GO! We've all read the verse in Mark where Jesus tells His disciples to 'go into all the world and preach the good news.' But exactly how does that apply to us today? For years when I read this verse and others like it in the New Testament, I believed that it only applied to those called to be Missionaries. Those who were called to foreign lands who could "GO." Goodness, was I ever a babe in my spiritual walk...I'm so thankful that I grew and began to comprehend what the term "Go" meant.
We, as believers, are all disciples. We are all called to GO and preach the good news. In fact, it's a command, not a request. This got me thinking about who I shared Christ with. Does it mean that all believers are missionaries? Yes and no. Missionaries afar in foreign lands...some are, Yes; all of us, NO! Missionaries right here in our own homes...absolutely YES! Every single one of us.
I'm not a quick study and it was through the ever patient Lord in His teaching me the true meaning of
what a disciple (definition: someone who accepts and helps to spread the teachings of a famous person; Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts) really meant. What it meant to GO and preach the good news. Here's what I learned over much time.
Mark 16:15 AMP, "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race.]
I personally like to break down words and look at the meanings behind them. That helps me to understand better and fully grasp what is being said. So I'd like to do that here before I go on because it was after I did this along with several God moments that it became very apparent that this was going to be my heart's passion to share with others. OK, here goes...
GO: definition - to move on course: proceed; to continue to do something...to continue being done: to begin and carry on an action, process or movement...to move along.
In the definition of GO the word continue stood out to me so I looked up it's definition and here's what it means.
CONTINUE: definition - to keep happening or existing: to remain active or in existence without stopping...to maintain...to remain...to keep going...to cause to continue...to allow to remain.
All this is action. We tend to like to move. We can do this. It really doesn't take much to get something moving and to keep it moving. Slow and steady is always best. Ripple effect...like a drop in the ocean!
INTO ALL THE WORLD: This literally means EVERYWHERE! Some can hop on a plane and fly to a third world country and be missionaries short term or long term. While most of us cannot. Our mission field is right here where we call home. It starts right in our homes and then into our neighborhood, then out to our community. That's our world.
PREACH AND PUBLISH: Preach is basically to write or speak about something in an approving way: to say that something is good or necessary. To deliver a sermon. To deliver. One version of Mark says to "Testify" which is to talk about or say something in an honest and confident way. To show that something is true or real: to give proof of something. Publish is to make generally known: to make public announcement of. All this to say, simply share what Christ has done for you in your life.
THE GOOD NEWS (THE GOSPEL): That Jesus Christ is our Savior. John 3:16-17 HCSB, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."
TO EVERY CREATURE [OF THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE]: I have to admit this one caught me off guard for a bit not understanding the creature statement until I went to India and witnessed helpless deformed sweet souls sitting amongst crowds of people begging for anyone to just give them a moments notice. It was at that very moment that God spoke to my heart that all too often we (I) dehumanize others that I am either way too uncomfortable to approach or it's just easier for me not to have them on my "radar" so I don't have to think about or do anything about it. Let me tell you, that experience was so life changing for me that I fully understand what the Lord means by the WHOLE HUMAN RACE! HE loves EACH and EVERY individual and longs for them to know Him. Please hear me when I say this, I am not asking you to go and immerse yourself into a place where it may be dangerous, I am asking you to instead of physically looking with the eyes on your head start looking with the eyes of your heart. Jesus will create opportunities for you to be His Hands and Feet. He will tug at your heart strings...we need to be attentive and aware to what He is asking of us to do.
In Romans 10:14-15 TLB it talks about how can others call on Christ if they don't believe in Him because perhaps they didn't hear about Him, probably because nobody spoke about Him...only because no one went to talk about Him! This is a perfect example of the whole reason of why we should GO in our world!! It reads, "How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can the believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news."
After reading this I began to wonder who spoke to my family about Christ? I was brought up in Church as was my parents and my grandparents...so I'm not sure who spoke Christ to my family member to pass along this wonderful gift. I'm so very grateful though for this amazing gift that I am able to pass along to my children as well as those that God brings across my path.
OK...back to the time that I believed that going into all the world literally meant hopping on the next jet plane to Africa. This was some time ago and I believed that this is exactly what it meant. My belief back then was being a Christian all I needed to do was just follow the Golden Rules and I was doing alright. Boy, did I have quite a bit a spiritual maturity to be had. In John 3:30 HCSB it says this of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." What this scripture says to me is that I need to turn my focus from within to upward to Him. This lead me to another scripture in Ephesians 4:32 AMP which says that when I do this and Jesus is residing in my heart then it's easier for me to, "...become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely,] as God in Christ forgave you" in my daily living. This lead me to begin seeing with the eyes of my heart instead of my physical eyes.
At first it was so overwhelming, I didn't know where to start so I for a while I stood still doing nothing. But then God encouraged my heart little by little. I began moving small step by small step. Doing. Going. Taking action. Don't fail to do anything just because you can't do everything. It can all seem overwhelming when looking at the whole picture. It was Mother Theresa who said, "Do small things with great love." This is something we all can do. It doesn't require much of us to do something small if it is done with great love. Mother Teresa has many simplistic yet powerful quotes that inspire me that I'd like to share just a few with you... "God doesn't require us to succeed, He only requires that you try." "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." These four quotes hold four things that we do in our daily living with our own friends and families. How awesome and rewarding would it be if we extended it to those outside the four walls of our home? The world around us has us living in such a jet-setting pace that literally nearly no one looks anyone in the eyes anymore because there's far more important things happening on the electronic devises in our hand!
All that you have - our resources, giftedness, and abilities - God has entrusted it to you. God has given us what we need to show others Himself in us. We just need to trust God...Go...believing God to finish the work...which may include us or it may not. God wants to do something through but He also wants to something in you. This requires your willingness to be used by God. Many years ago I asked myself this question, "How much faith does it take to do what I'm doing currently?" Where I was at that time not very much faith at all sadly enough. This was a pivotal point for me. Spiritual growing up started taking place and you all know whenever growing happens pain tends to accompany it. But am I ever thankful for this growth, though! This meant in order for me to move forward on this journey God had set before me, I had to take action...even if it meant just taking one wobbly awkward step at a time holding tightly to my Heavenly Father's Strong Hand! And that's exactly what I did.
I began to realize that what I did in my everyday living really did matter because it positively or negatively impacted the lives of others...family, friends or strangers. In the book 'Becoming a Contagious Christian" the author states, "Although our actions have nothing to do with gaining our own salvation, they might be used by God to save somebody else! What we do really matters, and it can affect the eternities of people we care about." What we do each and every day really does have meaning in the big picture of God's plan. Everybody needs Jesus' Light. Believers have that light and there's somebody out there that needs that light that you have. The only way for them to receive that light is if you offer it to them by sharing it. By sharing it you must first GO when God calls you and cross paths with that person. Sometimes I get tugs on my heart to go somewhere, to do something or to take a different path in my routine. I don't always understand it at the time but I try to remember and be sensitive to what God is trying to do.
I, however, am NOT a perfect person! I slip and mess up quite a bit! But here's the awesome part...God extends GRACE! He's forgiving and I don't have to be perfect! I will never be perfect or even near perfect! I just have to keep trying and keep striving and when and I do mean WHEN I mess up I only need to fall forward in Him! Psalm 84:11 TLB says, "For Jehovah God is our Light and our Protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk along his paths." God always gives us the strength to keep going when we feel as if we can't. Psalm 46:1 TLB tells us, "God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble." This was entirely encouraging to me because this meant that I didn't have to do it all on my own! I had only to let God lead me and then He would give me the strength and the ability to do it. When I realized this, then I was all the more eager to accept the offer to GO!!
The picture above posted says GO and...
This can mean anything for you. The possibilities are endless. GO to the coffee shop and greet the cashier with a smile and eye contact calling him/her by name asking how their day is going making small conversation. GO to local elderly home and visit shut ins. GO to a single mom and offer to babysit or help in other ways she may need. GO __________ and _______________. (You fill in the blanks...what works in your world.) Going and doing doesn't always require us to be big, dramatic, time-consuming, or extremely hard. It requires us to be a bit more mindful, deliberate, intentional and thoughtful. This is something we all can do.
Be prayerful about what Go and... looks like for you. Ask God to help you open the eyes of your heart and where you can begin. Remember, "Do small things with great love."
Being a lover of meanings behind words I want to leave you with a few words that we tend to do daily that we can try to extend to others:
SMILE: a facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward and which expresses especially amusement, pleasure. encouragement. Beam: a line of light coming from a source.
CHEERFUL: causing good feelings or happiness
CONSIDERATE: showing kindness toward other people: marked by or given to careful consideration
KIND: having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others: wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others
THOUGHTFUL: showing concern for the needs or feelings of other people: given to or chosen or made with heedful anticipation of the needs and wants of others
These are just a drop in a whole ocean of action words that we do daily. I pray that this encourages you just as much as it encouraged me years ago and continues to encourages me. May you be blessed and richly reward as you GO and...
"What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the Gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the Gospel. Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible." 1 Corinthians 9:18-19 NIV
Take Care and Be Blessed,
Christy Krezman
Rosette Ministry
