| Is it possible to take the Great Commission too seriously? We’re used to preachers and church leaders telling us we don’t emphasize it enough. That it’s our one call to go into all the world. So, we give our prayers and money to mission efforts. We send people across the world so they can preach the good news of Jesus. Some of us have that calling. Most of us don’t. Does that mean the Great Commission doesn’t matter? Sure it does. What does it mean, though, if we send people around the world in Jesus’ name, but ignore the people down the street? What’s so great about that? Jesus never called it anything. We labeled his last words to his disciples about going into the world. There may have been good intentions with doing so. Now, there’s a problem with our typical approach to the Great Commission. We tend to under emphasize the role of everyday disciples. As best I can tell, no one reading or listening to this devotional has a world-wide calling to preach. You may wonder, “But Jesus called his disciples to follow him that way.” He did. But that was their calling. Most of us aren’t called to forego our work and family to be preachers or evangelists. Instead, you go to work. You go to community events. You go to volunteer. When you do, you go in Jesus’ name. Now, you don’t show up to your town hall to preach a sermon. I can’t imagine a not-so-clever poster board about hell or damnation has converted anyone either. Your mission work is different. You get to live out your trust and faith in the risen Lord. You don’t have to put on a grand display. You don’t have to use religious words or only talk about church. Be a peaceful presence to the world. Be the person who is honest, hard-working and sincere. Don’t join the office gossip. Everyone else does that. When the rest of the people around you complain, find something to be joyful about. Before Jesus gave his first disciples their next commission, he taught us all to “let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16). When Jesus called Simon Peter, James and John, “they left everything and followed him.” But there were still others who would remain fishermen who could be disciples of Jesus, too. Today, there are other teachers, store clerks, salespeople, librarians, waiters, coaches, chefs, computer programmers and many more people who could be disciples of Jesus, too. They may never hear an apostle or evangelist preach the good news. They may only see a disciple of Jesus they know living their life in faith and obedience to God. That’s great! Stay blessed…john |
John Fletcher
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