by: Joshua
The commission that Christ left for us before He ascended, is to make disciples of all nations. Making disciples is only possible, if we are disciples ourselves, hence the Great Commission is a journey of discipleship. I am now based in the Philippines, walking on this journey where each step feels uncertain, overwhelming and even impossible at times – just like when Peter stepped out from the boat to walk on water, heeding the call of my Master, fulfilling His commission that’s ever bidding. . There are many times, where my feet fails me, and I sink into the waves, where I feel disappointed, hurt, but it is at those moments that I realize what the love of the Father meant. I am on the field as a worker, not because I am better, nor because I have a stronger faith, but because I have experienced His love for me.
I am on the field as a worker, not because I am better, nor because I have a stronger faith, but because I have experienced His love for me.
In the past two years, I started to have the burden to be involved in missions mobilization work – creating awareness about the urgency and need to reach out amongst the neediest peoples, challenging believers to take that step to go cross culture. At that point in time, I did not view mobilization as discipleship. To me, discipleship was the “course”, “lessons” or “bible studies” that we do with believers to help them grow in faith. It was a very “shallow” view of what Christ meant about discipleship.I used to view mobilization as missions conferences, events, setting up missions booths, etc. Mobilization events, even the big ones may be sensational and may cause people to commit to cross cultural work based on an emotional response. Over the past 3 years of mobilization, God have brought me to a realization, that each believer is to be discipled to find their role in His global work – making disciples of all nations. Mobilization should rather be a discipleship journey that disciples walk along-side disciples towards fulfilling the Great Commission, a decision that is based on a commitment to love Christ, to deny ourselves and take up our cross.
Each believer is to be discipled to find their role in His global work – making disciples of all nations.
This journey of obeying the Great Commission often changes us more than the communities we are in. God uses the communities we are in, to transform us too. In the beginning, I had a narrow view in mobilization of just wanting young adults to apply to go out as cross-culture workers, but I have learnt that if they are not making disciples where they are right now, they will not be making disciples when they have a change in address.
if they are not making disciples where they are right now, they will not be making disciples when they have a change in address.
Missions mobilization shouldn’t just be something we do during conferences, camps, missions week, or special events, it must be a discipleship journey that is done intentionally, constantly, rather than occasionally when the chance arise. The fields are ripe and ready for harvest; we need to sound a trumpet call for the labourers. I believe that a disciple who is discipled well, will indeed develop His heart for the nations.
If we step out to obey the Great Commission just out of compulsion, it will make us weary and tired
If we step out to obey the Great Commission just out of compulsion, it will make us weary and tired, but when we experienced His love and is compelled by His love for us to step out, we find joy in the journey. We are not commanded to go, but the greatest command to us as disciples is to love, we go as a result of love for Him and for others.
We are not commanded to go, but the greatest command to us as disciples is to love, we go as a result of love for Him and for others.Discipleship: of Love and CommandWe are not commanded to go, but the greatest command to us as disciples is to love, we go as a result of love for Him and for others.
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Cover Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash
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