When people hear about a person going on a mission trip they generally have the same idea. Going to orphanages, rebuilding houses, doing any type of manual labor that needs to be done, etc. And while these are beautiful things to do in order to grow God’s Kingdom, they aren’t the only way to serve and be a missionary.
People aren’t going on mission trips across the country or around the world every day. They have lives and jobs and families. They have friends and commitments. Desires and wants. So is it really the time spent on a week/month long mission trip that is the most important? Or is it all of the time in between that truly counts?
Painting houses and serving people meals is the easy part. Doing what God asks of you during one trip is easy. What’s hard is living the life of a minister and constantly living with a “yes” in your spirit. Sometimes we don’t want to do what God asks us to. Sometimes we are too busy idolizing other things to even realize God has been speaking to us. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own lives and routines we forget to stop and serve the people around us.
Now I’m not saying we should constantly be throwing ourselves into manual labor, paying for trips across the world, or loving on orphans every week. What I’m saying is pay attention to what God is telling you and what He is trying to show you. Seek Him constantly so He can reveal the beautiful grace He has given to you, but also the beautiful ways He wants to use you to draw others close to Him.
That’s also not to say that we need to be shoving the gospel down people’s throats all the time; ministry can look like all sorts of things. Holding the door those extra few minutes to help an elderly woman get into a restaurant. Genuinely smiling at strangers. Taking a second to pause and tell someone important in your life how much you appreciate their patience with you. Singing worship music while making dinner. Obeying God when He asks something of you. Not hiding your love for Jesus and never being ashamed to share His goodness to others.
God has never once been embarrassed or ashamed to call us His own. We are people who sin daily and do not deserve an ounce of His grace, yet He doesn’t see us like that. He sees us as pure. He sees us as beautiful. He sees us as kind. He sees the desires of our hearts and wants to serve us. He sees us JUST as He sees Jesus. I mean c’mon… talk about overwhelming and reckless love.
God has every reason to want to turn His back on us, but He calls each one of us home to His arms. Every. Single. Day. He ministers to our needs. Every. Single. Day. So who am I to be bashful when wanting to share His love for all of us?
We need to show up every single day if we want a successful relationship with God. It’s the same with any relationship you’re in. If there is only one person showing up all the time, the relationship will fail. God wants our individual relationships with Him to thrive, and then He wants to use us to call more of His children back into His loving arms.
And the best part? This can be happening every single day of your life, rather than only when we feel like showing up.
