Today’s 333 Devotional: “Being Missionary”

Whenever I bring up our need to be missionary people automatically think about the specific calling of being a missionary. It’s the same when I talk about being evangelist. To be missionary is the same thing as being evangelistic, and it’s literally the calling of every Christian.

Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19a)

After his resurrection Jesus told his disciples “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)

The Father sent Jesus, and during His time on earth He bore witness of the Father in everything He said and did, and in the same way He is sending us to bear witness of His amazing saving grace.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord we become children of God, and sharing our joy is a part of what that means. Whenever I go over to one of our children’s homes, all the grandchildren want to do is share the joy of their new discovery or toy.

The reason we find it difficult to share the good news is because we’ve become inward focused. It’s where we’re more interested in our own needs rather than at the needs of others, and what we’ve been called to do.

But we also fear being ridiculed, ostracized, and persecuted. Now if losing friends and family is preventing us from being those witnesses, then let’s consider what Jesus said.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” (John 15:18)

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12)

So the call of God on our lives is not only to love God, the Great Commandment, but also to be missionary and fulfill the Great Commission.