It is painfully clear that many people, including both ministers and laypersons, are confused about the missionary call, expecting oftentimes a cloud in the sky to spell out their name and then the command to go. It can seem as if some want to remain convinced that they are called to whatever stateside service unless God does some miracle before them.
After some time, it dawned on me that what was divorced from many of these discussions was an awareness of how God leads and guides us in all the rest of our decisions in life and how that should affect our understanding of the missionary call. Thankfully, this connection does not escape Dr. Sills and the entire chapter he devotes to understanding the will of God in his book, The Missionary Call. There he discusses eight elements that should be taken into consideration as one discerns what the will of God is for his or her life. He summarizes well in his concluding thoughts:
“The way to find God’s will is to BECOME so close to Him that your heartbeat resonates with His own. STUDY His Word. SPEND TIME in prayer communing with Him. ASK godly men and women to counsel you and listen very carefully to what they say. CONSIDER the life experiences that God has given you to make you who you are. EXAMINE your circumstances and factor them into your decision. Unfortunately, God does not always hang traffic lights at the crossroads of your life decisions to tell you when to go, stop, or slow down. Yet, GOD’S TIMING is a crucial element to consider in finding and following His will for your life. Finally, remember that God loves you. Jesus said that the Son of Man came that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). To enjoy the abundant life He has for you, CONSIDER carefully the desires God has placed in your heart.” (emphasis mine)
Sills ends the chapter with an excellent quote from Oswald Chambers:
“The aim of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful, not to win the heathen; he is useful and he does win the heathen, but that is not his aim. His aim is to do the will of his Lord.”
It is my prayer that as you read this post and are considering what the Lord has in mind for the next step in your life, that you would consider all the elements listed above and factor them into the vision of your calling, so that in whatever way you serve the Lord, you too might whole-heartedly say like so many of the prophets before us, “Here I am…Send me!”
-The Miersma Family of the Missions Team