My View from the Pedestal
Missionaries are often put on a pedestal by other believers. We’ve been in the Basque Country for over 6 years now and we’ve noticed it every time we’ve been back in the states visiting. Comments such as “You guys are just amazing” or “I could NEVER do what y’all do!” are common every time we visit or speak at a church. On our first visit back after being gone for 2 years, our 12 and 14 year old daughters even commented on how people were saying similar comments to them. That began a conversation amongst ourselves on how we needed to guard our hearts and remain humble in our calling to live and minister overseas. We simply followed the call that God placed on our hearts and learned that obedience is more important than personal desires in terms of where we want to live. God calls all of us to different jobs and geography’s, but none are any holier than any other. In the Bible, we read in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 that we are all unique parts of the body of Christ. All are important in their own ways, and all are necessary.
Here’s the reality from the top of the pedestal: It’s lonely up there. That’s one of the problems with pedestals, there isn’t much room for a crowd. It’s tricky because we don’t want to be invisible either. We’re often lonely and tired (physically, emotionally, spiritually) and are longing for community. While we want to graciously receive the gift of honor and respect that people want to give us, we also have to manage feeling uncomfortable at the praise.
As Christians, we all have our mission field. Some are found in an office, some in a Pre-K classroom, some in a home, and some in a foreign country. No matter the location or our specific calling, we are ALL called to spread the love of Jesus to those we meet. Let’s work to build up the entire community of believers as missionaries, and recognize everyone for their specific calling.