How could you possibly find out if you are being called to be a missionary?
Already on Mission?
One missionary was asked, “How do I know if God is calling me to be a missionary?” The missionary asked, “Have you already been on mission in your community, at work, and in your family?” If someone has never even once witnessed about Christ, then they may not have that calling at all, or at least yet. Jeremiah described his calling like a fire in his bosom which he could not restrain (Jer 20:9), so a person who wonders if they are called to be a missionary must have this overwhelming desire to share the gospel, no matter where they are. It’s strange to have someone feel that they might be called to be a missionary and yet never having witnessed for Christ in their own community and among family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. That doesn’t seem to fit the heart of someone called to be a missionary because most missionaries I know are almost obsessed with sharing the gospel. It’s as if they can’t help it! If a person doesn’t have a broken heart for the lost that compels them to share Christ, then I would question whether that person really has a calling to be a missionary. A person who’s not on mission where they are, most likely will not be on mission where they have never been.
Above Reproach
If a person feels they might be called to be a missionary but they are living in sin, then make no mistake about it; God cannot use a man or woman to witness for Him if they are not living a life pleasing to God. If church leadership “must be above reproach [and] not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and discipline” (Titus 1:7-8), then anyone with a ministry for God must be nothing less than these things. Of course, no one expects perfection, because we’d all be disqualified, but a person who’s called to be a missionary will fall into sin, yes, but they won’t stay in the pig pen and roll around in it. All of us can fall, but we get back up. We fall into sin like water, but we don’t take a swim in it. We get out of it and immediately repent.
The Word and Prayer
Without prayer and a good, working knowledge of the Word of God, the missionary won’t even be equipped to share the gospel. Imagine trying to witness to someone, and while you have their attention, you start flipping through your Bible to trying to find a verse that you think they need to hear. Of course they need to hear the Word of God, as His Word has effectual power (Isaiah 55:11), but you must do what the psalmist did and hide His Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11). The Bible tells all of us, not just missionaries, to be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1st Pet 3:15). The Word of God and prayer to God work together in showing us what He is telling us, both through the written Word and the Helper giving us the right words to say. Whether you’ll be a missionary or not, determine to memorize key Scriptures that sum up the gospel like Mark 1:15; Romans 3:10-12, 23; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-13 and so on.
Open Doors
God is the only One Who open doors that no man can open and close doors that no man can shut (Rev 3:7-13). It is as simple as that. If God has called you to be a missionary, He will make a way possible. He will never call you to do something that He won’t provide the means to do so. He is God. If it’s His will you go overseas, He’ll open doors to make that possible. There’s no real reason to fret if you don’t get to go overseas because some of the largest fields of harvest are here in the states. Someone called to be a missionary will often begin where they are, and those experiences (trial and error) will give them the practical means to learn from. I have learned more from error than any other way, but I never learned anything by giving up.
God’s Call
Lastly, but most importantly, is the call? Have others told you that you might make a great missionary? Do you already know a foreign language or are you willing and able to learn a new language of a door opens in a certain country? Are you able to leave your home or, if you have any, immediate family? If you can answer to yes to all of these things, then God may be calling you, but the point is that God calls and not man. We see this in the call of Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, the Apostle Paul, the disciples, and perhaps you. Never was it found that man called himself to any ministry. If God isn’t calling you, you will find it difficult to try to open doors that He has intentionally shut.
Conclusion
If you are not sure if you are called to be a missionary, try to find another missionary and speak with him or her about it. Sometimes it takes someone else to help us see if this is God’s call or not, but most certainly, a person who is being called to be a missionary will already be on mission where they live; they will be living a life above reproach; they will be prayer warriors and students of the Word; they will find open doors and walk through them; and they will be absolutely convinced that God is calling them and that there is nothing that they can do to stop it (Jer 20:9). It’s almost as if they feel, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1st Cor 9:16b)!
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.
