During the annual Missions Conference, we look forward to “rubbing shoulders” with the missionaries, hearing their testimonies, seeing their slides, and sensing their passion. We know that we will hear great preaching regarding the Great Commission. We expect to be encouraged to pray more, and challenged to give more. And every year, the guest preacher – whoever he may be – always asks the same question: “Could God be calling YOU to surrender YOUR life to missions?”
Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37). Two thousand years have passed since Jesus spoke those words, and yet they still hold true today. I believe that the greatest reason for a lack of “labourers” (missionaries) around the world is not that God is calling fewer Christians to missionary service, but that so few Christians are willing to copy the example of Isaiah and say to God, “Here am I, send me.”
Instead of being like Isaiah, many Christians are following the example of Saul, the first king of Israel, who went and hid among the “stuff” (1 Samuel 10:22). Saul was actually hiding to keep from having to do God’s will. Today’s Christian has so much “stuff,” and can’t bear the thought of having to give up their stuff should God call them to missionary service. The author of the book of Hebrews says that we must lay aside every weight – the unnecessary stuff – which hinders the Christian from running the race set before him, and fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1,2).
What is holding you back? Rather than asking God, “Why me?”, say to Him instead, “Here am I, send me!”