A MODERN-DAY MACEDONIAN CALL—WHAT COULD STOP US?
Christ-followers are called to live a purposeful life that honors God (1 Peter 2:9). Sometimes we may feel lost and wish we had a clear invitation from God: a Macedonian call for what to do with our lives.
God’s specific call is not extraordinary or epiphanic. When we live in obedience to God, He calls us His friend as he did with Abraham and Moses (Isaiah 41:8, Exodus 33:11). As God’s friends, we are told what is on His mind. We become partners and not just servants (John 15:13-15).
From the beginning, the great “mystery” on God’s mind (Colossians 1:26-27), previously hidden but revealed in the last days, is for both Jew and Gentile from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue to become one in Christ, as church and family of God (Ephesians 2: 14-19, 3:28; Revelation 7:9). Our life is purposeful and honoring to God when we partner in this Great Commission.
In God’s global enterprise, most of us are called to live and serve as lay people whose mission fields are local. Some are called as church clergy or ministers in the parachurch, serving locally. Others are called to go global, crossing cultures to live and serve as missional professionals and businesspeople. Still others go abroad as church-planting missionaries. Every role is important in the eyes of God. There is no hierarchy. Every call is sacred. Different roles; one team, one mission.
That said, God’s enterprise to reach the world has a distribution problem. Most Christian laymen and ministers live and serve at home. Far fewer are in countries where people have yet to know Christ. What’s more, the neediest places are hostile to the Christian faith and deny visas to traditional missionaries. But professionals and businesspeople are welcome. This is the modern-day Macedonian call for “tentmakers” and “bissionaries” with marketable skills and a missionary heart.
There are real costs to obeying God’s call to leave what is familiar and comfortable for the mission field. There are great rewards too. But the costs feel immediate. The Lord says we are to count the cost, but not be deterred by it (Luke 14: 28-33). For people who have the skills and desire to serve, there are still many practical concerns. Here are three common ones:
Security—Can I provide adequately for my family? Am I sacrificing my career? Will I have a job when I come home later?
Family—Is it fair to my kids since they don’t have a say in this? Will they get a decent education and opportunities like their peers back home? Will my parents object that I’m taking the grandkids away and putting their future at risk? What about elder care down the road?
Marriage—Is my spouse willing and ready to go too? Is my marriage strong enough for the challenge?
We will share the answer to these and other questions through stories of tentmakers and bissionaries. It is always a journey of faith—our faith in God, and His faithfulness to us.