The incarnation of Jesus Christ which we celebrate during Christmas time is one of the most beautiful examples of missions for Christians today. God left a comfortable heaven where He was worshipped to go to a place where He was largely unknown. Then when He was known He was beaten and killed. Jesus followed His Father’s will despite knowing it would end in His brutal death.
Missionaries must also leave their own nation to go to a different culture and live amongst a people that are different from them. They must learn to be humble and learn from the people of the different culture even though they have learned a different way growing up. They must learn a different language and culture in which they have little previous understanding.
The apostle Paul writes about being all things to all people, in other words, to relate to the people to whom you are ministering. Jesus benefited from His earthly trip in that as Hebrews says, He can now relate to everyone in their human feelings like thirst, hunger, pain, suffering and temptation. As missionaries go out and experience different cultures, their eyes open to the needs of the world as well as different cultural tendencies.
As we celebrate the Christmas season, we can also be challenged by the mission minded heart of God. We can humble ourselves as we go out and relate to others whom we might not understand. In the spirit of giving, we can give of ourselves to others by the simple act of getting to know them. As you give of yourself, you will find that you grow in your own character and knowledge.
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