The prevailing idea in the world today seems to be that a missionary is one who crosses borders to preach the gospel. This is true, however, it is also true that all believers have been called into the work of missions and should attend to it with alacrity.
The bible says of Jesus in the book of Acts,
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8 ESV)
It is interesting to note that Jesus first mentioned that they be witnesses of him in Jerusalem which was where they were at the time. What this teaches us is that Jesus wanted them to be witnesses in their neighbourhoods even before making the trip to the other parts of the world.
The traveling missionary is very important, but I would argue that the everyday missionary is even more pressing, as the gospel of Jesus Christ must be preached all around us.
The everyday missionary is a person who has taken the command of Jesus in the Great Commission to heart and has decided in their heart to live out this reality everyday.
How can we be everyday missionaries? What do we do if we can’t travel the world preaching the gospel?
Here are a few helpful ideas of how to attach ourselves to the great last day message of Jesus.
PREACH THE WORD
The most straightforward of all the instructions is thus: preach the word of God. Preaching isn’t simply the remit of the pastor or elder, but is for every member of the body of Christ. Preaching in this sense means to be a witness.
A witness is someone who was there to see something and is now telling others about it. In most cases, this is in the court of law, and even in those settings, the witness must do a couple of things.
- Speak about things that they saw or experienced
- Be truthful in their testimony
As a believer in God, this is how we spread the gospel. Yes, we must tell of the reality of Jesus coming, dying for sin and rising on the third day, but this must be backed with tangible examples of what He has done in your life. If more believers were more truthful about Christ has done for them, there would be way more opportunities to preach the gospel.
An everyday missionary should consistently tell of what the Lord has done, and this is how to introduce Jesus into everyday conversations that could lead to a huge party in the heavens when one comes to Christ.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR
The fruit of the Spirit is something that is mentioned all the time, but do we take the time to truly examine what it asks of us? The fruit of the Spirit is a prerequisite to living as an everyday missionary. Jesus’ problem with the Pharisees was not that they were unholy men who did not fear God, His issue was their pride at being what they were while never seeing their true depravity. They never showed any love or compassion. A passage that comes to mind is from Mark 3 where Jesus entered into the synagogue and saw a man with a withered hand. He then saw that the Pharisees were waiting for Him to do a miracle so they could accuse Him. So He asked them
“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”
(Mark 3: 1-6 ESV)
They didn’t say a word, because in that moment, they didn’t care about the well-being of the man, only that their precious laws be upheld, and for this reason, the bible tells us that Jesus was angry.
Jesus is angry everytime we do not show love to our neighbour and instead condemn them. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t acknowledge wrongdoing, but never place ourselves over the one who is unrighteous. The missionaries never came by their own commendation or any great power, but rather with trembling (1 Corinthians 2:3) and confidence in the power of God. True love for your neighbour would go a long way in putting forward the agenda of Jesus on this earth.
BE GENEROUS
The missionary doesn’t go on mission trips without gifts to give and resources for those who are in need. This isn’t simply a missiological practise, but one that must be imbibed by the everyday believer. The Lord loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9: 6-7) and all things ultimately comes from Him and of His own do we give back to Him (1 Chronicles 29: 14).
Therefore, we must be generous with this world’s riches. We should consider this as the hierarchy of giving:
- To God’s church and work
- To members of the household of God (Galatians 6: 10)
- To everyone we happen to meet.
One of the great ways to support mission and be a part of it is in generosity.We should also endeavour to give to our fellow brothers and sisters as mission work isn’t only for the unsaved, but the saved as well. While the missionary will travel to a new land to preach the gospel, he/she will also fellowship with the local assembly, pray with them, and give to them. This is mission too, and it should be followed by every member of the body of Christ.
PRAY
Prayer is one of the most important ways a person can live as an everyday missionary. Prayer for the brothers and sisters out there tackling this evil world, prayers for the souls that are being evangelised, prayer for the persecuted and suffering.
Christians must get in the habit of more selfless prayers as the Christian life is one we live for others (Philippians 2: 3-4). The everyday missionary spends time on their knees to pray as this is one of the tools the bible has given us to fight against the devices of the evil one.
Prayer, as they say, is a master key, and the job of intercession is for every believer. The bible says that we are kings and priests (Revelation 1: 6) and if kings are to administer, then priests are those who offer sacrifices on behalf of others. The Apostles were constantly in prayer for those who had heard the word of God through them, and even those who hadn’t.
JOIN IN OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
Another excellent way to get involved in the mission of God is to seek out outreach programs and partake in them. This could be a visit to an orphanage, a clothes drive, an evangelism trip, or many other forms of outreach that happen.
The gospel is deeply connected with humanitarian efforts. This does not mean that the gospel is preached from a humanitarian perspective, but rather that the gospel compels adherents to humanitarian efforts. The church is constantly trying to help those in need and reaching out to those who are hurting with the gospel, but also with earthly things that can be of help too.
The life of the everyday missionary is for you and I. We might not be able to travel the world, but we can be effective missionaries. Remember, this world is not your own, you are technically travelling too (John 17:16).