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| Jul 03 |
Missionary: the best career choice
Within a few weeks I heard about several friends from my student days. One had become a vice-mayor of one of the largest cities in the Netherlands. The second one had earned his first million. The third one just had become a full professor. And I? I was trying, with only moderate success, to plant a small church in Thailand. What a loser I am! I quickly regained the right perspective. And often that is confirmed, like this week. For the first time I heard the story of how one of our church members got crippled and lost the use of his legs. As a boy of 12 he was accidentally shot. For the last 40 years he has not been able to walk. “But”, he sad with a grin on his face, “I thank God for it. Otherwise I would never have met you. And then I would never have known God.” This man has the courage to see his life in the perspective of eternity. That changes the whole equation of what is important and of what sacrifices are worth making. It encouraged and humbled me. Through God’s grace we missionaries are offering something that is worth more than anything this world has to offer. Therefore it’s my dream career. Serving God brings great joy. I would not want to exchange it for anything in the world! 6 Responses to “Missionary: the best career choice”Leave a Reply |
Serving God brings great joy. I would not want to exchange it for anything in the world. But sometimes the old man rears his ugly head. A few years back I had a moment like that (well, actually, I have these moments daily, but I’d like to tell about one from a few years back).
Thanks for this excellent story and sharing, Marten. I should be able to use it in one of my sermon soon.
Blessings,
David
It is always good to be reminded of the eternal perspective. I also think being a missionary is a great career choice but there are some costs e.g not seeing family very often, so how is it that you rate being a missionary above say being a Christian worker in your home country??
Hi Julia,
I rate pioneer missionary work higher because it starts something that has the potential to grow and impact an area for centuries. Just outside my home town are the foundations of a church built by the first missionary in that area, in about AD 800. What he has set in motion is tremendous, and to me qualitatively different from the 1200 years of building on and maintaining that.
I hope we won’t have another 1200 years before Jesus returns, but that’s the kind of impact I’d like to have, and there is no better career I can think of!
I know it may just be semantics but I wouldn’t call what you are doing a “career.” I would call it obeying Jesus and laying down your life.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think, “This is the craziest thing in the world you could do with your life (being a missionary to an unreached people group)…absolutely insane…
…IF Jesus isn’t risen from the dead.”
If we were stricly humanitarians like Angelina Jolie or Bono then we would still be applauded by the world for what we do, but we are those who are called to “turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the power of God.” Acts 26:18
We are really asking for it when we choose this work or rather respond to God who chose us for it. But God graciously gives us a glimpse in the glory that will be revealed in Jesus and we also know that there will be those in heaven who came through our obedience to “Go”.
“If God has called you to be a missionary, I would not have you stoop down to be a king.” Spurgeon
Keep pressing in Team OMF Isaan
“Through God’s grace we missionaries are offering something that is worth more than anything this world has to offer. Therefore it’s my dream career. Serving God brings great joy. I would not want to exchange it for anything in the world!”
Couldn’t have said it any better. It is a great joy! It’s easy to fall into the kingdom of this world, comparing ourselves with our peers, but – as you have reminded me – it’s best to simply stay in the center of God’s word and walk where He directs us to walk. Thanks for the post.
“Through God’s grace we missionaries are offering something that is worth more than anything this world has to offer. Therefore it’s my dream career. Serving God brings great joy. I would not want to exchange it for anything in the world!”
Couldn’t have said it any better. It is a great joy! It’s easy to fall into the kingdom of this world, comparing ourselves with our peers, but – as you have reminded me – it\’s best to simply stay in the center of God’s word and walk where He directs us to walk. Thanks for the post.