His

Almost ever Christian at some time has thought about being a missionary.  Once we come to the Lord, something within us knows that we owe everything to Him and we want to pay back. Why don’t we act on this desire? Sometimes it’s because once we come to Christ we already have responsibilities and family and put off to “some day” our desire to respond. Other times, we simply are afraid of the kind of commitment that is required. All of this arises from a misconception of what a missionary is.

A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” ( 1 Corinthians 6:19 ).  With this understanding, some of the “tough” scriptures come into a different focus.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” ( Luke 14:26 ). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.

Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” ( Acts 1:8 ). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”

Be entirely His! You can be that on a foreign mission field or at home.

Be blessed.

Nick