Am I Supposed To Be A Missionary?

Sometimes I wonder... Where is my life going? What is my purpose in life?

Are you on the career-money-marry-kids-retire track? Nothing wrong with that track, but do you ever think, “I wonder if my life could mean more, like a whole lot more? Does my life have eternal meaning?” Do you ever think you would like to do something different… like really different, with a new culture, language, food, the whole thing -- hanging with people who’ve never heard of Jesus – changing the trajectories of lives and maybe even entire cultures, toward Jesus….?

So that sounds like missions…. And I’m not a missionary!

Yeah, nobody starts out being a missionary, any more than you start as a concert pianist or architect. God is in the business of turning ordinary people into world changers when they do one thing: Follow Christ where He leads them, and do what He asks them. When ordinary people who love Jesus and have a quiet sense of calling, follow Him…… then an extraordinary missionary adventure begins.

But aren’t missionaries sort of…, weird?

Yup – probably about the same proportion as weird business people, musicians, teachers, medical types, and well…, you get it. Every profession has a few.  Some end up being Einstein, and others end up being….just weird. But many missionaries are amazing, fascinating people.

So what is a missionary?

First, a missionary is a person who really loves Jesus. Beyond that, they are risk-takers, tenacious, creative, focused, self-starters, willing to live in challenging places and eat interesting and exotic food. They’re mentally stable enough to take on the stress of learning a new culture and language and have sufficient people skills to make new friends as they endure the isolation of living in another land. With that skill-set, these types of people would be solid game-changers anywhere. Mainly, they’re just gutsy Christ-followers who sense His calling and follow His lead.  Boom.  Done.

What about my career?

Actually, careers and professional training are good because you’ll need a good skill-set to bring to the mission field. The skill is WHAT YOU DO, ‘missionary’ is WHO YOU ARE. Some missionaries have even been known to refocus their careers, like Luke the physician in the New Testament, becoming a writer and historian (wrote Luke and Acts). In today’s world, it is pretty simple and fairly common to just transfer career skillsets, whatever they may be, to Africa, Asia, South America, or Europe. 

What about training? What about funding? What about my family? Where will we live? What about my children’s education? Can I learn another language? Will I like the food? Where can I get more answers to more questions?

OK, lots of questions….. Training is good and resources are available in many forms. Funding is available if you know who and where to ask. You and your family can live your lives alongside local families in the country where you serve. Homeschooling may be a good option for your kids, but local schools are also sufficient in many places. Languages are learnable and you will be communicating in no time. You will find many new foods to enjoy. And there are many mission organizations like GlobalGrace Fellowship to help guide you through the process.

So what if…. maybe… I might want to learn more? 

If you’re sensing that God may be nudging or leading you to be a missionary, it always helps to talk with someone who understands. The leadership team at GlobalGrace Fellowship is ready to talk with you, pray with you and give some guidance in your decision-making. Contact us and let’s find a time to talk about your options for missionary service.

Larry Phillips serves as the Executive Director/President of GlobalGrace