Recently, I had to fill in some details about myself. When it came to putting down my occupation, I decided against putting down my present occupation of “sales assistant and delivery guy”, not because I am ashamed off my job but because I did not believe that my current job description best revealed my background, so I put down “Former Missionary”, which I am! Or am I?
I struggled with the word ‘former’ and strongly wanted to just put down “Missionary” which, in the broad sense of the word, is true.
However, these days when you mention the word “Missionary”, most, if not all, understand it in the Narrow sense, and as we are no longer official connected to a “Mission” Society, I no longer felt free to use the word, even though, in the wider sense, I still consider myself a missionary.
In the broader sense being a “former Missionary”, is like being a retired Christian; easy to say but just not possible to be. You are either one or you are not. What you do, where you do it and how much of it you still can do, is beside the point. You either still are, or you never were!
In the dictionary, a ‘missionary’ is defined as, “concerned with, or characteristic of, religious missions.” It also defines, “mission”, as, "A particular task or goal assigned to a person or group.”
Is this not what we have been called to in the Great Commission in the Book of Matthew 28: 16 – 20? A very specific task, if you ask me!
Is this not also, to paraphrase, what Jesus said in the Book of Acts 1: 8ff? “You will receive power from the Holy Spirit to be my witnesses, starting where you are now and spreading out as you are led?”
As I was once called, I still remain called, and even though no longer officially connected to a mission and thus unable to openly claim to be so, I am still a Missionary for Christ!
And proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Walter
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