Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
All of life can be a mission field for Jesus with the proper attitude and mindset. Missions are not only in the faraway places, they can be in the stores, they can be down the street, or in our backyard or under our own roofs (which are sometimes the hardest, Amen?). We are to simply keep our eyes and ears open so that we do not miss opportunities as they present. Life is full of them, as Jesus would have it. And they can be as small as giving a cup of water to a child.
Where has He placed you? What giftings has He poured into you? They are given to us but not for us alone rather for the body of Christ as well. All too often, we are so agenda driven - barely looking up much less out. Checking off our lists, running in a frenzy here and there, we rarely look out, much less up. God desires for us to pay attention to whom He places before us during the day. Do they need a helping hand or a word of affirmation? Do we leave the aroma of Christ in each of these encounters or the stench of death? It matters. It can matter eternally. There is nothing random, chance or happenstance with the Father Whose desire is for all to come to Him for repentance and salvation. We oftentimes need to keep from being so busy with out own agendas that we forget His. Quite frankly, it is one of the reason believers are still here – there is work to be done. And there is a lot of it.
The time is short, the task large, the work important. We must shake off sloth and pursue Godliness. When we remain lazy, arrogant and slothful regarding Spiritual things, God does not often reveal to us what “no eye has seen nor ear heard nor mind conceived”. We are to put forth great strength and diligence against all opposition and persevere with constancy. This is the important work. Indeed, this is to be the believers principal work wherever He has placed us. There is much “unplowed ground” around each of us and believers are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. No sacrifice is too great, and one never outgives Him either.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”** Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)**