me offer two wrong motivations for desiring to
be a missionary and one right motivation for missionary work.
Wrong Motivation 1: Uninformed Enthusiasm
Sometimes enthusiasm for missions can just be misguided idealism or a longing for adventure.
I’ve even seen folks desire missionary work so they could “reinvent” themselves in a new place, especially if their season of life seemed dull or if bad decisions had made life unpleasant. Obviously these are bad reasons to pursue missionary work.
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.
More positively, sometimes Christians desire to do missions because they genuinely love Jesus and want to see him exalted in the nations, but they don’t yet have a clear grasp on the teachings of Scripture or on the missionary task itself. If that’s you, realize your desires are not bad. They’re wonderful! But you need to spend time learning more about the character needed to serve as a missionary and the work that missionaries do on the field. As you pursue that knowledge, see if your desire wanes or if it persists and grows. Talking to a mature Christian in your church who has experience with overseas missionary work would be a great place to start. Don’t just assume that a sudden desire is God’s leading. It could be the start of something, but you need to test that desire with knowledge.
Wrong Motivation 2: Guilt-Motivated Obligation
You should also be careful if your desire to be a missionary is fueled by a sense of guilt or obligation. I’ve known a few Christians who didn’t really want to be missionaries but because they had grown up overseas and spoke a strategic language fluently, they reasoned that they ought to be missionaries—even though the idea made them mildly nauseous. If you’re considering missions out of guilt or obligation you should seek out an elder or another mature Christian in your church and talk to them about it. A wise friend can help you sort through your emotions. You might need to be challenged to continue on the path; maybe you’re hesitating out of fear. On the other hand, you might need just to be told to chill-out and embrace the freedom you have in Christ. You don’t have to be a missionary, no matter what background God has given you.
Right Motivation: Gospel-Inspired Willingness
Some of you reading this might not resonate with either of those wrong motivations. Instead, your desires grow as you learn more about the missionary task and as you become more aware of gospel needs around the world. You realize that you are free in Christ to choose any number of faithful paths; but this path—the path of missions—just persists in your thoughts and affections.
Or it could be that you simply recognize that you might be particularly suited to the work of missions, the need is great, you’d enjoy the work, so why not go? Whether your desire is whitehot and wise or cool and sober, if your love for the gospel is driving you toward the nations, then you need to seriously consider taking steps in that direction. Again, you should seek out a pastor or elder in your church and talk to them about your desires soon.
If your love for the gospel is driving you toward the nations, then you need to seriously consider taking steps in that direction.
Before moving on, let me give a few quick caveats if you’re thinking about this question and you’re already married. If you’re a married man, have you spoken to your wife about your desires? Is she willing to happily follow you in this path? Have you asked her directly . . . several times? Conversely, if you’re a married woman and your husband is leading in this direction, do you also have a personal desire for this life? Can you happily follow your husband into missionary life?
If not, it’s much better to be honest about that now rather than later. If you’re a married woman desiring missions, does your husband have a leading desire for missions as well? Or are you pushing him in a direction beyond his desire to lead? If you need help working through some of these questions, meet with a pastor in your church to discuss them.
In sum, you need to desire to be a missionary, but you also need to carefully test your desires. Consider not only if you want to be a missionary but why. Finally, recognize that mature desire often focuses more on the outcome, not on the thing itself. I may genuinely desire to exercise, not because I love exercise itself, but because I want what it will produce—greater health and the ability to button my jeans again. Similarly, Christians don’t ultimately desire the missionary life (the Bible paints it as a pretty tough road; check out 2 Corinthians 11:25–26) but they desire what it will produce—the potential for redeemed souls and new churches glorifying God among the nations. If you desire to be a part of that work on the front lines, talk to your church’s leaders about being a missionary.
This article is adapted from Should I Be a Missionary? by Andy Johnson.
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