As we work hard to highlight our missions work around the world and honor our missions teams’ sacrifice and service to God; I would like to share what missions could and should mean to us all.
We normally think of missions as a ministry of a church or a group of people with a special title, “missionaries.” They leave their home, town or country to serve and share the good news of Jesus Christ around the globe. We normally aim for the less fortunate, Third World countries where people are unaware of the Word of God. Well as I DO believe this is part of sharing God’s Word, work, and will, I think we forget a very vital part of Christian Missionary. That is: we are ALL missionaries! Perhaps for some of us the mission trips we sponsor are somewhat out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps we pray for, donate, and maybe even financially support our group in that far away place. We don’t really interact or engage in Missions ourselves.
What about Monday when we all head off to our daily lives of work or school. Some of us may hate what we do, some of us may love what we do, but how many of us actually ask God why we are there? Most of us spend 50% or more of our lives at work or school; but most of us forget to connect what we do during the week with our faith. Many of us simply don’t consider the purpose of why God put us in those places.
What if instead we saw work, school, and our “daily lives” as opportunities to worship? As Christians, we are all called to serve with our lives. For a few of us it may actually be our jobs; such as pastors and missionaries; but for the rest of us when Sunday is over do we walk out and simply walk away from the call? The world can be cruel, unsupportive, and even demoralizing. Is that why we don’t fulfill our mission?
It is time to be a missionary in the market place. We may not all travel to Panama, but we can all do the simple acts of kindness like help the elderly with their shopping cart to their car. We may not fly to Haiti but we may mow our neighbor’s lawn because they have a sick child or spouse in the hospital.
We won’t fly to Burma but we can invite a hurting friend to church, or a movie, or a picnic. Wherever we are; around the water cooler, the conference room, classroom or cubicle we all have the opportunity to worship the God who created us. He gave us skill, passion and even our work ethic. When we do our job, attend class or conduct our business we do it with integrity, diligence, and excellence. It is an act of worship. We are displaying God’s craftsmanship to the non-believing world around us.
That makes us all missionaries! We should not see a divide between Sunday and Monday, between sacred and secular. We are invited into parts of the world right here in our communities which a pastor or missionary may never get the chance to serve in. You and I have conversations with people who would never set foot into a church, but they will talk to us.
Whether we hate or love our work, school or whatever we do; we must choose to turn the focus away from ourselves and toward the mission that God has placed before each of us. Church should not be the only place, and Sunday should not be the only day we worship. We are God’s children every day; we have a mission every day. We are missionaries of the Most High God. As I have worked harder to see God’s glory I have this to share with you; regardless of the day or time, if I look up, God always puts someone or something in my path to minister, love or support. So go ahead, worship, be a missionary, right where you are; it doesn’t take an airline ticket.
God bless your mission field.
We normally think of missions as a ministry of a church or a group of people with a special title, “missionaries.” They leave their home, town or country to serve and share the good news of Jesus Christ around the globe. We normally aim for the less fortunate, Third World countries where people are unaware of the Word of God. Well as I DO believe this is part of sharing God’s Word, work, and will, I think we forget a very vital part of Christian Missionary. That is: we are ALL missionaries! Perhaps for some of us the mission trips we sponsor are somewhat out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps we pray for, donate, and maybe even financially support our group in that far away place. We don’t really interact or engage in Missions ourselves.
What about Monday when we all head off to our daily lives of work or school. Some of us may hate what we do, some of us may love what we do, but how many of us actually ask God why we are there? Most of us spend 50% or more of our lives at work or school; but most of us forget to connect what we do during the week with our faith. Many of us simply don’t consider the purpose of why God put us in those places.
What if instead we saw work, school, and our “daily lives” as opportunities to worship? As Christians, we are all called to serve with our lives. For a few of us it may actually be our jobs; such as pastors and missionaries; but for the rest of us when Sunday is over do we walk out and simply walk away from the call? The world can be cruel, unsupportive, and even demoralizing. Is that why we don’t fulfill our mission?
It is time to be a missionary in the market place. We may not all travel to Panama, but we can all do the simple acts of kindness like help the elderly with their shopping cart to their car. We may not fly to Haiti but we may mow our neighbor’s lawn because they have a sick child or spouse in the hospital.
We won’t fly to Burma but we can invite a hurting friend to church, or a movie, or a picnic. Wherever we are; around the water cooler, the conference room, classroom or cubicle we all have the opportunity to worship the God who created us. He gave us skill, passion and even our work ethic. When we do our job, attend class or conduct our business we do it with integrity, diligence, and excellence. It is an act of worship. We are displaying God’s craftsmanship to the non-believing world around us.
That makes us all missionaries! We should not see a divide between Sunday and Monday, between sacred and secular. We are invited into parts of the world right here in our communities which a pastor or missionary may never get the chance to serve in. You and I have conversations with people who would never set foot into a church, but they will talk to us.
Whether we hate or love our work, school or whatever we do; we must choose to turn the focus away from ourselves and toward the mission that God has placed before each of us. Church should not be the only place, and Sunday should not be the only day we worship. We are God’s children every day; we have a mission every day. We are missionaries of the Most High God. As I have worked harder to see God’s glory I have this to share with you; regardless of the day or time, if I look up, God always puts someone or something in my path to minister, love or support. So go ahead, worship, be a missionary, right where you are; it doesn’t take an airline ticket.
God bless your mission field.
1 comment:
As I read this by Barry Moll it touched my heart and brought to mind many of thoses here on the Navajo Reservation that I am involved with in ministry. Many can not see what they are doing as far as ministry and we have dealt with this in some of our Bible Classes. I just felt to comment that I am going to share with my Lady's Bible Study what was written here, so this comment has reached across the miles from NJ to the REZ. To Barry Moll thank you for sharing your heart I am beleiving that this is going to touch some hearts here. Thank you and God bless you. Andi Kovacs
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