We can think of mission as something that some other Christians do, in some other part of the world. We can then also think that if we send them some money and pray for them that we’ve “done our bit” for mission. Then we put it out of our mind until the next “mission speaker” reminds us about it.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with praying and giving money to support all sorts of mission projects in other parts of the world – this is good, and we should. But this is only a small part of the mission that Christ calls every Christian to be a part of, in every part of our lives, right where we are.
What is mission?… Mission is the love of God in Jesus Christ going out to every corner of creation, and our street corner, into the lives of all our neighbours, including those we might think enemies of God, so that they would receive His saving grace and eternal life that starts now.
God is doing this mission right now in our community of Golden Grove by the power of the Holy Spirit, touching and moving people to hunger for and seek Him (John 6:44). He gives us the privilege, and command, to join Him in that mission, by being friends to all people, and when the opportunity arises, in whatever simple way we are able, telling them the good news of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20)
And this is not a hard burden for us (Matthew 11:28-30); the Father, Son and Holy Spirit do all the hard stuff! All we do is bear witness to what they are already doing!
If each of us simply pray for this, and do it, we will be blown away by seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ, and our whole community blessed.
Grace upon grace, Jonathan.