If I have somehow convinced you that you should be a missionary in Part 1, let me try to convince you of something else…
You should first major in education, and here’s why:
- Missionaries are servants.
- Missionaries are often in places faced by many different challenges.
- A degree in education gives you more access to countries.
- People with higher levels of education are more prepared for leadership positions.
- Sharing the gospel is ultimately teaching, and who does that better than a teacher?
The goal of a missionary is not to glorify their self, it’s to glorify God. One of the best ways to glorify Him is to serve others. Teachers are some of the most selfless servants. By being a teacher, you are serving others by teaching them the information and the skills they need to increase their quality of life.
Deciding what to major in is not an easy decision. I myself have changed my major twice, and it’s only the end of my freshman year. If you’re struggling with that, keep this in mind: “If you are currently thinking of a degree with long-term missions in view, then go for one that equips you with a skill that is currently in demand in that country.”
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, there are around 263 million children and teenagers out of school right now. By becoming a teacher, you can help make a difference in that number.
Most of the time, you need visas to get into a country for a long period of time. There are many different types of visas. We’re going to use China as an example. There are a lot of countries that will not grant access to missionaries, however, since education is a need in most of these countries, it is easier for teachers to get work visas.
I believe that I can speak for everyone when I say that it’s easier to do something when you know what you are doing. It’s the same on the mission field! Phil Huber says: “On the mission field, those with higher levels of education are better prepared for leadership responsibilities… such missionaries have critical thinking and research skills necessary to see the "big picture" when addressing pressing issues and are less likely to experience burnout or return from the field early.”
I think that this is so important to think about because being a missionary is not just like a 3-day cruise. Many mission trips are weeks, if not months, long, and being a full-time missionary is even harder. People who do not have the higher levels of education that prepare them for these issues cannot be expected to succeed in these environments. I’m not saying it’s impossible, I’m just saying it’s very unlikely that they would be successful in this way.
The definition of "teacher" is “one that teaches; especially: one whose occupation is to instruct.” And the definition of "teach" is “to cause to know something.”
When I shared the gospel with my best friend Sara for the first time, I was so nervous. At the time, she claimed to be a Christian, and so I was thinking “who am I to tell someone, who already knows who Jesus is, who Jesus really is?” But then I took a step back and remembered, I am a student, pursuing a degree in education, and if I can’t teach my BEST FRIEND about the most important thing in my own life, how was I going to be able to teach others? So, when we sat down, I just told her everything I knew about Jesus and what He did in my life.
The reason I bring this up is because although I spoke directly from my heart, my teaching skills are not quite the best, but when people who are trained to teach tried to tell her the same things, she understood it better.
Therefore, I think that missionaries should be trained teachers. Because it takes a teacher to teach.
Regardless of what denomination you call yourself, you strive to live a Christ-like life, and Christ was a teacher. In John 13:14 Jesus tells us that because He has washed our feet, we must wash the feet of others, meaning that we must do what we can for others, and since Jesus has taught us what we need to know, we must go teach others.
If you don’t take away anything from what I have said, hear this: Christians are called to share the gospel everywhere they go. You can argue with me about everything else, but not this. If you call yourself a Christian, Jesus calls you to the Great Commission:
Matthew 28:18-20 says “Then Jesus came to them and said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, until the very end of the age.”
