How Would You Caution or Encourage Someone Considering Missionary Work?

What caution or encouragement would you give someone who is considering missionary work?

To be perfectly honest, I have very little desire to convince anybody to do this work. I think it's one of the hardest jobs out there. I think it's definitely not for everyone. As much as we ask and we pray that God would send more workers into the harvest, I am very soberly reminded of all the people I know who have come home off the field permanently, and who have not been able to stay longer than a year, or two years, or three years.

I have the utmost respect for those people and utmost love for them. I just believe that, in His sovereignty, God has made this a very narrow field of opportunity for us, and I don't know why that is.

To speak to college students who are thinking about doing this job, I want to encourage you to consider the costs of what this job requires. I want to encourage you to take seriously the opportunity to serve the Lord in this way. I consider it a huge privilege to be a part of what God is doing in redeeming all the nations. But I do encourage everyone to think about what that means for you and think about what that means for your family.

At the same time, I will still say: think of those people who are out there. Think of those unreached nations and how much love God has for them. I think that has been a huge part of why I'm still here and I'm still doing what I'm doing, day by day.

I take great courage and great hope in the knowledge that God is sovereign over these things, that His plans are sure, that He leads us in triumphal procession, no matter what my part in that plan is.