Go!
I shared how God gave me a fresh glimpse of His nearness through Matthew 28. In that post, I gave a brief sentence about God guiding us through the Great Commission in tangible ways to give us vision and goals to reach our neighbors and the world. Some of you asked me to share what I've gleaned from this passage. So I'll share in this series a few gems God taught me through Matthew 28:18-20. Today I'll just share one phrase: Go!
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
It seems pretty straightforward, but God spurs me on daily with this word: Go. He gave us His authority. He's with us. I don't go alone or in my own power. What is He with us as we go to do? To make disciples, baptize, and teach. But how? By going. At times the "go" in my life has been a call to go to foreign countries and share Him with people who had never even heard His name, sometimes it's been to go to parts of my city that I had avoided and bring socks for homeless sleeping on church steps. In our job, we prepare Jesus' words from the book of Luke in film form in every known language to send with others who are going to every nation, tribe, tongue, and language. Other times it's as simple as praying for someone in a parking lot, sending a message on facebook, or getting on the floor while my children play and engaging their hearts when I could sit on the couch with a book instead.
God's way for us to pour into others is by first going where they are. This has been huge for me as I pray that I'll live a life that points to Him. There is a place for inviting, but first, we go to them. I've met many hurting people longing for friends and in need of THE friend by paying attention when I take my kids to the playground. Moms bring their kids there and God gives me the strength to go over and start talking (why is that so hard?). Sometimes it begins a casual friendship and sometimes it's just a one-time chance to encourage them. And sometimes, God flourishes it into a full friendship where I get to pour Christ into them in our daily lives and watch God work in them. It's incredible.
Maybe for you it's the dog park, work, grocery store, school, or your neighborhood. Maybe it's the inner city, the abortion clinic, a nursing home, or a third world country. Or maybe it's just getting down on the floor and engaging your child to see where his/her heart is and pour in the love of Christ you've received. Wherever He's calling, I'm praying we'll GO!
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
It seems pretty straightforward, but God spurs me on daily with this word: Go. He gave us His authority. He's with us. I don't go alone or in my own power. What is He with us as we go to do? To make disciples, baptize, and teach. But how? By going. At times the "go" in my life has been a call to go to foreign countries and share Him with people who had never even heard His name, sometimes it's been to go to parts of my city that I had avoided and bring socks for homeless sleeping on church steps. In our job, we prepare Jesus' words from the book of Luke in film form in every known language to send with others who are going to every nation, tribe, tongue, and language. Other times it's as simple as praying for someone in a parking lot, sending a message on facebook, or getting on the floor while my children play and engaging their hearts when I could sit on the couch with a book instead.
God's way for us to pour into others is by first going where they are. This has been huge for me as I pray that I'll live a life that points to Him. There is a place for inviting, but first, we go to them. I've met many hurting people longing for friends and in need of THE friend by paying attention when I take my kids to the playground. Moms bring their kids there and God gives me the strength to go over and start talking (why is that so hard?). Sometimes it begins a casual friendship and sometimes it's just a one-time chance to encourage them. And sometimes, God flourishes it into a full friendship where I get to pour Christ into them in our daily lives and watch God work in them. It's incredible.
Maybe for you it's the dog park, work, grocery store, school, or your neighborhood. Maybe it's the inner city, the abortion clinic, a nursing home, or a third world country. Or maybe it's just getting down on the floor and engaging your child to see where his/her heart is and pour in the love of Christ you've received. Wherever He's calling, I'm praying we'll GO!
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