Called or Commanded: The Truth About Christian Mission

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“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.”
– Matthew 28:19-20

I once heard of a man who’d spent over a decade in the mission field, serving in third world countries, admit that he’d never been called to the mission field.

Never called to dedicate his life to serving God in foreign lands, yes, he went anyway. Who does that, I wondered?

Who takes up the mission of serving others at the far reaches of the world or forsakes his comfort and safety to share the Gospel in remote, sometimes hostile environments when God hasn’t called them to it?

His reason for doing this was simple. He wasn’t called because he was commanded . . . just like we all are.

We hear the word mission or missionary and our thoughts go immediately to serving in a foreign country. If it doesn’t involve a passport and a round of immunizations, does it really count as missionary service? If I’m not called to go to a foreign land, am I still a missionary?

Yes, The Great Commission is our guidepost.

Just because I may never set foot on a distant land doesn’t relieve me of the responsibility to treat my life—my unique giftings and opportunities and the place I occupy in this world—as a mission field.

Wherever my feet are, there lies my mission field. And as followers of Jesus Christ, so does yours.

People all around us are hungry for the truth. They are hungry to know how to live as a follower of Christ in a culture growing ever more hostile to the Gospel.

In this moment, it is the command to teach that resonates most deeply with my command to missions.

“ . . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”

It is a well understood principle that the best way to teach is by doing, by being the example of Christ in all that we do.

By living out the things God has commanded of us as followers of Christ we teach others. In the same way, our failure to do so teaches them something as well.

Do they see us standing on the foundation of God's Word? Do they see us at peace despite the chaos swirling around us? Do they see us speaking the truth in love to a broken and hurting world? Do they see us forgiving when forgiving doesn't make sense?

Living out our faith in God in our everyday lives is just as much of a mission field as a remote village in a foreign land. Wherever God has placed you in this season of your life, and however he has equipped you to serve, then serve with boldness. Serve with courage. Serve with love. Serve with forgiveness and compassion. Serve with truth.

But above all, serve.

Don’t wait to be called. We’ve already been commanded.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What feelings or ideas rise within you when you hear the word mission or missionary?

2. Does this line up with Scripture?

3. What mission field has God placed you in for this season of life, and how can you use it to make disciples?