Exiting and Entering

I have seen signs similar to the one of above over the doors of several churches, reminders to us as we exited that the world is our mission field. In reality, we could place the same sign over the doors of our homes, reminding us that being on-mission is not just a Sunday practice, but an everyday lifestyle. In a very real sense, all of us who claim the name of Jesus are missionaries to our immediate environment – our families, our neighborhoods, our jobs, and even the places we go to shop and to have fun.

The Great Commission compels us to GO and make disciples, and most of us take that to refer to those God calls to leave home and travel to a new destination and begin work as a missionary. In its grammatical construction, however, "go" is not an imperative command, but a participle that more accurately translates "going" or "as you are going." Representing Jesus is not something that super-Christians do one night a week as part of a church program, but instead, it is a mindset that compels a believer to see every station in life as an opportunity to be God's emissary in that place at that moment in time.

Last week, I had the blessed privilege to serve for a couple of days along side of our church's mission team as we ministered in Morganton, GA. What a blast to be with men, women, and young people who sacrificed a week of their time to reach out to others in the name of Jesus. We had a great time, but we worked hard helping with Bible school, carpentry projects, and landscaping. We reached out to the community at the end of the week through a community block party.

As missional as the week was, the truth of the matter is that our mission team is still on mission this week – some at their jobs, others with friends and family, some even left Monday for a youth mission trip with our church's youth group. Personally, I am a missionary to the local church in Ty Ty, leading our church to be on mission in Ty Ty, Tift County, Georgia, the U.S. and throughout the world.

Let me challenge you to begin to view yourself as God's missionary to wherever you go on any given day. You are God's missionary in your office, to your family, your friends, the place you shop, the gym. Wherever you go, there you are . . . a MISSIONARY. Represent Jesus in the things you do every day, then you will fulfill Jesus' GREAT COMMISSION.