"I want to be a missionary in Africa, just like my Uncle Bob." "After finishing college, I want to get a good job and settle down with a nice home and family." Regardless of which statement best fits, every Christian's object in life should be to serve His Lord and Saviour in the "mission field" where he is.

The adventure of living in a far-off country and facing many dangers and risks may sound exciting. Many skills are valuable for one preparing for missionary work, such as in the areas of medicine, dentistry, education, agriculture, building construction, vehicle mechanics, and language translation techniques, along with basic reading writing, and arithmetic skills. However, abounding in all of these professional and technical skills will be without value if one is lacking in certain spiritual qualities.

One who desires to serve the Lord must be (1) a devoted student of the Bible, prepared not only to lead souls to Christ but to teach them the Word and help them to become dedicated followers of Christ, (2) a man/woman of prayer, who has learned in a practical way to trust in and depend upon the Lord and to seek to know God's will on a daily basis; (3) Living a Spirit-filled life, daily exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.—Galatians 5:22,23); (4) experienced in taking orders and following directions (Ephesians 5:21; 6:5-7), (5) experienced in living simply and frugally; and (6) experienced in serving the Lord at home, at school, at the work place, and in the neighborhood, having learned to cope with failure, hardship, opposition, and difficult people on the home front before going off to the "regions beyond." Paul and Barnabas were sent out as missionaries only after they had established a record of faithful ministry locally (Acts 12:25-13:3).

There is a tremendous need for dedicated men and women to give up the security and comforts of home possibly to face dangers and health risks, to devote their energies to serving the Lord as a foreign missionary. May each of our readers, and the writer himself, be more before the Lord as to this.

Meanwhile, what can a believer do who has a job, has a family, isn't sure he is "cut out" to become a foreign missionary, but still wants to serve the Lord? About twenty years ago my wife and I began praying earnestly together for direction as to how we could serve the Lord more effectively. Before a year had passed, by becoming more sensitive to needs around us, we found ourselves involved in more Christian service activities than we could handle.

What are some of the ways we can serve the Lord in our own little corner of the world? Space permits just a few suggestions; going door to door or mailing tracts to all the families in our neighborhood or community or phone book; reading to and/or singing with shut-ins in nursing homes; performing home repairs for poor people; taking in foster children or foster seniors; having Bible classes in the home for the neighborhood children; sending birthday or other greeting cards with appropriate gospel tracts enclosed to all the people at work and other acquaintances; or sending appropriate gospel tracts to abortion clinics, taverns, pornography shops, and fortune tellers in the community.

As we faithfully use our time in such endeavors (making sure our family receives appropriate priority), and gain experience, boldness and confidence in the Lord in the process, the Lord can use us where we are and He may direct us to other fields that are "white already to harvest" (John 4:35) in "the regions beyond" (2 Corinthians 10:16).

—Paul L. Canner