It seems like such a simple question and that there’s a simple answer, wrapped in a pretty bow with an inspirational card saying “You can do it!” or “What’s stopping you? Go!” I believe that in some ways, it is an easy question; I think that the harder part comes in when Satan uses deceitful lies told by others, who may not even realize that they are doing so, or when spiritual warfare occurs before, during or after your mission. And then you can go even deeper and ask “Why clarify the before, during or after a missionary trip?” There isn’t supposed to be a “trip”; we are called to be on mission at all times. I think we often think of the word trip because we don’t really know how to live the way God wants us to live: always seeking opportunities to be on mission for him, sharing Him with everyone we come in contact with, and the list goes on. I think that we use the term ‘trip’ as an excuse in some ways, saying that “Oh, I’m a good Christian. I go on mission trips from time-to-time, so I’m perfectly fine.
I know for sure that I will be with Jesus one day, in Heaven, being eternally joyful, and life will finally be great.” No. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. I am guilty of the same thing, thinking that just because I occasionally go on mission for God, I’m going to be just fine when the day of tribulation arrives, the time Revelation tells about. God tells us to live for Him all the time, 24/7. Not just when we feel like it, or when we are required to because we have to come up with a message to share with a group of people, or maybe just when we have Bible studies with others, or when life gets rough because of yet another trial/obstacle presenting itself, even one-on-one time with God; all of those are great, but we have to seek Him ALL THE TIME.
Knowing this now, I’m going to tell about all the “whys” people come up with to go on mission, or at least try to. There are pros and cons to each one, and honestly, none of them are the “right way” to ask God because everyone talks to God differently and that’s perfectly acceptable. And, before I begin, a “con” doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad thing. It could just be something that isn’t the “best way” or that there’s a better way to ask a particular why question. That being said, here we go.
Why go on mission? I need to improve my walk with God.
Pro: Everyone has room to improve their relationship with God. We all have ups and down, good days and bad days, when we miss a day or two (maybe even a week) of one-on-one time with God because we are exhausted, or maybe we’re on vacation and we’re distracted; that is absolutely fine because life happens.
Con: Trials are common. God didn’t promise us a life without tribulations, so we should already know that it will happen, so we have to prepare. That’s where improving your relationship with God comes in; and to that extent, you don’t HAVE to be in God’s word to grow your relationship with Him. You could just pray to yourself, maybe even pray aloud if you feel comfortable and it’s just between you and God. Constantly building upon your relationship with Him is basically reinforcing your armor, giving you a better defensive system when trials come along.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” –Ephesians 6:10-11
Why go on mission? I need a break from my daily life.
Pro: Again, everyone has bad days so it’s understandable to want a break, a time to rest. Life is hard; it feels like it never gives you a break at times. Resting in Him gives you a chance to just be joyful in His presence, to know that he’s in control, letting yourself be held by Him. It’s reassuring to know that He’s always there, always willing and ready to catch us when we fall, to wipe our tears away, to be a friend to vent to because that’s what friends do.
Con: You can find rest in God at any time, even in the midst of the trials you are facing. If anything, going on mission can sometimes just intensify your stress, especially when spiritual warfare occurs because it will happen. Satan isn’t just going to stand there and applaud you as you do God’s work (even if it’s what he ought to do); he’s going to try his absolute best to get under your skin in any way that he can, digging into our individual weaknesses, going after anyone you love in some way, and the list goes on. Satan hates us because we love God, and because we are loved by God. He hates seeing God’s wonderful work making progress, that soon enough, God will be back on earth one day to defeat him and to take his workers home. We need to be like Paul and Silas in this way, singing in the midst of our trials with joy because we know that God’s Will is better than our own and that one day, we will be with him forever!
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” –Acts 16:25
Why go on mission? God has called me.
Pro: God called you; that’s a pretty direct and reasonable request to me. We are to obey His commands, follow his laws and love everyone in the world like He did/does. He is our heavenly father, and he disciplines us when it’s necessary, even if we don’t like it or think that we don’t “deserve” it.
Con: God calls us every-day to be on mission for him. He wants us to use our talents/gifts, our jobs, our school, our after-school activities/clubs/sports teams, hobbies, etc. in order to share His Word with the people around us. In fact, He wants us to start where we are at so that we can practice; being away from family and friends, away from that comfort zone? Spiritual warfare often occurs when we are away from our comfort zones, when Satan knows that we are vulnerable or maybe that our minds/thoughts/focus is elsewhere. That’s why it is so important to always keep your focus on God, trusting that everything that happens is according to His will, no matter how hard it is. We can’t guard against Satan if we aren’t in God, if we aren’t willingly choosing to let him equip us with the belt of truth, the sword of the Spirit, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the gospel of peace.
Sharing His word with people, being a light of Christ, setting a good Godly example to everyone around us? We may be the only ones who people see Christ in, ever. They may never be reached if we don’t make the effort to reach them. Maybe something in your story through Christ is specific to something they’ve gone through, and maybe you’re the only one who could possibly get through to them about God. You just don’t know, so you can’t keep going on through life assuming that someone else will reach them because you don’t know. That’s why I am going! Because I want God to show me who he wants me to reach, who needs to be reached and to let Him shine through me in every way. I want to learn how to live like this on a daily basis and what better way than to show that I’m relying solely on Him, that my entire squad is relying solely on Him, to use us as His vessels to meet any need required.
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” –Romans 10:13-14
“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” –Mark 16:15
“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” -1 Chronicles 16:24
Great job praying