I’ve heard it many times, and you probably have too. Someone returns from a short-term mission trip and shares a testimony like this: “I was amazed that people who have so little were filled with joy, gratitude and enthusiasm in their prayers, while we who have so much seem to grumble and complain.” Encounters like these reveal a reality that is true of much of the world: most people do not enjoy the material abundance that many North Americans take for granted.
In “Western Christians in Global Mission,” Paul Borthwick writes, “Until the Western church can learn what it is like in the rest of the world, it can only be a spectator, not a participant.” How, then, can materially wealthy North American Christians become true participants in God’s global mission?
There are many good answers to that question, but I want to focus on one: sacrifice. Sacrifice always involves cost. By choosing to sacrifice, we willingly give up something else whether it be our time, money, comfort, opportunities or control. David declared, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Worship that costs us nothing rings hollow. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross made it possible for us to approach God without fear and enjoy a restored relationship with him. Yet Scripture also calls us to follow his example. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Peter likewise reminded believers that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow (1 Peter 2:21).
What does sacrifice regarding missions look like?
Prioritizing Relationships
This is not simply a call to give more money. Financial generosity is important and often requires genuine sacrifice. Yet, as Borthwick observes, “it is often easier to be financially generous than personally sacrificial.” We should not confuse the two.
Whether from ignorance, convenience or a desire to ease our conscience, our first impulse can often be to write a check. But the deepest need of people around the world, and truly what they crave, is something much more than financial support. It is reconciliation with their Creator through Jesus Christ. As Christ’s ambassadors, we are called to build relationships that point others to him. That kind of ministry requires time and personal investment. If we are unwilling to develop genuine relationships with people, how can we expect to introduce them to a relationship with Jesus?
Valuing What Is Different
We often view unfamiliar cultures, customs and perspectives with suspicion or even make moral judgments about them. Yet God’s eternal kingdom will be wonderfully diverse in its languages and cultures (Revelation 5:9–10). Participating in God’s mission requires the sacrifice of learning to value what God values.
This sacrifice goes beyond appreciating cultural differences. It means relinquishing the assumption that our way of doing ministry, leading a church, worshiping or solving problems is always the best way (or even the right way, or the most helpful way). God has been at work among peoples and cultures long before we arrived on the scene, and there is so much we can learn from believers whose experiences differ from our own.
This may mean learning a new language, adapting to a different culture or simply taking time to listen and learn from others. Humility is essential to mission work. We cannot truly value what is different if we approach others with an attitude of superiority rather than as fellow learners in God’s kingdom.
Letting Go of Power and Control
Supporting non-Western missionaries and ministry partners is one thing; submitting ourselves to their leadership is another. Today, more Christians live in Africa and Asia than in Europe and North America. God is raising up gifted leaders around the world, and effective mission work often requires us to serve alongside them and sometimes under their leadership. For North Americans, missionary service increasingly means working within multicultural teams where leadership may come from a different cultural background than our own.
Releasing the “American Dream”
North American culture constantly tells us that we deserve greater comfort, convenience and prosperity than previous generations. Yet following Christ often requires us to release our pursuit of these things. Comforts, conveniences and entertainment can easily become distractions that compete with God’s mission. As Borthwick writes, “If my worldview dictates that a happy and successful life is my right, I will run away from the sacrifices needed to be a genuine participant in the global mission of God.”
Whether you are called to serve as a cross-cultural missionary or support God’s mission in other ways, embracing these sacrifices is essential to participating in Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations.
How is God calling you to practice sacrifice as you participate in his global mission?
