“Come die with me.” This statement rang in our ears as we took our Religious Missionary Order vows almost thirty years ago. This was the siren song that lured those called into ministry with World Impact. “Come die with me.” Would anyone still enter missions under this banner? Are we too protective about our needs and rights to die to them?
The Apostle Paul took the gospel message to those outside of his culture and customs. He was blazing a new path carrying out the Great Commission, to go and make disciples of every nation. It took all of him, empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission he was called to among the Gentiles. He risked it all for the sake of the Gospel. He lost his life and demonstrated what it really means to “come die with me.”
Without missionaries, the mission becomes organized, compartmentalized and tame. It becomes about programs and not the Great Commission. It no longer mirrors Paul’s fervor but rather mirrors the latest models of ministry that barely fosters false enthusiasm. Missionaries are committed to the indigenous leader and the church that is being established. They are committed to the mission. They are all in, and they are a rare breed.
The Religious Missionary Order within World Impact is for those individuals or families who feel called to fulfilling the Great Commission among the urban poor. Called to go beyond what regular church participation looks like. They want their life to be completely integrated into the mission and the mission community. It is not for everybody. It is a sacrifice and costly, but completely awesome. It is for those who can leave behind the familiar for the unfamiliar. It is for those who want to learn from those that society ignores in order to reach them with the gospel. It is for those who can let go of their agenda for obscurity and servanthood for the sake of the gospel. It is for those who want to test the scripture when it says “those who lose their lives for my sake shall find them” (Matthew 16:25).
I cannot talk anyone into becoming a missionary. It has to be a call from the Lord. That call is what will sustain you in dark times. We go to the lost because we were once lost. Our joy is not in being known but in being used by the Lord for his sake, for his sheep. This call is not about us. We surrender to the call because we are unable to walk away. Use us Lord, we pray, to build your kingdom.
Read more from Lisa.
