Missions

Missions is a beautiful ministry to be involved in, be it short term or long. I think all Christians agree that the purpose of missions is to bring the gospel to those who don't have it, and that that is something which God has called His children to do. 

However, it seems that, after that agreed upon concept, a lot of missionaries, especially from the West, become muddled on the rest of the details. Or maybe they just tack on some other good ideas and neglectfully make them the priority. It's a shame and I am saddened when I hear of it. It's usually not intentional, but it's an act of ignorance that is not helpful to the gospel and takes the focus off of it. 

Let me explain. This morning I was listening to a wonderful Christian radio station. It's one of those that I feel is more sincere than some other stations that claim to be Christian. Yet on an ad they aired, they encouraged people to go on a short-term mission trip overseas for the "experience" and to "see what life is like for the poorest of the world." In an interview on their website, a pastor of a very good church in our area states a similar reason for trying to send more of their members on mission trips. 

But is that why we are to go out into the world? Is that what God has called us to--to "experience" different cultures and lifestyles, or even as many missionaries a hundred or so years ago did, promote our own cultural biases? One could easily do either or both things through a secular humanitarian organization. The power of the gospel must be what propels us to go. If it's not, we go in vain. 

Does that mean there is no value in feeding the hungry, giving clean water to the thirsty, health to the sick, or introducing educational opportunities where there were none? Nonsense! Of course those things are important. Of course God is pleased when we help those less fortunate. But as Jesus said when He was on this earth in bodily form, "You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me with you." He is to be the priority. Everything else is secondary. 

Really and truly, we are to follow Christ whether or not our quality of life improves. Therefore, our purpose in going on missions is to show the depravity of humanity without Christ. If the people see how behind they are as a third-world country but not their sin and need of a Savior, we've been spending too much time doing secondary things and not enough time sharing the Gospel. 

And if we think only the poorest of the world need missionaries, we are terribly mistaken. Less than two percent of the Japanese are Christian. The population of Japan is about half that of the USA, which is a lot of people in a wealthy and intelligent nation who need Jesus. They have just about everything they could ever want... Except a Savior. THAT is why Jesus told us to go. To make disciples, not to have an experience or to hand out cookies. I pray that more Americans come to center their mission trips on the Gospel rather than a unique vacation or opportunity to spread prosperity.