“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:18-20)
The most important mission field is right where you are: your family, your church, your campus, and your workplace (Mt 18:20). Wherever God is sending you, that is the place where God’s plan lies. What is then God’s plan? Making Christ known in places where Christ is not known.
Joseph was an ordinary person like you, but when he realized his true mission field and discovered God’s plan of world evangelization, God had done extraordinary work throughout his life. Though sold as a slave to the house of Potiphar, he earned the trust of his master (Gen 39:1-6). Though falsely accused and put in prison, he gained the trust of the warden and Pharaoh’s officials (Gen 40:1-23). Even Pharaoh had to acknowledge the presence of the Spirit of God in Joseph’s life: “So Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God'” (Gen 41:38). Joseph saw God’s plan for his life in the land of Egypt.
Start small. Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you will be blameless and pure, a child of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people, you shine like lights in a dark world as you hold firmly to the word of life (Php 2:14-16).
Throw off your selfish motives. You don’t need anything else but Christ. Stop making excuses. You found the greatest worth in Christ. Live with reasons. You have been given the highest goal in Christ. All the “heroes of faith” lived like this, and the world was unworthy of them (Heb 11:1-40).
God is ready to give you the unique blessings He prepared. Discover and experience the uniqueness of the gospel in your life (Ac 1:1-14). Ask God’s unique plans in every meeting (Ac 2:9-11). Discover God’s unique blessings in your home (Ac 16:25-40). You will then discover God’s unique reasons for your business and occupation (Ac 18:1-4). You will see the work of God being displayed in your region (Ac 13, 16, 19).
Begin with the “you” God made, what God has freely given to you, and the place God has sent you. No matter how weak you may feel, you possess what God desires. You may think you cannot do anything significant, but you stand where God’s greatest will is.
Do not be shaken by your own problems. Do not just endure your problems. Instead, enjoy your problems as you possess the answer to all your problems in Christ. Do not be deceived by the conflicts arising in your life. Know that it is God’s time to renew your mind. Do not be alarmed by the crises in your life. They are a God-ordained opportunity to see another door He is about to open.
God is sending you to your mission field today. You have been entrusted with the mystery of the gospel that has been hidden for ages. Experience first the blessing of Christ (Ac 1:1), the kingdom of God (Ac 1:3), and the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:8). Make Christ the center of your life. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Change your present source of strength to the one that comes from above. Only then will you be able to hear God’s urgent call to your mission field. It is God’s plan that His kingdom be established wherever you are. God has specific plans for every person you will meet throughout the day. Deliver life and hope in Christ to each person. Encourage them. Pray for them. Serve them as you would serve Christ.
Prayer. Father, turn my life into Your mission field. Help me experience Your presence wherever You send me so I may save lives by the power of the gospel. In Jesus’ name, Amen.