The Great Commission
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they say him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” -Matthew 28:16-20
In the Great Commission, Christ gives us the perfect job description of a missionary: “make disciples of all the nations.” Making disciples involves three steps: 1) going, 2) baptizing them and 3) teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded.
I believe another accountability of a missionary is to serve.
As I reflect on ministry in Honduras, I think about how my team and I served New Life Children’s Home. We didn’t go door-to-door evangelizing, we didn’t lay healing hands and we didn’t give deep, prophetic words to anyone – all of which are incredible ways God has been using us. Instead, we spent our days picking through hair for lice, digging a trench, painting and laying tile. The month of ministry looked completely different than our first month in Guatemala but it was all done to the glory of God.
“Let every detail of your lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking the Father every step of the way.” Colossians 3:17 MSG
When I signed up to go on the World Race, I had no idea of all the things I would be doing and contrary to my detail-oriented personality, I was okay with that. I didn’t worry about what I would be doing in each country because I knew God wasn’t calling me to just work with orphans and battered women, or even to just do construction.
God was calling me to serve.
In fact, He calls us all to serve. As believers, we are all missionaries because we have all been sent on a mission to spread the good news of a Savior who left all of His glory, wrapped Himself in flesh, died on a cross and rose again with all power so that you and I could live an abundant life on earth and in heaven!
Christ freed us to serve one another in love. So whether it’s with a comb or paintbrush, with a pickax or a trowel, I’m committed to serving wholeheartedly.
“Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God.” – Ephesians 6:5-7 MSG
How are you serving?
