Am I Unqualified for Missions?

Does this sound familiar?

“Hey, would you like to go with us to share the gospel with others?”

“Me? Are you sure you don’t mean that other person? She is super qualified, has obvious spiritual gifts, and never says ‘um’ when she prays out loud. She’s your girl.”

Now, this may not be the response that everyone experiences. Openly sharing the gospel and being on mission is a passion for many. But for some, the feeling of being unqualified or unworthy can be the same sweaty palm feeling you get on your first day in high school when it’s time to find somewhere to sit for lunch. However, there are countless examples in the Bible of people who experienced the same feelings when the Lord called them to a task: Moses, David, Rahab, Gideon, and Jeremiah, just to name a few.

What is shown throughout Scripture is whatever God plans, He pursues. Whomever God chooses, He uses. Wherever God selects, He sends. There is no running from it, and if you try, you might find yourself swallowed up in the belly of a whale while you are drowning in a sea of your own perceived incompetence.

One of the clearest examples of this is Paul and his ministry. During his days as Saul, the foremost hater of Christians, if anyone would have approached him and told him he would one day be a missionary for Christ, the author of 13 books of the Bible, and perform miracles in the name of Jesus, he would not only have laughed in their faces but likely killed them for the insult.

Saul was not only unqualified but, by all standards, he would have been counted unworthy to serve the very God he had persecuted (Acts 9:4). But by God's grace, he was “‘a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel ... (Acts 9:15, NASB).’” Paul’s greatest desire was to bring the good news to those who had never heard the name of Jesus, and it should be our desire to follow in his footsteps. Singer and songwriter, Keith Green, said it best, “Jesus Commands us to go. It should be the exception if we stay.”

God’s Word is not ambiguous about this. From cover to cover, the Bible makes it clear: Missions exists to elevate Jesus Christ above all, to bring glory to Him, and take His name to the unreached so that all may know and glorify His name.

“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’” -John 20:21, NASB

God is not a passive God. He is alive, active, and moving. When Jesus gave us the Great Commission, He was giving us a five-point strategy.

“‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” -Matthew 28:19-20, CSB

Go. Make. Baptize. Teach. Remember.

Many are called to go, and many are called to send and support those who go through prayer and financial support, but no one is exempt from involvement in this command to make disciples of all nations.

Jesus is the purpose of missions. He is the ultimate symbol of God’s missionary heart. In missions, it is not our job to bring Jesus to the unreached. He is already there waiting for His messengers to bring good news. Is that feeling of being unqualified and unworthy gnawing at you? When God chose to use those in Scripture who felt the least qualified, it came at a time when they least expected it and frequently made them the most effective because their capabilities and success was 100% dependent on God.

Jesus changes hearts. He is there waiting for His truth to be spoken without fear, in love, in faith, where He can then work in His power and draw those near to him. There is no greater honor that God can give you than to tell others about His Son.

“Then I heard the Lord say, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’ I answered, ‘I will go! Send me!’" -Isaiah 6:8, GNT

Learn more about God's heart for you in the Great Commission.