Today's Missionary

by Ray Thompson

What is a missionary? He is not just an evangelist, a teacher or a doctor who crosses the ocean to take the gospel to those who have never heard. He is a man sent by God to take part in a great spiritual conflict. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

True missionary work – which involves evangelizing the lost, following up new converts and establishing indigenous churches – will be strongly contested by the prince of darkness. For this reason, spiritual fitness is the first requisite for missionary service. Many missionaries return home permanently after only two or three four-year terms. Some have had to leave the work because of health and other legitimate reason, but others have returned disillusioned and disappointed. Either they had failed to fully count the cost or they were not truly qualified and called to enter the conflict in the regions beyond. If for business or professional appointments a man must be fully trained, how much more important it is for the one who is called to the highest service in the world, that of building the Church of God, to be properly equipped.

No man can qualify for missionary service unless he has had a first-hand vision of the truth, resulting in a life of spiritual reality that is not artificial nor dependent upon the experiences of others. Before Paul could be sent to deliver men from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God, he had a personal meeting with the Lord. Out on the field, everything that a man believes and preaches is tested. The friends and Christian fellowship upon which he can rely in the homeland will probably be removed, and daily spiritual food must be obtained from the Word of God directly and not from the sermons of others.

The life of the man who, like John the Baptist, is sent from God must be clean and pure. Because of the great responsibility given John, from his earliest days provision was made to ensure purity of life. The boy was to drink neither wine nor strong drink and was to walk in absolute cleanness all his days. The missionary who is sent to live in an atmosphere that is impregnated with sin and immorality is bound to face an inner conflict with evil and must constantly take heed to the call of the prophet. “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” (Isaiah 52:11) The temptations which he thought had been overcome at home will reappear on the field and can only be conquered by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The price of an effective spiritual life is discipline. If he finds it hard to live a disciplined life at home, the missionary volunteer may well find almost insurmountable difficulties on the foreign field. Often he will be left to arrange his own program and will always have to guard against the danger of his life becoming too filled with non-essential activities. The vital work of prayer and ministry of the Word will occupy too small a proportion of his time. It is sheer folly for any student to consider service abroad if he has not learned the discipline of prayer and experienced the joy of daily fellowship with God. The habits of prayer and Bible study formed on the campus will have a great effect upon future work. The man who now lives a well-ordered life, with regular time set aside for communion with God and for active Christian witness, will find that he has laid a good foundation for a strong and effective testimony on the mission field.

Building a strong indigenous church demands men and women who are spiritually mature. This term requires some explanation, for obviously no one would describe himself as spiritually mature. Even Paul says, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12) There are, however, certain characteristics of a man who, like Paul, presses on “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

This maturity is marked by a certain stability, the experience of life in Christ deeply rooted in the Word of God. Battles over doubt which may occur at any time in the life of a Christian have been fought and won so that there is not the constant danger of being “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.” (Ephesians 4:14) A conviction born of experience enables one to speak with spiritual authority. In every biography of missionaries who have been greatly used of God there is a record of fervently seeking the Lord and a hatred of the selfishness which prevents men from seeing the Savior. As soon as the marks of spiritual growth are lacking in a life, service for God becomes ineffective.

Some experience in the walk of faith is essential for the one who desires to be an ambassador for Christ. Not only must he trust God for his material needs, but he must also trust God for spiritual fruit. He will need to be prepared to rejoice in the Lord even when, owing to physical weakness or difficulties in the work, he is tempted to give way to despair. The apostle Paul was attacked from within and without. Friends misunderstood and criticized him while his enemies plotted to kill him. Stoned and cast out of Lystra, Paul returned and exhorted the disciples to continue in the faith.

On the foreign field, months or even years of work may appear to make no impression upon the ramparts of atheism, superstition and indifference which confront all messengers of the Cross. Reports of widespread blessing in other lands may bring the temptation to resign and seek some easier field of service.

Some will be tempted to lower their standards and seek to obtain results by using methods which are not Scriptural. Failure in the lives of trusted Christians or the test of being misunderstood by the very people to whom he is ministering will reveal the very foundations of the missionary’s life. Only those whose eyes are upon God and not upon man will stick to the task committed to them, saying with their Lord, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

This tenacity or perhaps “stick-to-itiveness” is a necessary part of a missionary’s equipment. During the first year or two of language study his patience may be sorely tested, yet a great deal of his future effectiveness will depend upon his ability to apply himself diligently to language study. Even the apparent inactivity of those silent months can bring real spiritual blessing. It is a time for studying the deeper needs of the people to whom he is sent and an opportunity to learn the power of prayer. The self-confidence which may have characterized his work in the past must be supplanted by Christ-confidence. Like Paul, his training is not complete without a course in the “university” of Arabia where, in solitary communion with the Lord Jesus, he learns to have no confidence in the flesh but to “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippian 3:8) At some time or other, every young missionary must have this experience.

At times of testing and discouragement the following prayer will be filled with meaning:

When the missionary goes forth in the spirit of this prayer, prepared to stick to his job however great the difficulties may be, he will experience the joy of knowing that he is indeed following in the footsteps of his Savior. The secret of the power to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ is found in the final line of this prayer, knowing that we do Thy will. If the missionary has come to the field simply because he has been emotionally stirred by the preaching of the need, opposition and ingratitude may cause him to doubt that he is in the right place. But if there has been a strong conviction that God has called him and he is fulfilling the task for which he has been chosen by the Lord of the Harvest, he will not turn aside.

Often the new missionary will be working with other missionaries on his field. Since our Lord’s disciples were sent forth two by two, it seems to be a scriptural principle that man should not ordinarily work alone. The fellowship can be tremendously beneficial, but there can also be definite problems. Personalities may clash and it is all too easy for spiritual barriers to separate fellow workers. The mission field is not always the best place for the strong individualist who finds it hard to submit to those who are over him in the Lord or to work harmoniously with others. Weaknesses which may seldom be noticed at home are likely to be greatly magnified on the foreign field.

Closely connected to this need of adaptability is the need of a humble and courteous attitude. The young missionary may well be tempted to become critical in his outlook as he sees appalling injustice and corruption amongst government officials. Criticism of national affairs and emphasis upon the superiority of American ways of living will prevent him from winning the people’s confidence. Any attitude of superiority on the part of a foreigner is quickly noticed by nationals.

Personal friendship with the people will often accomplish far more than brilliant preaching. No one can overestimate the value of personal contacts. National leaders often speak of the personal influence of some humble missionary worker who brought them to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus and His salvation.

The missionary must be in good physical, mental and spiritual condition if he is to be a successful worker for Christ. Failure in any one of these can result in the early termination of his missionary career.

Let the missionary volunteer press forward in confidence knowing that God, who has called him into His service, will enable him by His grace to abound unto every good work.