"Not Tomorrow, but Today!"
- Rita Larson
- Jul 8, 2023
- 3 min read
Brian and I are going to be accompanying our church on a mission trip to Israel in October. It is an awesome opportunity that we are so grateful to get to be a part of. As exciting as it is, it has really had me begin to think more about sharing the love of Christ with others. It is easy to get complacent and caught up in day-to-day life and let it fall to the wayside. The truth is, we do not need to hop on a plane and go to a land far away. There are hurting people around us every day and missed opportunities to connect with someone.
The Bible tells us in John 4:34, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work.” Jesus tells us that His mission is to do the will of God and finish His work. This is a call to us to follow His example and take the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Jesus gives us an example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how we should live our lives. He is reminding us that our purpose in life is to serve God and to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
But what does it really mean to be a disciple of Christ and to spread the good news? It means that we must be willing to step out of our comfort zone and take risks for the Lord. It means that we must be willing to go outside of our own circles and reach out to those who need to hear how much God loves them! We need to recognize the opportunities that God has placed in front of us and not be afraid to take them. As we take steps of faith, God will always meet us where we are and give us a special anointing to carry out His will.
Not just a few of us, but we are ALL called to be disciples of Jesus Christ and ambassadors for Him. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Again, we see in Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” We have a clear mandate to spread the Gospel to all the nations, including our own.
So how can we apply this to our lives? We can start by asking God to show us how to use our gifts and talents as an expression of our love for Him. 1 Peter 4:10, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." We should ask ourselves what opportunities we may have overlooked in the past and what can we do in the future? What are the enduring passions that we have been gifted with that we can share with others? Pray for doors to be opened and they will be! We are to share our testimonies and declare the good news of the Gospel with passion and exuberance!
God knows us intimately. He has given us the wisdom to strategize our approach and capabilities to fulfill His mission. Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." We need to recognize that God is not waiting for us to get ourselves ready. He is not saying that we need to take the step first. He has already equipped us with the resources and tools that we need. We just need to go where He calls us to go, trusting Him to guide us every step of the way. We are called NOW to spread the love of Christ to those around us. Not tomorrow, but today! ©Rita Larson 7/08/2023
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