“For God is love, our Heavenly Father so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16,17) NIV.
“For Jesus, Son of God so loved the world that He gave His live for His friends; you are my friends if you do what I command. My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:13,12) NIV.
What is our motivation in mission? I trust it is the love for the eternal souls of men and women including all our loved ones. I guess mission is impossible if we do not have love. To love the unlovable, is probably impossible but with God all things are possible. Mission has to be a God thing.
“If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask of the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:15,16, 26) NIV.
Mission started with God’s great love for you and I. Mission starts with us loving God with all our heart and all our soul and all our might and all our strength. It’s a deep, deep love for God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. From this love for God, it will transcend to loving people.
Without the love for people, mission will have no meaning, as the sole purpose of mission is to gather saved souls into the kingdom of God.
These saved souls are a light and a salt to the nations. They are reflections of who Jesus is. Are the people whom you interact with daily attracted to you? People in your family, extended family, colleagues, friends in schools, strangers and so on. Are we a witness for Jesus? Do we point them to the Christ?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts1:8) NIV.
Do we feel an urgency to reach out to the lost around us? Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of my Father who sent me and to finish His work, Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest? I tell you open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:34, 35) NIV. The harvest has always been ripe, are we ready? Look around us, see and read the news and what do you feel? I hope compassion fills our hearts just as it did when our “Lord Jesus saw the crowds. He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvests field.” (Matt 9: 36 -38) NIV.
Would we be willing to be that worker that is needed in His harvest fields?
Start to be a witness for Jesus, be courageous where you are. Identify yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ in every possible opportunity.
Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to speak courageously and in honesty. Testify of His love, grace, mercy, presence, power, protection, provision in your daily routines.
God is indeed merciful beyond any doubt. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow to keep his promise (The return of our Lord Jesus Christ), as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:8,9) NIV.
Brother Chua Eng Bee, David
