Description

Definition
A missionary generally is someone sent to a foreign culture for a specific mission, such as conducting negotiations, establishing relations, spreading beliefs, or providing assistance. The focus is performing one’s mission in a foreign environment, whatever that mission may be.
Acts 13 provides an example. “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3). After this event, Paul began the first of several missionary journeys to spread the gospel to the Gentiles, the work to which God had called him. This satisfies all the key missionary elements: someone sent him, he had a specific mission, and he performed that mission in foreign countries and cultures.
If you have the missionary aptitude, you probably enjoy traveling and contacting other cultures, whether in your native country or others. When in a new environment, you adapt easily to the practices of that area. You are sensitive to the local culture and are eager to fit in, to avoid being disruptive and because you enjoy the new experience. In fact, you may be very willing to eliminate practices of your own culture from your lifestyle.
Your missionary aptitude merely supports what you actually do in the new environment because being a missionary simply means you use your other skills in the context of a different culture. Many Christians seem to think missionaries should only be evangelists and preach the gospel in a foreign culture. They often do not realize the potential and need for other combinations of aptitudes, such as missionary-teacher, missionary-craftsman, missionary-doctor, or missionary-administrator.
If you have this aptitude, you may not actually work in a foreign culture. Instead, you might support those who do or work with people from other cultures. For example, you might find fulfillment in supporting missionary efforts without even leaving your native culture. You could do this working in the home office of an organization with foreign involvement or activities. You could support Christian missionaries with prayer and finances or by corresponding with them. You might also be effective at motivating others to become missionaries.

Typical Characteristics
● Enjoy contact with other cultures.
● Not strongly attached to your native culture.
● Easily adapt to different cultures and surroundings.

Tendencies
Like the aptitudes of celibacy, self-sacrifice, and voluntary poverty, the missionary aptitude has few tendencies of its own, if any. It works in cooperation with your other aptitudes.

Misunderstandings
Most of the needs you want to serve also exist in your native culture, and people may not understand why you cannot serve at home. They view the effort and expense of moving to a foreign country as unnecessary.

Vocations and Roles
Classical missionary, world traveler, member of Peace Corps, and foreign diplomat.

Perversions

Self-Centeredness
(Perverts your aptitude by focusing it on you, emphasizing the pleasure or fulfillment it gives you.)
Self-centeredness may cause your missionary aptitude to degrade to a love of traveling. Simply being in a different culture is fulfilling to you, and you may become so preoccupied with fitting into the culture that you do not perform your mission effectively. The fact that you provide a service as a foreigner implies the local populace needs your help, and you could easily become arrogant about your importance.

Extremes
(Perverts by exaggerating, taking your characteristics and tendencies to extremes.)
In the extreme, you could become preoccupied with cultures you have not even lived or worked in: decorate your house with items from other countries, take on mannerisms of other cultures, talk frequently of events in other countries, and so on.

Control
(Self-centeredness makes you want to be in control, and you struggle for control in a way that is unique to your character.)
In a conflict between cultures, you may try to seize control of the conflict by defending either the “foreign” culture or each culture’s right to be unique.

Redemption

Putting on Important Traits
Certain godly character traits are especially important to you as a missionary. Consciously developing the following traits will help you perform your task effectively in a foreign culture.

● Humility (Considers self relatively unimportant compared to others; prevents using abilities for one’s own satisfaction.) Humility keeps you from feeling important, though you are in a foreign area to do what the people cannot do for themselves. It helps you adapt to local practices without trying to impose those of your homeland.
● Agape (Considers others’ welfare, needs, interests, and desires more important than your own; motivates you to act for others’ benefit regardless of personal impact.) Agape motivates you to offer your service for the benefit of others even if it requires personal sacrifice.
● Faith or faithfulness (Firm conviction regarding something for which there is no proof; action based on such conviction.) Faith provides confidence you can use your other aptitudes effectively while overcoming cultural differences and prejudices.
● Perseverance (Patient endurance.) This helps you keep working despite people’s distrust, bias, and even hostility toward you as a foreigner.

Repentance, Renewing Your Mind
(The changes you need to make in the way you think, including your attitudes, standards, priorities, and perspective.)
Your role is to use your other skills productively to serve people in or from a foreign culture; being in a different culture is secondary to the primary function you perform.

Denying and Humbling Yourself
(Rejecting your own desires and self-interests. Refusing to be motivated by desire for recognition or credit for the results.)
In spite of the task you perform, you are a servant to the people of your new culture. You must remain sensitive to the local culture and strive to fit in and serve effectively.

Taking up Your Cross
(Accepting that which has potential for great harm, threatens to break you down, or reveals your inadequacies.)
Because sin causes people to distrust, reject, or even act belligerently toward those who are different, simply working in a foreign country can expose you to great harm. Besides the social differences, the different food and environmental conditions present a threat to your health. Isolation from your family and friends, even your support organization, can wear you down emotionally.

Following Jesus
(How you uniquely imitate Jesus by doing what He would in your situation.)
Jesus was a natural citizen of heaven, yet He came here to perform a task vitally important to the citizens of earth. He implemented God’s plan of redemption so man, created in God’s image, would not have to spend eternity separated from God. His mission was very costly to Him personally.

Becoming Like a Child
(Accepting what God gives you, believing what He tells you, trusting Him to take care of you, and simply doing what He says.)
You are very dependent on God’s protection and provision, and you must trust Him to take care of you. You might cause serious problems or make a serious mistake due to the differences in cultural practices, so doing what God shows you is very important.