What does it look like to be a missionary? Is it going to the other side of the world to read the Bible to people? Maybe. Is it helping people build houses and do construction in churches? Maybe. Is it teaching English in schools? Maybe. Is it doing back yard Bible clubs in the slums? Maybe. Is it ministering to the un-reached people groups in Africa? Maybe. Is it traveling around the world with one backpack for a year, and sharing the love of Christ to everyone you meet? Maybe. Is it starting your own church in a foreign country? Maybe. Is it going to orphanages to play with and love on the children that have no hope and no future? Maybe. Is it opening up your own orphanage? Maybe.
The answer is, yes. This is what a missionary could look like, and does many times. But something that God has shown me a lot this month is, these are not the only ways that a missionary can be defined.
In Acts 4:36 the apostle Joseph was renamed Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement“. Barnabas was used by God to reach out to the people that were already believers. He was sent to different churches and Christian people groups to uplift them and encourage them. Of course we are to go to the places where people don’t know Christ and shine His light to them, but just as importantly we are to go to fellow believers and come up behind them and lift them up. This helps build faith among other believers. Knowing that there are other people out there with the same heart and passion as them that are willing to come and be a part of what they are doing in their community and ministry. We are here to strengthen one another. “…as iron sharpens iron…” This is something that I have been blessed to be a part of since we’ve been in the Philippines, and what I believe is our great purpose this month as a team. We have been able to meet amazing men and women of God on Negro’s Island. Each day we have been going to different places to meet pastors, and see their church and ministries. We have been able to encourage the people in the church, pray over them and pour blessings of the Lord over them. A couple days ago the guys in our team helped a church put in a new cement floor. Today we were able to go and pray over the church and the congregation, and cast out visions and words from the Lord of what He is going to do through them in their community.
A lot of what my team and I are doing this month is going out and serving and praying over pastors in different parts of the island, and seeking out what their needs are. In this we are praying for God to send out people to come a long side and help them, and also setting up ministry opportunities for future World Race teams. I am thankful that I am experiencing even more of what our purpose as believers and missionaries is, and what it looks like to come along side pastors and encourage them just as Barnabas was sent out to do.
