“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20 / The Great Commission
In the last fifty years or so, there seems to have been a transition in Christian missions. A “longterm missionary” for most organizations is now considered someone who is on the field for two years.
It’s become less something you give up your life for and more something you sacrifice a part of your life to do. You do your “ministry” and then continue on with your life and say you’re a missionary.
Maybe a little ironic as one of the main themes of my blog is “missionary” and I’ve never even been on a missions trip. But more on that later.
A quote I once heard: “If you people [Christians] actually believe this is the most important thing in life, why do you send a bunch of kids to tell it?”
I’m not opposed to “mission trips.” I’m opposed to people thinking mission trips are following out the great commission. Mission trips are one of the best ways to grow your own knowledge and understanding of people and the cultures around the world.
We’ve artificially divided ministry in the church. We separated the first part of the great commission from the last part. We are all over making disciples and baptizing them, but what do you mean “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”? Do you know how long that would take?
If you were to have a baby and as soon as it was born said “cool. Hope you find your way. Your mom and I are out.” How well do you think that baby would do? Hopefully there would be someone there to care for it and help it, but maybe not. Even if there was, would you not make it that much harder for this baby to grow and learn?
In the same way, that’s exactly what we so often do as Christians. So many people are concerned with “how many baptisms did we have this week? How many people were saved at your church?
Are those things cool? They’re amazing. People who have seen truth. But so often that’s where we think the success is. That’s where we can leave off.
But that right there is when we are needed the most. When this person is growing and learning. So that when they stumble, someone is there to help them back up. So that when they get too close to the edge, you can help steer them back.
How do you do that on a week-long mission trip?
I’ll make it easy for you: you can’t.
You may form great relationships on these trips, you will almost assuredly grow in your own faith on these trips, God may even use you to bring unbelievers to him on your trip. But in one week, you cannot follow out the great commission. You cannot teach them all things he has commanded you.
These trips go an inch deep and a mile wide. You can cover so much ground and talk to so many people, but you are never going to have the true intimacy of a disciple relationship.
True missions requires a life devoted to serving God and serving others. Which, by the way, doesn’t have to be in a third world country. It’s one thing to sacrifice a couple of weeks or months to the Lord, it’s something completely different to completely give your entire life to the ministry of serving God and doing whatever he wants with your life.
Missions is about relationships. About knowing others, being involved in their lives, and loving them in a way that can only be done through a genuine love for Christ.
I have “Missionary” on my website, not because I am a missionary in a third world country, but because it’s my desire to live that life that I devote everything I do to the work of Christ. Take up my cross daily and follow him. I’m on a mission to pursue God with my entire heart, and I know that if I do that, he will use me in ways that I can’t imagine.
Relationships are extremely important to me. I care for others at a very deep level. If I only ever go an inch deep, how can I grow with them to something more? And how can I go further than an inch without time?
Ministry takes time.