The call to go is one we cannot ignore. In Isaiah 6:8 it says “Here I am Lord, Send Me!” Isaiah is asking God to use Him to further God’s kingdom. How are we asking God to use us in our day to day lives?
According to Webster’s Dictionary the word Missionary describes “a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.”
When I asked people what they think about the word missionary and how they would describe it, I got answers like:
“In a not worldly view, it’s to bring good news to people [which is] just being a child of God. Everyone is basically meant to be a missionary” ~M.Z.
“I would say a ‘missionary’ is a Christian that is actively living and pursuing, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the commands from our Savior Jesus that He gave to us that are recorded in Matthew 28 and Acts 1. Being ‘unashamed’ in every sense of the word that Paul explained in Romans 1. Proclaiming Christ before others in an evangelistic fashion. Purposely seeking to share the gospel and make disciples for His glory alone. What it means to me is someone who’s primary vocation is doing just that. Technically, all Christians are missionaries in some capacity. But I think the wide consensus understanding of the term is someone who is living it out as their primary vocation whether it is permanent or only a period of time.” ~ C.P.
and
“To me, being a missionary means taking the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world with that being the main focus of your life for a short time or for the rest of your life.” ~ N.M.
The one thing that is clear to me is that God calls all His disciples to be missionaries, to go out among the people and the nations and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Though this does say to go to people of all nations and share the Gospel, it does not mean that only some are called. When we give our life to Christ and accept His gift of salvation we become disciples of Christ and are called to be obedient to Him. Obedient to what He asks of us. We are called to glorify Him.
Spreading the Gospel is then a command that we must obey. It is not for specific people, but for all of those who follow Christ. It is not for those who we consider to be missionaries overseas, but for everyone. The call to go is clear that is for the disciples of Christ and that’s what we are as children of God.
Many countries are now sending missionaries out into the world, but let us not forget that in every country there are people in need of the Gospel. To know what it means that the Bible is true and that Christ died for their sins.
There’s a saying that being a missionary right where you are costs zero dollars. I disagree. Because being a missionary anywhere has costs, both monetary, spiritually, mentally and physically.
When we minister to those around us, even our family or our neighbors, we are giving up our time. We are called to disciple those who are younger than us and that often involves using our money to pay for coffee or lunch with those people. We will be persecuted physically and mentally for following Christ and spreading the Gospel. And spiritually, we will grow in our walk with God because we are being obedient to Him.
This is why I do not believe that making disciples is ever going to be costless and free. I said this in my first post, but I’ll say it again. We are all called. We are called to pray for those around us, for those in authority over us, for our church, our families. We are called to be a light in this dark and sinful world. We are called to glorify and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And we are called to share His Kingdom. We are called to go.
I want to remind you of Saul in Acts 8 when he persecuted the Christian church. He went into houses and dragged men, women and children off putting them into prison, flogging them, stoning them because they were followers of Christ. They feared Saul, but I am also sure that many of them prayed for Saul and their prayers were answered when God transformed Saul’s heart.
In a nation that is turning it’s back on Christianity and God, that is welcoming the ways of this sinful world, we are called to stand for what is right. To not be silent and watch things go by.
I pray for boldness in the lives of every believer and the courage to obey what God has called us to do. I pray for revival, first in my own heart and then in the hearts of others. I pray that we will step out in faith, trusting that God will use us to glorify Himself and bring people to Him. Nothing that we do will change the heart of any person, only God can do that. But we can prepare the soil and plant the seed.
In Romans 10:14-15, Paul says “How then can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Till Next Time,
Kara Faber
