"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
While there are many ways in which God leads and guides His people
into world missions, there have been two classic answers that people tend to
give, “You don’t need a call because He has already called you” and “You better
know God has called you before you go.” I believe a combination of both
is necessary.
In one sense, every Christian is a missionary. Every believer
is to share Christ with others. However, some receive a specific calling
to serve in another context far from their present location. The Bible
does not give a specific verse teaching us how to discover whether we are
called as missionaries, but it does provide examples of those called to
missionary efforts from which we can find principles for our lives today.
During the 24 years, I have served as a missionary, there have been
circumstances and difficulties during which the only thing that kept me on the
mission field was that I knew God sent me. The prophet Jeremiah arrived
at one of those crossroads in his ministry where he wanted to call it
quits. Jeremiah was thinking about returning home to a normal life when
he cried out to God saying, “…I will not mention him or speak any more in
his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am
weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” (Jeremiah 20:9)
As it was with Jeremiah, the call of God on your life is something
you cannot escape. We obviously have free will and can choose to
serve Him or not, but if we are in a right relationship with God and walking
with Him, we will learn to be in tune with His desires and plans for us.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Finding God’s direction in our lives is very personal and often
subjective, yet here are a few basic principles that have helped me:
First, believers should already be mature in their faith. It
is difficult to influence others if we are not secure in Christ. Further,
it is difficult to determine God’s call if we are not walking closely with Him.
Second, you must be willing to go anywhere and do anything God may
want you to do. If you really have a servant’s heart, you will be willing
to serve in any capacity. God will place specific desires in your heart,
but don’t rush to push open the door yourself. Serve, and in the process
of serving God will open the door for you and He does a much better job of it!
Third, believers must be willing to consider the cost. Jesus
called His disciples to leave everything to follow Him, but He also urged them
to count the cost of doing so. He said that following Him might mean
conflict with family and that ridicule would occur if they failed for lack of
planning. (See Luke 14:26–30)
Fourth, start by serving at home. We must be faithful in the
small things before we can be released to serve in greater areas. It is
vital to understand the ministry and local church before you can be sent by
them “…to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Fifth, believers should consider what gifts and abilities they have
to help them serve. God calls missionaries in the area of evangelism, but
He also calls teachers, doctors, engineers, technology experts, and those in
many other fields of service. God will likely call missionaries to a
place where they can use their strengths and talents to help those who need
them.
Sixth, those considering a call should pray earnestly regarding
that calling. In Acts 13:1-5, the local church leaders gathered to pray
and fast as part of God’s calling of Paul and Barnabas into missionary service.
Determining a missionary calling should involve a great deal of prayer.
Seventh, those considering missionary work should seek counsel with
other Christian leaders. Proverbs 15:22 teaches, “Plans fail for lack of
counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” The affirmation of other
trusted Christians of one’s desire for missionary service may be a strong
indication of God’s will.
Finally, potential missionaries should consider what opportunities
God has placed before them for service. God sometimes makes His will
clear through a particular opportunity or circumstance. It is important
to include prayer and counsel in such situations.
Perhaps you have not yet identified God’s will for your life, get
closer to Him, ask Him what He has for you, search your own heart to make sure
you have correct motives. Put into practice the steps listed above and
don’t forget it’s all about being connected to Him.
