On the way to ministry at the carepoint one day recently, I spent the drive in the van listening to music. At one point I was listening to the song Isaiah 6 (Here am I Send Me) – and it just hit me, THIS IS WHY I’M HERE! I was SENT! I said HERE AM I! And I’m here, in this van, on this road, in Eswatini, because of JESUS! Because of the GOSPEL! There is literally no other reason for all of this but the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!
As we drove, God used that song to remind me of the truth. The truth that the Gospel is what matters, Jesus is the only Way and Truth and Life – and there are still so many who need to hear and know the truth. It might seem unlikely or even impossible, but when we get into a rhythm and routine on a mission trip that lasts as long as the Race, you can get tricked into just thinking you’re living “normal life” in another country with ministry as part of it. (Living this currently indicates to me that it could be a temptation for long-term missions work as well.) But the reality is that as disciples of Christ, “normal life” doesn’t exist. We’re here for so much more than just “ministry on the side” wherever we are – both in general while we’re on earth and out in specific nations.
As we continued down the red dirt road to the carepoint, I wrote this reflection:
“I get to be in this nation to love and to serve and to pray for the people here that I’d never otherwise know or interact with. I have been blessed immensely to get to be present here, so Lord, help me to be fully present.
‘There’s a yes in our heart and it carries through eternity – simple obedience changes history’
You never know what a yes to the Lord will bring about.
Live for eternity in the present.
We often talk about unreached places as places that the Gospel is not heard or known – where people don’t know any Christians and will more than likely never run into someone who knows Christ. In many of those places there are no established churches, Christianity is not recognized and/or is persecuted, and other religions have a serious hold on the culture/community/etc. – there is a desperate need for believers to go purposefully to those places, to be bold in holding out the Gospel and holding onto it. But also, how many places in the States are like that now – where people may know of church or God but not truly know Jesus? How many people do you know that you could be the only believer they interact with? THAT is why we are all missionaries because we are all ambassadors of the Lord tasked with holding out the word of life that we have ourselves clung to!”
The Great Commission is a task, a call, an invitation that we have all been given as disciples of Jesus. For me right now, it does mean the drastic, foreign-country-ministry route. But for every believer, we are called to live on mission, wherever we are. I want to encourage you to bring Jesus into every part of your life – to be on mission wherever you go and whatever you do. This world needs Jesus, all of it. And He has called us to be His hands and feet here, His vessels and representatives! The Lord is worth it all – are you willing to go all in with me?
