This month God has been speaking to me about the heart of a missionary. As I was spending time in prayer over this, God actually showed me the true heart of a missionary and how this heart is made.

A missionary leads a life that must fully agree to live by the simple guidance of the Holy Spirit.  As I saw the heart of a missionary, I saw the hand of Jesus going directly to the heart to slowly begin to shape it with the strongest love. For most of us this is not a one-time process. I saw Jesus going back to the heart several times, shaping us to look like Him. Over time all the fleshly behaviors and lifestyles faded away until there was just one thing left…His love.

When a missionary reaches this part of their journey, their complete desire is to serve our Lord and His people. It really is a beautiful process. For those who are struggling to know of their identity in Christ as a missionary, simply just call out to Him. Ask Him to shape your heart as His. He will do the rest and put you on a land you can call yours. He will show you how to love the land and the people that live there. Most will see heartache when they visit the declining Nations, but not a missionary. A missionary see’s the nation on the rise. We see the nation the way God has intended it to be. Missionaries are extremely loyal to their surroundings and will only put their foot where God tells them. Missionaries actually become part of the nation they have been called to serve.

John pictured with his friends who were in the accident.

I have been blessed to know people who are truly called to the fields of mission work. These people are the most loving, loyal, and generous people I have ever met. Last week In Cambodia, a friend of mine faced a challenge that only God could turn good. Two of his friends that are Cambodians were hit by a cement truck. One was severely injured and the other needed medical care, but was released from the hospital. John who is from the States had a choice to make. I believe it was “do I serve out of Kingdom love or enter into this situation in the flesh?”. Well, John obviously is a strong man of God. He went to the hospital and stayed with the men he calls his brothers. He brought food for the entire family. He fixed the tuk-tuk that had been damaged so the man can eventually go back to work. Most importantly he prayed with the two men and their families. He went into this situation with a heart of a missionary. Through his love for God, these families remain hopeful. I saw this situation completely transformed from what the enemy was trying to do. The love of Jesus flowed through John to these families. That is the heart of a missionary.

Not everyone is called to be a missionary, It is an extreme sacrifice to the world that many of us know. When our heart is actually hand crafted for this, it’s honestly one of the best loves I have ever known.

Mark 16:15 becomes our heartbeat – “ And He said to them Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”.

Written by: Barbara Rucci

Published on 6/27/2017