The lazy son of a farmer was lying down on a haystack in the field one day and saw a cloud formation with the letters GPC. In excitement he went to his father and told him what he saw and assumed those letters meant “Go Preach Christ.” “No,” his father said, “you must be mistaken. You are only looking for an easier job. GPC simply means Go Plant Corn.”
Determining God’s call on your life can feel rather subjective. After all, we are given free will along with talents and gifts generously bestowed by the Lord that could likely be used in any number of God-honoring paths. But is there a more specific way to determine whether you should go into ministry and specifically into missions?
Some rely on feelings, while others are looking for a dream or vision. Some see bizarre or coincidental circumstances as “signs” from God that they should be a missionary. Still some others point to the Apostle Paul as a model. In Acts 9:3-6 it says: “as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Paul’s call to ministry was crystal clear – a voice from heaven is what we all want to point the way, isn’t it? But is it reasonable to expect the same to happen to us? Paul was obviously one of a kind and there will never be another one like him. This story describes what happened to Paul, but it does not prescribe what will happen to everyone else. So, his example should not be considered the norm, and we should not all be waiting for a Damascus experience.
The Call
Scripture uses the term “call” in three ways. We are called to salvation (1 Corinthians 1:2), sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7), and service (Galatians 5:13-15). But the call to service does not specify a location on the planet or a career path. There is no scripture that points us to a certain tribe of people somewhere in the world. So, we must start with what we do know. We know that Christ commanded us to take the gospel to every person and every place on the planet (Mark 16;15), so we don’t need to question where and whether we should take the gospel. But there are two specific things for an individual to prayerfully consider when discerning whether they should be the one to go to an unreached people group as a missionary:
- A COMPULSION: It is somewhat unusual to want to be a missionary, in the sense that there is much sacrifice that will entail giving up a career, financial security, physical comforts, proximity to family and friends. It will bring suffering and sacrifice. Yet, those who desire to be missionaries often have an inward urge to do this anyway. It is quite safe to assume that an inward compulsion to be a missionary is not self-produced (unless you are a lazy farmer’s son). But an inward desire is not enough; there must be a compulsion to act. The apostle Paul put it this way: “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16). A potential missionary must have a compulsion to both walk into certain uncertainty, and act on the inward, do this.
At BMW South Africa we have a working definition for a call as “a compelling burden to do something for God that will not go away.” It must be a God-generated desire. Often God uses others to draw our attention toward a destination and it is the work of God in our hearts that intensifies our interest and draw toward those people.
- A CONFIRMATION: The second component to the call to service comes from a person’s church. In Acts 13 where Paul and Barnabas were launched onto the mission field, the Holy Spirit was communicating with the rest of the church, not with the missionaries. “The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). God has ordained the local church to be the means through which He operates. Thus, it is the local church that affirms that God may have intentions for an individual to be a missionary.
This is the reason why potential missionaries need to be active leaders in their church already. The local church is meant to be a place for training (Ephesians 4:11-12) and is a proving ground for missionary qualification. If one doesn’t have the character, skills and theology here, it definitely won’t happen there. There is nothing magical about getting on an airplane and becoming a missionary.
These principles are throughout the New Testament but the epistles to Timothy are classic passages pointing out that those in ministry are propelled by God and confirmed by the church (1 Timothy 1:12, 1 Timothy 2:7, 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6, 2 Timothy 1:11.)
So, as you prayerfully consider God’s call on your life, assess it against these two critical areas. Seek the wise counsel of your pastor, godly friends and mentors, and serve in missions-minded ways within your local church. If you’ve received confirmation regarding these important questions, check out our article called, “How to Choose a Mission Agency” and begin exploring options for taking the next step!
