I’ve heard every reason you can imagine for avoiding missionary service: “I haven’t been to seminary.” “I can’t preach.” “I’m too old.” “My family won’t go for it.” On and on the list goes. However, there are thousands of active missionaries who once thought the Lord couldn’t use them, either. I often have the privilege of hearing their stories of how God turned resistance into enthusiasm.
People can offer God plenty of reasons why He shouldn’t call them to spread the gospel. But His call is not issued for our consideration; He expects a response of obedience and surrender.
A believer is accountable only to say yes to God’s call. It is the Lord’s responsibility to equip the chosen for the work He’s assigned. A personal plan has been mapped for each believer’s life, and God provides the suitable personality and temperament. Then He adds skills that can be developed and the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill His mission.
The Lord makes His call with wisdom and discernment. He knows why He created you and what you are capable of accomplishing in His strength (Eph. 2:10). Rejecting the invitation to serve Him is foolish. It would be like telling almighty God that He made a mistake. But surrender opens the door to a lifetime of service, blessing, and joy!
Mission work can occur near or far. You could serve at home by writing to prisoners, down the street by dishing out meals at a shelter, across the nation by providing flood relief, or in another country by translating the gospel. In short, a missionary calling is whatever God tells you to do.
At every missions conference, I tell God the same thing: “I’m available, Lord. I will go to foreign fields if You say so.” Until He instructs me to pack my bags, I’m going to keep on sending others to work among unbelievers in distant and even remote places.
In Romans 10, Paul asked a series of questions that can be summed up like this: How will the world hear about Jesus if you do nothing? God uses Christians to spread the word that His salvation plan is available to all. He put us in families and communities so we will mingle and share what we know. But some believers are called to carry the gospel farther than others. Those who stay behind are to offer prayer and resources for those who travel.
If you’re shaking your head and thinking, Mission work isn’t where my heart is, I have news for you: Every believer is called to missions as either a goer or a sender. That call comes in dramatic ways for some, but for most of us, it is simply a biblical principle to be followed (Matt. 28:19). What’s missing for those who don’t have a heart for such work is passion. Christians who share, go, and send are often excited about God’s message for unbelievers—and it’s possible for you to become more enthusiastic, too.
I challenge you to ask the Lord, “Am I open to going anywhere You send me?” Our roots in a community should be sunk only as deep as God wills. If you aren’t called to go, then choose to be a sender. Offer your prayers, your money, and anything else that will help to put others on the mission field.
To understand God’s view of mission work, we can look at today’s passage. Paul and Barnabas set the standard when they obeyed God’s call to go forth. The local body of believers—those left behind to share Jesus Christ with neighbors and friends—equipped the men for their journey. They did so for the same reasons that apply today:
The spiritual condition of mankind. Romans 1:21-32 describes this sinful world. Unchecked sin leads people down a slippery slope toward a depraved conscience and, ultimately, a darkened mind that cannot perceive what is right. Every unbelieving person is sliding on that treacherous path.
God’s spiritual provision. Responding with grace to mankind’s plight, the Father sent His Son to save the world. On the cross, Christ bore the sin of every person—living, no longer alive, and yet to be born. The offer of salvation is for all; God’s grace is blind to race, creed, and color (Rom. 10:12). All who believe in Jesus are forgiven of their sin, and they’ll spend eternity with Him.
The commission from Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8 says that we receive the Holy Spirit so we may bear effective witness to those who need salvation. Notice that we don’t simply begin at home and work steadily outward. People everywhere are waiting for the good news. The Word is to be carried far and fast.
The purpose of the church is to worship and witness. Some will go and some will send, but all are called to the work of spreading the gospel. This is not a suggestion; it is a command (Matt. 28:19). Believers living in God’s will are all to be involved in missionary work.
When something’s on our mind, we are wise to consult Scripture or trusted spiritual mentors. God has also given His children the privilege of prayer, and He wants us to bring our concerns directly to Him. But believers often have questions about the power and effectiveness of prayer.
Will god’s plans fail if I don’t pray? God is not subservient to us or dependent upon our prayers. The time we invest in speaking with Him involves us in the work He is doing in our lives and in the world, but He will carry on with or without us. Laboring alongside the Lord is a blessing.
Does my prayer (or lack thereof) impact god’s work? I believe Scripture indicates the answer to this question is both yes and no, depending upon the situation. There are times when God’s purpose is set. He is in control and has determined the best course. In the Old Testament, He often revealed what He would do and then brought those events to pass.
In other cases, we “do not have because [we] do not ask” (James 4:2). There are some good things that God holds back until we extend prayerful hands to receive them. But He is a loving Father, who also pours out blessings that we wouldn’t even think to request.
Believer’s prayers have tremendous impact, particularly on their own faith and life. Do you understand what an awesome privilege it is to kneel before the all-powerful Father and know that He listens and will respond? God loves being good to His children and answering their prayers.
The two most important disciplines in the life of a believer are Bible study and prayer. It is impossible to grow continually in Christ without practicing both.
Prayer is the primary means by which we talk to God, and it is also a way He teaches us. When we pray, we’re petitioning the Lord and trusting Him for the answer. In doing so, we learn to listen to Him, just as we learn to wait for His response. And He loves for us to honor Him through this spiritual act of worship called prayer.
Indeed, prayer is one of the best ways to honor God. When we pray to our heavenly Father, we are acknowledging that He is God, that He truly is “the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy” (Isa. 57:15). God alone deserves glory, and we ascribe honor to Him when we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). That is, we are to maintain a God-focused attitude throughout the day—continually asking Him to govern every detail of our lives.
Today’s passage says that our Father dwells both on a high and holy place and also with the contrite and lowly in spirit. This means that our motives and the condition of our hearts are very important in prayer. Simply wanting to “get our way” is not the spirit of prayer that honors God. Furthermore, it does not produce prayers that He will answer.
The heavenly Father longs for an intimate relationship with His children. Time spent in communication with God is the best way to grow close to Him.
