THE POWER OF VOCATIONAL/PROFESSIONAL SKILLS Understanding Missions (11)

Missions today were held back and fast becoming painful but necessary assignment of which those involved in it were bearing with grudges and murmuring. There are so many spiritual men on the field but who lacks vocational and professional skills that will fortify their work. 


Missions and spiritual influence doesn't develop overnight. It involves long and enduring labour of the missionary. This tedious but productive journey demands financial sustenance. Therefore, it is important for the missionary to have developed like Paul the Apostle a certain vocational and professional skills which will help him wither the storm of financial needs while hoping the work to develop in which he may need to exchange his professional skill for full scale missions. 


Missions becomes a burden when and if the spiritual man has to live on the mercy of his followers. There and then he claimed his fatherhood of them and demands to be financially honoured. Sincerely, there is nothing that undermined man's spiritual significance than when he buys a bread and refused to pay ( ... We did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you.2 Thessalonians 3:8)


If any man claimed God has stopped him from doing any other work. He must equally desist from begging else, he'll become a laughing stock to his people. 


"... we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. IT WAS NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT THAT RIGHT, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate" .2 Thessalonians 3:8-9. 


A missionary is a burden bearer never a burden sharer. 


Mission is expected to be a joyous voyage resting in the assurance of divine guidance and provisions. But it may turn out to be an abandoned project when a missionary has to bear with hunger with other challenges on the field. 


It is my candid advise as a missionary to any prospective missionary to be duly skilful and economically empowered before venturing into the field. Otherwise, there is the possibility of becoming a nuisance to God and the people to whom he has been sent. 


Peter Abdul-Razaq, OLAYINKA 

Living Grace Christian Missions, Ilara.

WhatsApp (+229)94139130

Mobile no. +2348066540987, +2347084504532

peterrazaq@yahoo.com

Twitter & Instagram: @peterrazaq

Linkedin: Revd. Peter OLAYINKA




Comments

  1. Joseph14 June 2023 at 21:16

    The article is biblical and pictorial of the template of the early Eurooeans Missionaries to Africa. They were Masters in Education, Health/Medical, Agriculture andamy other Vocational trades. I think Mission is not laziness. It is not idleness. It is not unemployability.

    We must give serious attention to this call such that missionaries of our children's generation will rightly and tightly hold the Bible while also holding the tools. Trusting God to provide by this means "... we did not eat any one's bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day..." 2Thess. 3:8-9 is as as good a FAITH in God as the other FAITH that only Hope and Pray.

    I am afraid we are becoming victims of Gift/Faith Projection by our Frontline preachers. Use your measure of faith, and don't think holding tools while holding the Bible is faithless and double-dealing.

    God nkeasnyou, Reverend. You have to challenge is to start training the Missionaries this way too!

    ReplyDelete

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