Go Labor On...

On Sunday, as one of the church brothers was showing us pictures from their family's recent trip to Liberia, I kept feeling God strongly calling my name in the tasks His wisdom has assigned me. Here in America, we seem to have this mind set that mission work is 'over there in that foreign land' and while I appreciate people moving over there to evangelize and disciple others, I have been sobered and pressed to fully embrace the call of God to work in the country He has called me to: America.

Being a missionary is simply being a witness that Jesus lives. It is simply carrying out the Great Commission with compassion and love for people who, like me, have a soul that will spend eternity in heaven with God or in hell, the lake of fire.

Being a missionary (personally for me) means that what every task His wisdom assigns me, I am committed to fulfilling cheerfully. It means that I have a vision for kingdom work and simplify  my life in order to have time, energy and resources  to work the work of Him who called me to do His bidding.

I won't have time for combative arguments (endless geneologies) with 'brothers in the faith' who do not wholeheartedly walk in the simplicity that is in Christ...I don't have time to sit around in mindless/purposeless
activity. There are daughters and a son to teach and love. I don't have time to pine aimlessly over the imperfections of sinful living that have touched my life. Jesus came to restore me unto Himself, and that includes making me new from my own sinfulness and the sins that others committed that hurt and would have destroyed me. There are spiritual daughters to counsel as an older woman teaching the younger. There is the household of faith to do good to. There are people who need to hear the old, old story...perhaps in a way they have never heard it before. There are prayers to be made for all men...

Where has He called you? Do you know? For me, besides being a mother to many, my family and I
currently have mostly  been called to relate to a certain religious community where once in a while, after being gazed at as fools or written off as rebels (good for sanctification!), we find a seeking heart who knows that hearts are not changed by making the religion a god.

Mission work is grueling in whatever station we are called. Yes, in America we live a 'cushy' life compared to many parts of the world, but as a missionary in America, I dare not fall into the trap of loving things more than God and the people I am called to witness to. Simple living frees my heart and life for kingdom living and working.

Mission work requires a death to myself, a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. I like what Amy Carmichael had to say about this:


"Amy Carmichael once received a letter from a zealous young lady who thought God might be calling her to be a missionary. "What is missionary life like?" She asked Amy. 
To which Amy replied, "Missionary life is simply a chance to die."

What are YOU doing about the place of mission He has called you to today? Have you set your affections on things above? Do you take seriously this one little life on earth we are given? 

Ray Comfort shared this story on Facebook and I found myself musing over it for awhile:

"I was riding my bike home today, when a young man asked me if I knew the location of “the 92 bus.” I didn’t, but I stopped to speak with him because I could direct him to somewhere better than where the bus would take him.

The name of this 16 year-old was Vince, and because I believe in relationship evangelism (building a relationship before you witness to someone) I spoke with him for another 15-20 seconds, and then said, “Vince. I have a question for you. Do you think there’s an afterlife?” He didn’t, so I said, “If Heaven does exist, are you going there? Are you a good person”? He said he was (“kind of”), so we went through the Ten Commandments, the reality of Judgment Day, the existence of Hell, into the cross and necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus.

I thanked him for listening to me and gave him a Starbuck’s gift card (I carry a few gift cards with me and usually give them to people who listen—a card is worth a thousand words because it’s an evident token of love). As I started to leave he asked, “Did God tell you to stop and talk to me today?” I don’t hear voices, but God did tell me to talk to Vince via the Great Commission (see Mark 16:15), so I said, “Yes and no.” He seemed happy with that. Please pray for Vince."

There are tears. There are many heart breaking moments. But there is also JOY in knowing the Savior and presenting Him to any who will seek and know Him. There are rewarding moments when a soul turns to Him and offers Him herself. That is the great blessing in being a missionary...We get to present Jesus to a dying world.

I Gave My Life For Thee