What are the advantages of long-term missions?
How can I know if God is leading me to become a missionary?
How much should I consider the needs of the world and my gifts?
» more related questionsQ: Are there missionaries who have gone even though initially they had no desire to go?
A: Yes. Remember Jonah.
Jonah was called to go to Nineveh but did not like the idea too much. He had many reasons why he should not go. Jonah had to go through a belly experience before he realized that he needed to obey. So if you have a call from God and reject it, then you are standing in disobedience. God may withhold some of His blessings from you until you surrender your will to Him. Once you say, “Lord, not my will, but yours,” then God can put the desire in your heart to go. God is calling us to lives of obedience.
A: Yes. Here’s my story.
The Lord woke me up in the middle of the night to talk to me about a young woman who wanted to go to Romania. She had sensed a "calling" on her life and had been preparing for two years to go. She was now ready to go, but there was no one to go with her and our mission agency would not let her go alone. Romania was still under communist rule.
God asked me to consider his servant who wanted to go to Romania. I pondered and responded by saying, "Yes Lord, it is very strange that You would place a burden on her life for Romania and that You would call her and not call someone to go with her. Why would you do that?" He simply responded: "OK, good point -- I then call you!"
I tried to reason with God: "But Father, you can't call me -- I don't have a love for Romanians. Don't I need to at least love the people and have compassion for them?" He challenged my question by asking me if He always required his servants to "love" those He was calling them to. Jonah came to mind right away, and Abraham, who didn't even know where He was going. It was enough for me to realize that I could not be disqualified because I didn't have compassion for them.
"But Jesus, I pleaded, life in Romania is so hard, and it's a dark place. I like having hot showers and good food and a clean home --- I'm not sure I can live happily without these!
"Lisa, Lisa, do you truly want these more than Me? Remember -- where your heart is -- there your treasure will be also!" I was so grieved in my spirit. I asked Him to forgive me and to work in me to purify my heart so that I could love Him more.
And now there was only one thing that remained in my defense. I confessed, "Oh God, I am so afraid!" Though He spoke to me with tenderness, He did not relent: "Yes, and now you must let fear or faith determine your answer! So what is it going to be?"
At that point, I had no hesitation -- for I clearly saw what was happening in my own soul and I knew that, regardless of my fears, I wanted more than anything to live by faith. So I said, “Okay, Lord, I'm willing.”
Then I was relieved -- not because I had responded "yes" to God -- but because I thought that even though I was now willing -- it still would be impossible because my team leader and my field leader would not allow me to go! So I fell back to sleep, a bit shaken by this encounter with God.
The next day, the Spirit challenged me to put my willingness to the next test and ask my leaders for permission to go. Both admitted that they could give me 100 reasons why NOT to give me permission. But they sensed the Spirit of God leading in the situation, and they released me from my roles and responsibilities. In one week's time from that restless night I was in a van headed for Romania -- to stay!
God asked me to consider his servant who wanted to go to Romania. I pondered and responded by saying, "Yes Lord, it is very strange that You would place a burden on her life for Romania and that You would call her and not call someone to go with her. Why would you do that?" He simply responded: "OK, good point -- I then call you!"
I tried to reason with God: "But Father, you can't call me -- I don't have a love for Romanians. Don't I need to at least love the people and have compassion for them?" He challenged my question by asking me if He always required his servants to "love" those He was calling them to. Jonah came to mind right away, and Abraham, who didn't even know where He was going. It was enough for me to realize that I could not be disqualified because I didn't have compassion for them.
"But Jesus, I pleaded, life in Romania is so hard, and it's a dark place. I like having hot showers and good food and a clean home --- I'm not sure I can live happily without these!
"Lisa, Lisa, do you truly want these more than Me? Remember -- where your heart is -- there your treasure will be also!" I was so grieved in my spirit. I asked Him to forgive me and to work in me to purify my heart so that I could love Him more.
And now there was only one thing that remained in my defense. I confessed, "Oh God, I am so afraid!" Though He spoke to me with tenderness, He did not relent: "Yes, and now you must let fear or faith determine your answer! So what is it going to be?"
At that point, I had no hesitation -- for I clearly saw what was happening in my own soul and I knew that, regardless of my fears, I wanted more than anything to live by faith. So I said, “Okay, Lord, I'm willing.”
Then I was relieved -- not because I had responded "yes" to God -- but because I thought that even though I was now willing -- it still would be impossible because my team leader and my field leader would not allow me to go! So I fell back to sleep, a bit shaken by this encounter with God.
The next day, the Spirit challenged me to put my willingness to the next test and ask my leaders for permission to go. Both admitted that they could give me 100 reasons why NOT to give me permission. But they sensed the Spirit of God leading in the situation, and they released me from my roles and responsibilities. In one week's time from that restless night I was in a van headed for Romania -- to stay!
