Sure, there have been hundreds if not thousands of blogs, writings, texts, and books about why people choose to go on mission. Culture and tradition dictate that my role is to get a job, get married, and ….retire. None of those things are bad or sinful, that is not at all what I am saying. However what I would like to say is my view of things, my perspective on what I believe God has called me to do.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 makes it very clear what we are all as followers of Christ are commanded to do, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of Father and of 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.” Pretty strait forward. We as followers of Christ are to GO!
There will always be arguments about who is called, who is Jesus referring to in this passage. He was only speaking to the disciples, or that is only for pastors and ministers. True, some are called to be pastors and teachers and others are called to glorify God and expand His kingdom using the gifts that He has blessed them with (2nd Corinthians 12:1-31). Experience has certainly taught me that there are even fewer who are called or even willing to put aside their lives in order to teach others what it means to follow Christ.
As it says in Matthew 9:37-38 “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’.” Those who are called to be pastors and teachers are few, so few that logistically speaking it is impossible to send all of them out into the world to preach the gospel while the rest of us watch. Ephesians 4: 11-14 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare Gods people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Pastors and teachers work to prepare the rest of the body of Christ for works of service. I choose to go for a year because I am willing and able, God has worked in me and I am ready.
The objections to do missions are many, the willing are few. As a church we commend Moses, Abraham (who had no idea where he was going and left the only life he knew of comfort and stability), we commend John the Baptist for obeying the yearnings of the Spirit and for living in the wilderness in order to prepare the way for Jesus( I would like to point out that wearing camel fur and eating locusts was very barbaric even in his day, also that his dad was a high priest of the temple in Jerusalem…talk about pressure). We commend these heroes of the Bible for there faith and sacrifice, even Jesus-we commend and celebrate all things He has done and still doing in our lives. Yet we are few who desire to listen to Him, to live as He lived. It is very tough, and unnatural. But if He sacrificed so much and was the Son of God (and He was and He did) then shouldn’t was also expect to be uncomfortable and called to live a life of trust in Him. After all the Holy Spirit is called the Comforter because He knew that we would be uncomfortable.
Keep in mind, that the Lord has laid many things on my heart. He has been preparing me in His way, and in such a manner that I would understand for this opportunity to go overseas for a long term season of service and trust in Him. This is a very stretching process and journey of faith, there are habits, attitudes, and material things that I have had to give up and there are more still. But what has become very real to me is to lean into Christ for strength, for comfort, for healing, and for preparation. There is so much to do, so much on my mind and heart, so forgive me if I jump from one topic to another. This is also my first blog post…ever so I apologize if I am a little spotty.
I love the Lord, and He has called me into a deeper relationship with Him, that is why I go, that is why I know He is preparing me for this season of complete devotion to Him. There is still much to do, pray for me as I prepare. Pray for the team, the squad. The enemy is not happy and he is active, however my God the Lord Jesus is also active and at work and much much more powerful!!
Romans 12:4-8 “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
