The Key to the Missionary's Devotion  [return to devotional list]

"A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb..."

(Proverbs 27:7)

The key to the missionary's devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself.

It does not mean simply being detached from the external things around us. Jesus was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but he had an inner detachment toward his Father.

Jesus broke bread, ate seared fish and drank wine. He enjoyed the pleasantries of his culture, but he didn't crave them. Its hard to resist the marketing of a good product in our American culture. "Will that be a double chocolate-chip Frappuccino this morning?" Nevertheless, the satisfied soul says, "it may taste good when I'm thirsty and tired... but I have Jesus and I am neither thirsty nor tired."

The satisfied soul says, "I'm full. I don't need it and I don't want it." The satisfied soul is detached from carnal cravings and detached from the trappings of culture. Television, video games, shopping, automobiles, recognition, and the pursuit of gainful employment do not satisfy. These things have become as nothing.

Such external detachment is often an indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to God and His plan for our life. When compared to the peace of his presence and the joy of faithful service, everything our culture may offer pales in comparison.

The duty of the faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his heart completely open to Christ and his mind continually focused on His mission.

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