What if I told you that your idea of missions and missionaries could be completely off? The view held by the majority of Christians today about missionaries is false or incomplete at best. The common misconceptions held by many believers in the Christian church about missionaries prevents them from being truly impactful for the Kingdom of God. This post was originally inspired by a few past posts of mine titled, 3 Misconceptions of Missionaries and Where Do Missionaries Come From? This post will be the first in the series, Everyday Missionary. In Missions and Missionaries, I will examen common perspectives about missionaries, define what or who a missionary is, and challenge each of you to embrace the role God has for you in His Kingdom.
My Backstory on Missions and Missionaries
Growing up in the church, missionaries would come and visit our church maybe once a year or every few years. We would be shown videos or photos of those serving in the missions field. The pastor would make a presentation and strongly encourage the church to give towards funding missions.
During the presentation images of poorly nourished children and poor living conditions would be displayed. Those serving in the field would be shown handing out food, teaching, or playing with children. These photos would stir the hearts of the congregation. When the offering plate came by many would reach for their purses or wallets to see what they could give. Then life went on as usual.
The Reality of Missions
The truth of the matter is each one of us as followers of Jesus are missionaries the moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ. As we are confronted with and accept the reality of Jesus Christ, our need for salvation, and the choice we have to live for Him, we immediately become missionaries in a foreign land. The foreign land, the mission field for many of us just happens to be in our own backyard.
Those dedicated, selfless individuals we see in images are definitely serving in missions. Going to foreign impoverished lands, handing out food, Bibles, and being Jesus is part of missions. The problem with this view is that this is only one part of missions. The rest of the missionaries are sitting in church, checking the time, wondering where they’ll go to eat after church.
The Reality About Our Role In Missions
You see, we all are called by God in our own way to serve in missions. We may not devote our career to it or go to any third world countries, but we are all missionaries twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week. Our mission field may be our workplace or neighborhood or our own family.
My Challenge For You
Where has God called you to be a missionary? What is your mission field?
Don’t know or are you unsure? If this describes you, it is perfectly okay. No shame here in not knowing. Take some time to seek God for clarity on where God is calling you to be a missionary today.
