YM DEVO: Missions around You
As I prepared for a message to some college and young adults this past week, I was challenged to look at the mission field a bit differently. So often I (and I am sure many others) view missions as something you go out and do in other towns or countries around the world. But, as I looked at Christ’s life (and that of Philip), I remembered that my mission field is right in front of me. In fact, it is wherever God leads me. Let me explain.
Read Acts 8:26-38.
- Where was Philip going?
- Who directed him?
- How did God use Philip?
In the often repeated scripture Matthew 28:19-20, Christ proclaims to his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Christ has told us all to go and make disciples. How do we do that? By teach them everything we know and baptizing them.
Using these 3 passages, I was convicted that it is my job as a follower of Christ to:
- Teach all people (not just my ministry focus of youth and young adults or those in other cities or countries) about Christ. Whether it is my daughter or my neighbor or a friend I come into contact with, I cannot withhold the love, grace and peace of Christ that has impacted my life for the better. I need to share Him to others. I can’t just keep him compartmentalized to my “ministry job”. If Christ has impacted me in my life (which He has), then I need to share Him at all times during the day.
- Christ told His disciples to teach others everything He has commanded them. Well, for those 11 remaining disciples, they spent 3 years with Christ. Do you think they had a lot to teach others? As Sarah Palin would say, “You betcha”. In the same way, whether you have been with Christ for many years or for just a bit, you have something to be sharing about Christ. You don’t have to be a “minister” to be able to share. All you have to have is a life changed by God to share with others. How will you know when to share? Look at the next point.
- I will know when to share when the Lord directs me. It doesn’t mean you have to be to another state or country to share about Christ. It can be to someone right next to you. As we see with Philip, he was told/directed twice (v. 26 & 29) to go take action that led to the Ethiopian eunuch coming to know the Lord as his savior. Philip just didn’t look on the map and say I’m going here and I will do this. No, the Lord directed him. Because of this example, I realized I need to be in communion with the Lord for Him to direct me. Philip knew where to go because he knew the voice of the Lord. He knew what the Lord sounded like. I need to be able to discern the voice of the Lord and the only way I can do that is if I spend time with Him regularly.
TAKE A MINUTE right now and review the 2 passages and the 3 points. What is God telling you in regard to that. Are you missing an opportunity to share right in front of you? As Carolyn Covert (Cedar Run’s Children’s Ministry Director) said, “we’re on a ‘mission trip’ every time we step foot outside our front door”. That is a key concept to know and understand. Regarding missions it is important that we don’t have to travel to another city, state or country to make an impact. The impact we can have is waiting right outside our door. May God bless your endeavors!
