Missions | The Call and Cost of a Long-Term Missionary Life

The call to long-term missionary service is both a privilege and a weighty responsibility. It is not merely an adventurous pursuit or a career choice but a surrender to the words of Jesus: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19).

David Platt often reminds us that following Jesus in mission is not optional for the believer but central to discipleship. In Radical, he warns against a domesticated Christianity that prioritizes comfort over obedience. Long-term missionaries embody this countercultural obedience, leaving behind familiarity and embracing uncertainty for the sake of Christ’s name among the nations.

At the same time, R.C. Sproul reminds us that missions is not driven by mere humanitarian zeal, but by the holiness of God. In The Holiness of God, Sproul shows us that a true vision of God compels worship and obedience. Missionaries are, in essence, worshipers calling others to worship. As Sproul put it, “The essence of theology is grace, and the essence of Christian ethics is gratitude.” Long-term missionaries live out that gratitude by proclaiming grace where it has not yet been named.

Yet, the life of a missionary is not without suffering. Jesus Himself said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The long-term missionary encounters trials of isolation, cultural barriers, and spiritual opposition. But these challenges deepen dependence on God and remind us that “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Ultimately, long-term missions is about faithful endurance. It is about daily obedience in small acts of love, patient teaching, and humble service. As Platt emphasizes, the Great Commission will not be fulfilled by short bursts of enthusiasm but by lives laid down for the long haul. And as Sproul would remind us, such perseverance is not grounded in human willpower but in the sovereignty and faithfulness of God who calls and sustains His servants.

The long-term missionary story, then, is not a story of personal heroism, but of God’s glory made known among the nations. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).