Articles
Missions: what preparation do I need?
George R. Foster
Missionaries must be outfitted for service.
Here’s some of the equipment you need.
Get passion. To serve Jesus Christ effectively we must be ablaze with
passion. The fire must be fueled by personal relationship with Jesus
and fanned by personal experience in ministry. How did Paul keep the
fire? “Christ’s love compels us,” he said. Love compelled
Christ to seek us and the same love must compel us to seek him and to
seek others in his name. We need the love of God poured into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit. It’s John 3:16 – “God so loved
the world that He gave his only Son” making us see 1 John 3:16
– “Christ laid down his life for us and we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothers.”
Get trained. Some people of great passion think training is a waste of time. Jesus thought just the opposite. He dedicated three years to training his disciples—years well spent. Should his ministry model be followed today? Since teachers may be less effective than Jesus was, is three years enough? Disciples need truth, so training must be academic. They need skill, so it must be practical. They need character, so it must not be easy. Some fear that the time of training will diminish the fire. That depends on the people and the training. Jesus did it right and so must we.
Get together. Jesus sent his disciples out on their first mission trip two by two. Ecclesiastes says, “Two are better than one.” and explains that together we produce more, we lift each other, we warm each other, we defend each other, and we strengthen each other. God created man and said, “It is not good that he be alone. I will make a companion for him.” Even those able servants of God who appear to have worked alone – Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, and Jesus – had companions. God ordains teams and marriage. Find companions and stick together.
Get support. Many are called to go, more are called to send and support, and still more are called to pray for missionaries. Missionaries need more than finances; they need validation, confirmation, and prayer. A missionary surrounded and supported by committed friends will find strength when others fail. Contact with senders back home brings perspective to their lives.
Get going. When Jesus ascended to heaven earth, he left his disciples to take his place. They became his body on earth. His final act was to commission them to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. They were to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them as witnesses to the whole world. The Spirit came within a few days, but the church wasn’t truly mobilized until persecution came. It became more dangerous to stay than to go. It’s always more dangerous to disobey than to obey. It has never been easier to travel and it has never been cheaper. So let’s get going!
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