Over three billion people do not have regular access to the good news of Jesus and what He has done. And unless more believers step out in faith and go to the nations, that number isn't going to change.

Please don't go to the mission field without humility.

The posture of humility could arguably be the single most important trait of someone who seeks to make Jesus known cross-culturally. You could have a deep, exegetical knowledge about the Scriptures, be incredibly passionate about prayer, have a knack for learning languages, possess a spirit of adventure and sacrifice... and yet be completely ineffective on the mission field because you're not teachable and you're unwilling to learn from others.

A lack of humility - or the presiding presence of pride - in the life of a cross-cultural worker is toxic. It often causes personal stagnation and a false sense of superiority. It can stifle transparency and gospel-centered relationships with their teammates. It may prevent them from seeing what God is already doing in and through the national community. It becomes a stumbling block and hindrance to the very gospel they came to proclaim. 

It might seem shocking to think that the gospel can be spoken from a posture of arrogance, but it's true. As Trevin Wax has stated, "It is possible to share the message of Christ without the manner of Christ." Surely you've experienced this.

As the people of God, however, we are commissioned very specifically in both our message and our manner. Jesus Himself said, "...As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21). How was Jesus sent?

In humility . 

Jesus didn't, and He is God.

Written by Laney Mills