Jesus
taught that in order to be his disciple one must first “count the cost,” and if
the potential disciple is not willing to make a full commitment to the end, he
shouldn’t even start (Luke 14:26-35 NKJV). I believe the same principle also applies to
prospective missionaries. If you venture into the mission field unprepared and
unaware of what you’re getting into (i.e. not having counted the cost), you’re
in for quite a shock. And if you do not possess the necessary determination,
adaptability, and fortitude to stick it out and persevere, you will have wasted
a lot of time, money, self-esteem, peace of mind, and dignity. Better to not
even go at all than to unnecessarily renege on a solemn commitment.
It is very
important to have realistic expectations. Be sensibly aware that the missionary
life is not always exciting, adventurous, satisfying, or even visibly
productive. It seems glamorous to just about everybody except those on the
mission field. It involves a lot of hard work, apprehension, frustration, and
disappointment. Some will put the missionary up on a pedestal and laud his
feeble efforts, making him feel uncomfortable and unworthy. Others, unaware of
what it’s really like, will question his use of time and money and criticize
his lack of results. Some will view him with disdain because he has forsaken
loved ones to preach to foreigners when there are needs at home to be met.
Certain ones will act uneasy around him because, in their view, he is not a
“regular Christian” but a hard-to-relate-to peculiarity, and conversations will
tend to be awkward and one-sided. Once you step into those missionary shoes,
your life will never be the same.
For those who
are accustomed to having a parent, teacher, or boss setting their schedule and
standing over them with a list of chores, assignments or duties which are
expected to be completed by a predetermined deadline, a rude awakening awaits
on the mission field. The missionary is responsible for organizing and
implementing his own schedule. If he is not a self-starter and a
self-motivator, he runs the risk of becoming lazy, disorganized, and
ineffective. But if he is being supported to do the Lord’s work, he has a
solemn obligation, both to God and to his supporters, to exercise good
stewardship of his time and resources (1 Corinthians 9:16-17). Most
conscientious missionaries tend to go to the opposite (workaholic) extreme, but
if you feel that inefficiency may be a problem for you, start working to overcome
it right now!
While it is
possible to be content in any situation in life (Philippians 4:11), this is not
to say that a missionary will ever be fully satisfied. As long as he is on the
mission field, there will be degrees of longing for family, friends, brethren,
places, foods, events, and the cultural norms of home. And once he has adapted
to his new environment and established new relationships, if he returns to his
former homeland he will experience the same feelings in reverse. It is almost
like a permanent state of homesickness, and few missionaries are ever
completely satisfied on this side of eternity (cf. Philippians 1:8; 2:26; 2
Corinthians 11:28).
--Kevin
L. Moore
*Adapted from my
book, The Single Missionary [2002] 77-85.
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