It is not uncommon, especially after a missions conference, to hear a young child talk of being a missionary and going to a place like Africa or China to serve God. But more often than not, when that child gets older, that kind of talk begins to fade away. I’m afraid that many times children who had a desire and even a calling from God to be a missionary forsake that idea as they become a teenager. It isn’t something that is immediate upon a child turning thirteen, but often as that teen gets older, there are many excuses that enter his life to deter him from serving God on the mission field. These excuses are wrapped up in logical reasoning; most of these teens would not tell you they are abandoning God’s call to missions. But excuses disguised as good reasons refrain them from reaching the mission field.
As they get older, some of these teens who acknowledged the call of God early in life, start thinking about some of the following things regarding the mission field: Who will I marry if I go to the mission field? Will I make enough money to live? Will I be able to take care of a family? Will I have a nice car and house? How will I learn a foreign language? Will people look down on me if I don’t have as much money as they do? Would I fit in with a foreign culture? Will my family and friends approve? Will I ever see my family and friends again? What if the people have diseases? Will I ever be able to retire? What if God sends me somewhere that I don’t want to go?
When a child speaks of his desire to go be a missionary in a foreign land, he is almost fearless. The Bible even speaks to the issue of children being very trusting and having much faith. They don’t worry about how they are going to get to the field, how they will learn the language, or even how they will pay their bills. All they are concerned about is going somewhere and telling people about the love of Jesus. I’m not saying we should be flippant about someone going to the foreign field, but I do believe that often well-intentioned people discourage teens from reaching the mission field. Young people do need to be well informed of what they are doing, but they also need to be encouraged to do exactly what God has called them to do. God’s not going to abandon someone He has called to serve Him; He will provide!
So what are some practical ways that we can encourage our young people (especially teens) to follow God’s call to missions?
- As a family, pray for missionaries. Let your kids know that there are people that pray for missionaries to be safe and be fruitful.
- Send teens to the mission field. Maybe this is sending them on a missions trip with the youth group or taking a family trip to visit a missionary. Let them see first-hand what missionaries do.
- Verbally, personally encourage them that being a missionary could be a reality. Young people need to know that there are people who will back them if they desire to go into missions.
- Have teens make a prayer card notebook of missionaries that visit the church.
- Introduce young people to veteran missionaries in the church who can fuel their desire for missions. These are missions success stories; young people need to see that people have “been there, done that” and that being a missionary is entirely possible.
- Get addresses of missionaries in the church and help teens write them letters. Emails are great too! What better way to develop the desire to serve in missions than to have a young person communicating with a missionary.
- Speak highly of missionaries to young people. Teens need to know that missionaries are ordinary people doing an extraordinary work for God.
- Allow visiting missionaries to stay in your home. There is no better exposure to missions than spending quality, one-on-one time with missionaries.
