We are all called by God to spread the love of Christ. Everyone of us. If you have chosen to follow Jesus, you have chosen to be called by God to GO. In Matthew 28, we find the Great Commission given by Jesus. He is saying is GO! The answer to the 'what' in our walk with Christ is found here. We GO and make disciples. But how we GO will differ for each of us.
Matthew 28:18-20 – "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and know I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
We are all called to GO out into the world and make disciples and spread the name of Jesus. Everyone's "GO" looks different, but everyone is still called to "GO"! Some may travel across the world, others across the street. Some are called to unknown communities, others are called to speak out in their current communities. As followers of Christ, we carry the Light of the world with us. We are called to emulate Christ in everything we do and to love just as He loved us.
Mark 12:30-31 – "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."
We know what we have to do, GO, we know why we have to GO, to build His Kingdom and we know how we have to do it, LOVE. But, what if you are not "released" to GO right away? How do you prepare yourself to GO when there is no opportunity right now?
Being called is one thing, being prepared for the calling is a completely different thing. Oftentimes, as Christians, we get excited about the call and neglect the preparation. There are 4 areas of our lives that need to be taken care of prior to saying YES to God's call or opportunity:
- Your spiritual relationship with Christ
- Your finances
- Your family and relationships
- Your job, work ethic and employment reputation
- Physical and emotional health
Your YES to God does not begin when an opportunity arises. It begins when you commit your life to Him. Here are a few questions for each area of your life for you to think through while preparing yourself for where God will take you and what He will have for you.
Finances:
- Does your bank account hinder your opportunity to GO?
- What does the way you spend your money say about what you value?
- Is there debt, contracts, commitments etc. that would make it difficult to GO when God says GO?
- If God calls you to give abundantly, over and above, will your heart and bank account enable you to do so?
Family and Relationships:
- Are you spiritually leading yourself and your family towards God's will?
- Does your family trust your commitment and obedience to God?
- What would it look like if you were gone for a week? A month? A year?
- How is each family member's relationship with God?
Job, work ethic and employment reputation:
- What do your bosses, supervisors and coworkers think about you as a person? Employee?
- What does your work ethic say? If your work ethic on the missions field was the same as your work ethic at your job, would you find success and glorify God?
- Has your attitude and work ethic at your job created an opportunity for favor and influence?
Physical, spiritual and emotional health:
- Would your health and physical shape hold you back or propel you forward in ministry?
- Are you taking good care of your 'temple'?
- Can you handle physical labor? Emotional stress and strain?
- Are you spiritually firm in Christ?
Before you GO, it is important to understand that it does not begin there. You say YES to going on this journey with God the moment you commit your life to Jesus. He may take you across the world, or keep you where you have planted your roots. He may send you in 20 years, He may send you next week. It is your responsibility is to be ready when He calls you and to live your life now as if He will call you tomorrow.
How you live your life now will directly affect how you do ministry tomorrow and the level of influence you will have. Your destiny is not a future moment, your destiny is today and choosing to live in a manner that glorifies Jesus' name. Not everyone is called to the missions across the world, but everyone is called to ministry. How are you preparing yourself to GO? Are you ready to GO right now? What do you need to do in order to be ready for God to open up the doors?
