Chapter 6 So Why Not?

Have you ever gone out to eat and not had enough money to cover the bill? Have you taken your car to get fxed at the garage and returned to fnd the bill twice what you expected it to be? In both cases you were not really ready for what happened because your expectations were wrong. It wasn’t much fun, was it? Getting “caught off guard” is never a pleasant experience! Many problems in the feld develop because of similar reasons. Unre- alistic goals and expectations along with faulty motives lie behind many of the diffculties that arise in the feld. This chapter is an attempt to lead you to honestly confront your goals and motives so that your mission experi- ence can be proftable to you and the people you go to serve. We will also take a look at what it means to be “called.”

Goals One thing that is really important is that we set realistic goals. Setting goals that are either too high (false expectations) or too low (no expecta- tions) can cause us a lot of frustration and disappointment down the road.

48 Getting Charged Up for Mission Think about It

• What picture is in your mind when you think of your mis- sion service? • What do you expect to be doing? • How do you see yourself being received by the people where you are going? • What are your goals for your mission service? Be honest and be specifc! Write down what comes to your mind now.

As you think about setting realistic goals, there are several things you can do to help yourself: 1. Interview and talk to as many people as possible from the area you are going to serve. This could include former missionaries (regular and volunteer) as well as nationals from that country. If possible, you should talk to people who have done the same kind of job you are going to do. What kind of professional goals can you set? Evangelistic goals? Personal enrichment goals? Spiritual growth goals? 2. Read and study all the written materials about your host culture that you can get your hands on—especially realistic stories that deal with life and mission in that place. 3. Be adaptable. Even those who are the best prepared will fnd sur- prises. Expect that your goals may have to be adjusted as time goes on. When that happens, adapt and go on. Realize that adaptability is one of the most important virtues of all missionaries.

Motives Now that you have thought a bit about your goals, let us think a bit about your motives. Motives are very important. In fact, they are the driv- ing force behind most of what we do in life. Examining them and dealing with them honestly are a major factor in our self-understanding and prepa- ration for service.

So Why Not? 49 Think about It

• So what are your motives? Why do you want to be a mis- sionary? Be sure to consider both your religious and non- religious motives for going as a missionary. • Try to list the three most important motives in both of these categories.

Non-Religious Motives Religious Motives

Non-religious Motives If we are honest, we will admit that all of us have mixed motives. Nonreligious motives contribute to the decision to go on a mission. This is not necessarily bad. It is normal human nature.

Non-religious Motives Many Missionaries Have Had: • Desire to travel • Boredom—want some adventure • A break from school or work • Curiosity or desire to experience other cultures • Desire to learn a language • Career or job considerations • Family tradition • Decision or wish of a parent, friend, or spouse • Recruited/sold on the idea • Escape from a diffcult situation

50 Getting Charged Up for Mission Religious Motives In addition to these non-religious reasons, however, the Bible does give some directly religious motives for mission. Love for Christ—In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul says that the love of Christ is what compelled him to go. And when Jesus set His own disciples apart for service, He frst called them to Himself (Mark 3:13) after they had come to Him, then He sent them out on their mission. Coming to Christ frst and being flled with His love becomes our greatest motive for going out in service. The need of people—Matthew 9:37, 38 says that “the harvest is plenti- ful, but the workers are few.” In chapter one we saw that this is still true today, because even today over two billion people in the world can only be reached by the gospel if someone is willing to cross cultural boundaries to teach them. At the same time, less than ten percent of Christian workers focus on this group of people without Christ. The song is right, “People Need the Lord.” The commands of Jesus—“If you love me, keep my commandments,” Jesus said in John 15:15. When we hear this, many of us think frst of all of the Ten Commandments. That’s okay, but are those the only command- ments Jesus could have meant? What about the “commandment” to mis- sion in the Great Commission that we studied in chapter three? And what about the “great commandment” to love one another? If we truly love our brothers and sisters around the world, we will want to share the Good News of salvation with them, won’t we? Mission plays a crucial part in saving people—Our going out really does make a difference in people’s lives. “Hearing” helps bring people to salvation (Romans 1:14, 15) as well as giving them a “more abundant life” in the here and now (John 10:10). God sometimes saves people without our help, but His basic plan calls for our cooperation.

So Why Not? 51 Call to Mission All of this leads us to think about the “call” to mission. Sometimes we hear someone say, “I think God is calling me to mission.” Or “If God calls me, I’ll go.” What do we mean by a “call”? To begin with, we must realize that there is a sense in which every Christian is “called.” We are called to service, a service that grows out of our love and gratitude for what God has done for us. This love creates in us a desire to share that joy and good news with others. So, there is a sense in which we can say that all Christians are called to be missionaries—not necessarily cross-cultural missionaries, but servants of the Master, none- theless. But God does call some to a special cross-cultural ministry. We will look at two different ways in which He calls us. Some people in history have received a special, miraculous call: • Samuel heard God’s voice calling him when he was just a boy. • Peter and John heard Jesus say, “Follow me and I will make you fshers of men.” • Paul was stopped by a bright light on the Damascus road and heard Jesus calling him by name to be the apostle to the Gentiles. Most people in the Bible, however, did not receive a supernatural call like those, but circumstances led them to God’s mission: • Esther happened to be in the right place to save God’s people from annihilation. • David was visiting his brothers when God helped him slay Goliath. • Barren Sarah followed her husband to an unknown land and became the mother of God’s people. • Daniel was captive in a foreign court where he was entrusted with prophecies for our day. • John Mark failed in his frst missionary endeavor but went on to be the frst to author a gospel account.

52 Getting Charged Up for Mission Most of us are also called by “God’s gentle leading.” We see God at work in our lives, and through various providential leadings we feel God calling us. • We realize that our gifts or talents especially ft us to serve in cross-cultural environments. • We receive information (via books, speakers, etc.) that appeals to our mind as well as our heart and “calls” us to serve. • Past experiences (encounters with missions or mission- aries, special times of commitment) call us to a personal commitment. • We see God leading our spouse to mission and feel Him calling us to support their service. • A desire to serve God and His church leads us to accept a call to mission. All of the above factors can be powerful incentives to mission service. First of all, God calls us to Him, and then in love we respond and go where He sends us. He does not command results, but He does expect faithful- ness. The results are in His hands, but the willingness to respond to His call to mission is ours.

Your Turn 1. What are your personal goals and expectations for being a missionary? Make a list and discuss this list with a person you trust. 2. What are your motives for getting involved in mission? Make a list and sort them into religious and non-religious. Ask yourself which are your strongest motives? Underline the strongest ones. Are they strong enough to hold up when you face a crisis?

So Why Not? 53 3. Review how God has led you to sense His call to mission. Are you willing to trust His leadings? Why don’t you talk with Him about that in prayer right now.

54 Getting Charged Up for Mission