The last few weeks have been quite hectic as the five outreach teams from the September 2016 school returned. We had over fifty additional people on base which made everything a little crowded and a tad louder but throughout the chaos it was amazing! Everyone had just come back from three months of intense missions and seeing God work in crazy, tangible ways. When they talked about their trips you could sense their passion for Jesus and showing people the freedom they can have in Christ.
I’ve noticed that people, myself included, always come back from their DTS outreach super pumped up and on fire for preaching truth. When you’re in these Asian countries on outreach, you wake up every day expectant for the things God is going to do. You go out into the cities and villages with the goal of building relationship and showing people the love of God. In the church we talk about Jesus’ calling on our lives as “The Great Commission” – to go out into the world and preach the gospel, transforming lives through the radical freedom of God. When we’re on Outreach, if our hearts are in the right place, we’re living this out everyday. I’ve found that the most fulfillment and joy comes when I’m walking in alignment with God’s will and calling for my life.
So here’s a thought I’ve been wrestling with over the past few months. If outreach is just us fulfilling what God has called us to, why do we perceive it as only a three month experience? Our focus every single minute of every single day should be on the work that God wants to do in and through us. The mindset that we so often have while doing “missions” should be one that we have for the rest of our lives.
God hasn’t called us to go out into Asia and love and serve the people in Nepal, India, and the Philippines. He has called us to love people. Your neighbour, your coworker, your aunt, your brother, the strangers at Safeway, the guy walking his dog through the trail. My entire life should be outreach and for three months I just happen to be in Nepal.
This is a perspective that I’m still working on, and probably always will be, however I’m convinced that Jesus didn’t just call us to do overseas missions. I have just as much a responsibility to tell the people I encounter here in North America as I do in Nepal.
Going and sharing God’s truth with people isn’t something that only a select few Christians are called to do. You are called. So as a challenge to myself and to you, how are we going to live a lifestyle of outreach this week? How are we going to do what Jesus has called us to do in our workplaces, in our communities, and with our friends?