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Did you know the world-wide missionary force is decreasing by 1% every year and for every 3 missionaries that retire or leave the field there are only 2 to replace them. Never has the harvest been so plentiful and the labourers so few.
What hinders people from going into world-wide missions? In the next few weeks I want to reveal the excuses people make.
The first excuse is the condition of marriage. The excuse goes like this: “I cannot go to the mission field because I am not yet married.”
But the Bible makes it perfectly clear that in the service of the Lord the single life is preferred over the married life. In fact, Paul in I Corinthians 7:32-35 reminds us that a single missionary has a greater advantage than does the married missionary.
The married missionary has God given responsibilities that the single missionary does not. He has the God given care of his children and his family which often times restricts his ministry.
But the single missionary can serve God undistracted. He is free to commit all his time to the Lord’s work. He is able to live and serve in conditions deemed unsuitable for married people, especially married people with children.
In fact some of the greatest missionary work was accomplished by single missionaries. There was Gladys Alyward who went to China and Amy Carmichael who served God in India.
Do you remember the name Mary Slessor at the ripe old age of 27 went to the interior of Calabar [modern day Nigeria] and for 38 years, she did pioneering missionary work paving the way for male missionaries who would follow her. She was convinced “that pioneering work was best accomplished by women, who she believed, were less threatening to unreached tribes and men.”
Her biographer says, “She adapted easily to the African lifestyle, caring little about fashion, hygiene, eating habits or time schedules. She once broke a marriage engagement with a young missionary with whom she had fallen in love, because his health could not with stand the rigors of tropical Africa. At the end of her life she was able to say, “That she was a witness to the perfect joy and satisfaction of the single missionary life.”
And remember the first missionary to China; Robert Morrison and the first missionary to Inland China; Hudson Taylor both went to the mission field as single missionaries. It was only after years of missionary service did God bring each of these men a wife.
If God has called you to missions do not make the excuse, “I cannot go because I am not yet married.”
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Now, there is no excuse why you can’t serve as a single in God’s army.
For this post, Ptr. Mike did a magnificent research. Thank you for the effort, young ppl, your turn now to make it happened.
This is an encouraging truth. This is also my thought, that going to the missions being single is more advantageous than being married. This proved true to me being in the foreign mission field now9even before) as a single lady. I know I can do more in His strength. Though I’m desiring to get married later as the Lord provide someone of whom I could partner in the ministry(waiting for that someone
), I’m satisfied on how the Lord is doing in my life now to further His kingdom where I am now. This is my prayer that God will multiply my life in the lives of many in this part of the world. God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thanks PM.
I feel like God may be calling me to missions but I’m not sure. I feel like World Vision keeps popping up to me. Reading this post I have a peace of mind. I am almost 27 years old and I used to be extremely materialistic [breaking free from that]…but I am scared to go by myself on missions to be honest with you. There is a man who feels like he is being called to missions as well. Not sure if God wants me to go on my own or to go with him.
Hey Bethany Chase, true calling is when feelings are replaced by burden, and fear by passion. From what you wrote, it looks like you and the other man are both at the feeling stage. Perhaps the best thing to do now is to support missions by your prayer and resources while waiting on the Lord. Best to resist the temptation to go on “missions tourism” trips, as you won’t learn much. I find that there are many good stuff at this blog on Asian missions – very encouraging ones too. Not sure about your reference to World Vision though. If you are looking for a job, then it is definitely not a calling.
This is a very interesting topic on a very important issue. I am doing some research on missionaries leaving the field. Could you by any chance tell me where you found the information at the beginning of the article? The rate at which missionaries leave and the amount of missionaries leaving the field and entering the field, was this from a survey or something? This would be very helpful.
Thanks a ton,
Luke