A call to missions is a call to prepare. The “surrender” is really just the start. We have looked at different aspects in preparing for the mission field, including deputation, but I would like to focus on deputation a bit more.

The truth is that deputation is not broken. Deputation works, but it is work. In other words, deputation is not a Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night part-time job. It is a full-time job that should be worked everyday. I have read posts from other missionaries who want to debate how deputation is not the way to raise support and that there needs to be a better way, or that there must be a better way to improve deputation. They don’t ask me, but if they did I would tell them that the reason deputation is not satisfactory to them is because they are not working hard enough. With just a hand full of questions, this can be proven. “How long have you been on deputation?” “How many hours do you spend calling churches each day?” “How many days do you call 9 hours or more?” “How many scheduled meetings do you have for next month?”

If God has called you to be a missionary and you are on deputation, it is important that you work hard!

The push back will be that I am “taking God out of deputation”. I am not. The only way a missionary ever does anything is because of our God. Jesus made very clear that apart from Him, we cannot do anything (John 15:5). The idea that faith in God does not propel us to action is contrary to the teachings in James 2. It is also contrary to logic. If a believer’s child was in a pool and in danger of drowning, would the believer pray to God to save his child and sit and watch to see how God may do it? No. The believer would beg God to save his child as he ran out and jumped into the pool to pull his child to safety. That is logical and that is biblical faith. Beg God, believe God, and work hard believing God is going to carry out His plan!

Preparing for the mission field is working hard and that is not just on the mission field, but on deputation as well.