What Does a Missionary Have to be Willing to Give Up? - Mrs. Washer

In a word, everything. A person (whether they are a missionary or not) who has dedicated their life to serving Christ, must die to their own desires. We see throughout the Bible that when people obeyed God, it often meant leaving home or country, family, financial security, and possibly risk their own lives. Some examples we find include:

-Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22:2)
-Joseph was imprisoned (Genesis 39:20)
-Esther risked her life to approach the king to save the Jewish people (Esther 5:1)
-Paul was shipwrecked (Acts 27:43 & 44)
-Jesus was asked to give up His life to save mankind from our sin (Matthew 26:39)

Although these were great sacrifices, we also see how God provided great blessings through their obedience:

-Abraham and Isaac were patriarchs of a great nation of people (Genesis 22:17 – 18)
-Joseph became a powerful ruler in Egypt and saved his family from starvation
(Genesis 45:7)
-Esther’s life was spared and the Jews were allowed to defend themselves (Esther
8:11)
-Paul was used to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 28:28)
-Jesus died so that we might live eternally with Him (John 14:6)

When we serve God, it does not mean we will be asked to give up these things. We are only to give God our complete surrender to His plan for us and that He can use us however He sees fit.