Keep The Faith magazine - Britain's leading publication about Black faith

I am a young woman who recently left university.  I have been thinking about my future and feel a very strong pull to go into missionary work.  I have spoken to my mother about it.  She’s a Christian, but she has made it clear that she would not be pleased if I became a missionary.  I feel torn.  I know she sacrificed a lot to send me to private school and fund my university studies, but I’ve got to be obedient to God.  How should I go about pursuing the calling I sense towards missionary work, and how should I deal with my mother? Michelle, London

Esther Fenty replies

With your mother being a Christian, hopefully you can speak the same ‘God’ language. Having sacrificed to send you to private school and university, she may have been looking forward to you earning more than she did.

Make sure that this is God’s calling through prayerful reflection with church leadership/ praying partners. Sometimes we want the approval of God and our loved ones, but following God may sometimes mean following a path that others do not always understand.

Perhaps your mother needs time to get used to the idea. Maybe you need to explore her perceptions on missionary work. She may have an old fashioned view of what it means to be a missionary, and is probably anxious for your safety, your standard of living, etc.

If you are unable to address her concerns, pray and ask God to allay her fears and anxieties. At the same time, involve her in looking at any literature or information that you may have about the place you believe God is leading you to, and the organisations that you want to work for. Do not isolate her. Although she may not approve initially, she may come around to it later through your loving attitude towards her.

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