Zambia Hunt

Our focus in missions must be on gospel proclamation and prayer as central to the mission of God while not ignoring physical and social needs. A lack of gospel integration in any efforts to meet physical and social needs renders that ministry no different than what is performed by governments and other NGOs. Missionary friend, you may find yourself involved in numerous works of compassion, but if you do not make gospel proclamation central in those works, you are not doing the mission God sent you to do! Luke 4:42-43 Early the following day, Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

Our engagement in missions must be driven by our love for God, not by our love for people. Serving others, when fueled by feelings of compassion, will quickly grow tired, discouraged, and dissipate. It is the love of Christ that constrains us. We can only love others as God intends if we first love the Lord, our God, with all our hearts, souls, and minds. It is only then that we can love our neighbors as ourselves. Deeds of compassion may be genuine, but they are rooted in emotion and may often be fueled by selfish ambition. Those acts of compassion may be meeting the secret needs of our own hearts, giving us a feeling of goodness, or assuaging our guilt. Compassion can dissipate when you discover that the person toward whom you felt compassion continues on in lifestyles and choices that perpetuate their situation. Missionaries from the West often view host cultures and peoples through Western eyes and understandings and are moved to do something to help. Without understanding and care, that help can often perpetuate the problem instead of meeting needs. Compassion fades quickly when the Westerner learns that they have been “played” or that the people do not want their help. Compassion may be what gets your attention, but love for Christ is what keeps you going year after year.

In conclusion, the mission field calls for more than just acts of kindness and social action; it demands the proclamation of the gospel, underpinned by an unwavering love for God. This commitment ensures that our missionary work is not just another form of humanitarian effort but a true manifestation of the mission of God. As missionaries, we are reminded that our ultimate goal is not merely to meet physical and social needs, but to fulfill the Great Commission by proclaiming the gospel, discipling those who believe, and gathering them into local communities of Christians in a local church.