UNDERSTANDING MISSION (15)

The Priority of the Missionary


"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." 1 Corinthians 1:17.


The fact that a missionary has received and been called correctly does not mean he will deliver the message certainly and correctly. He may have conceived the vision rightly and correctly, but challenges and circumstances may cause abnormal delivery, and he could end up frustrating the plan of God over his life and the people he has been called to raise for Christ.


Paul said clearly that he has been called to PREACH, not to baptize others. Is baptism not important? Isn't it a Christian sacrament and an important aspect of the salvation experience? Yes. But to Paul, the most important thing is to PREACH and REACH men for Christ.


Sincerely, a missionary can get it all wrong in the field, especially when he is more concerned about his personal image, giving reports , and the desire to make a name for himself. These are hard areas for a missionary to deal with.


One of the derailing influences for a missionary is when he is more concerned about raising and funding for a building rather than raising and building lives. Yes, he needs a place to gather his converts. He needs a covering, at least to serve as a worship center so that his work might appear significant. Yet, it is important to note that his priority must be to build lives, not focusing primarily on blocks and bricks.


In my few years of commitment to this Great Cause, I have met and seen a lot of cathedral-like buildings lurking in villages and rural communities with few worshippers there. I have seen how missionaries convinced other Christians to give and support their mission only to build structures that, in the next hundred years, the people around cannot fill. I have seen colossal waste of finances on gigantic buildings when such could have been committed to sending children to school, empowering the youth, and helping the disadvantaged to get a better life. Such funds could have been used to build schools or vocational centers that both believers and unbelievers alike can benefit from and be sustained by the recipient society.


"One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, 'As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.' 'All right,' he told them, 'go ahead.'" 2 Kings 6:1-2. This is my approach to mission and raising a building. Elisha had become so popular that those who came to worship with him suggested a befitting and new place of worship. This idea came from the followers and worshippers. They felt the present place wasn't sufficient for their growing numbers, so they asked the prophet for permission to make an expansive and new one. This approach is people-centered and makes them involved in the project. Any project that involves the local people has a lasting legacy.


A missionary must be patient enough to ensure that he builds and invests in lives. He must reach a level of satisfaction in knowing that he has contributed immensely to community development and empowering youths and others in his immediate community. Then, when he intends to build, it will be a joint effort to the extent that those who have no money to contribute will submit themselves for other manual work and supportive roles. To this extent, the work will have lasting effects on the people.


I suggest to the missionary never to be quick in building structures. Rather, let them work tirelessly on investing in the people to the extent that their labor gains legitimacy with all, whether believers or unbelievers. Let him work on empowering others. Let him attend to their sick fellows. Let him help in sending their children to school by buying uniforms and other school accessories and paying the school fees. Let him ensure clean water is available to them if possible. Let him facilitate the extension of electricity and the building of private or public schools and health centers. In this way, his work will become acceptable to them.


May we stay strong and enjoy every blessing that God has promised us. We shall not labor in vain. And we will not have premature and aborted delivery. In Jesus' name. Amen.


Peter Abdul-Razaq, OLAYINKA,

Serving missionary with Living Grace Christian Missions, Ilara

WhatsApp: (+229) 94139130

Mobile no.: (+234) 8066540987, (+234) 7084504532

Email: peterrazaq@yahoo.com

Twitter & Instagram: @peterrazaq

LinkedIn: Revd. Peter Olayinka

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