Day Five: Mission

By Sean Fryer

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:19–20

Imagine for a minute that you were training to be a firefighter in your hometown. You’ve worked your whole life to pass the tests, memorize the protocols, and complete the courses. And now, you’ve finally made it. You’re officially a firefighter! So what do you do? You brush up on protocol, you study the manuals,  even read stories of other firefighters and their heroics. And then . . . THE ALARM SOUNDS! It’s time to put everything you’ve learned into practice. But instead, you decide you’re going to stay behind and just wait at the firehouse for everyone else to get back. You love the camaraderie with your coworkers and the idea of fighting fires, but you’d rather stay back where it’s safe and comfortable. 

Unfortunately, too many Christians have become firehouse firefighters. We love—or at least we like to pretend we do—reading our Bibles, praying, fasting, joining small groups, even reading stories about Christians around the world who are doing amazing things in pursuit of Jesus. But when it comes to our own lives, it feels more like a book club than a true life adventure. Maybe that’s because we’re missing something. Maybe in the process of browsing the Bible, we’ve failed to live out what it says. Maybe somewhere along the way of being an evangelical, we failed to become disciples.

Jesus has invited us into the greatest mission in the world: To make disciples! We have been called by God to be light in a very dark world. We cannot take that lightly! 

If you're a Christian, God has chosen you. He has reconciled you and given you the ministry of reconciliation! Wherever you are in your life right now, you’re there for a reason. Even the uniqueness of your gifts and personality are not an accident. God designed you that way so you could bring the gospel to your mission field. That’s the beauty of this wild adventure that Jesus invites us into. 

At some point, God used someone to draw us to salvation. He used a person to share the gospel with us, to help us understand who Jesus is and how we can be saved. Where would you be today if not for that person answering the call and being willing and available for God to use them? What if they had decided to stay behind in the safe, comfortable firehouse of Christianity? 

Nothing compares to seeing someone come to know Jesus. I can only imagine it’s like pulling someone out of a burning building. Is it hard? It can be. It can be scary, uncomfortable, inconvenient, and messy. But it's worth it because when we take this step and share the gospel with people, God can use us to save them from certain destruction for all eternity . . . He can use us to rescue people from sin and death, to forgive them, and bring them into His family! 

So, my final encouragement to you is to commit to grow in your relationship with God. Engage with the Bible and pray every day, worship Him with your life, build authentic Christian community, and then share it all boldly with others! This is what the real, true GOOD LIFE is all about!

PAUSE: Take some time to think about the mission field God has already placed you in. Also, think about how God has wired you with unique gifts and passions.

PRACTICE: How can you bring the gospel of Jesus Christ into your world? How can you share the love of Jesus with one person this week?

PRAY: God, give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and share Your love with someone this week. Amen.

Thank you for taking this five-day journey with us!