A Prayer to Find Your Mission at Home
By Jennifer Heeren
“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” (Mark 16:15)
You could be called a missionary any time that you go into an area that is made up of mostly unbelievers. Your school, your workplace, your neighborhood—all of these places are filled with not-yet-believers. Basically, every place that you go has the potential to include at least one unbeliever. So, missionary type work needs to be carried out.
Missionaries in foreign countries prepare by learning a new language, finding out about that country’s culture, and researching the physical needs of the area. You can do the same thing wherever you are.
Immerse yourself in their culture. Unbelievers have a different way of living than churchgoers. You might want to see some of their culture firsthand. Of course, I’m not talking about jumping headfirst into sin with them. I’m only talking about going somewhere with them where you can conduct yourself like a Christian in a secular environment. For instance, you might not care about a particular sporting or entertainment event but they do, so you attend with them. While you’re there, you should have many opportunities to bring up your faith in God.
Become fluent in their language. Speak in phrases and terms that unbelievers will understand. Cultural references that they can relate to might enhance your relationship and help them to trust and understand you better. For instance, there are a lot of examples in TV and movies that can bring up a spiritual point. Also, don’t use church references and sayings without explaining what you mean. An unbelieving person might not understand phrases like “doing life together,” “loving on people,” or even “doing unto others.” However, they will understand “being friends,” “caring for people,” or “acts of kindness.”
Find a need and seek to fulfill it. When you see someone in need, rush to help them just like a missionary in a foreign country often brings people medical aid, education, food, or clean drinking water. Be conscious of the many needs all around you and then do what you can to help. There are plenty of people with physical needs everywhere and there are multitudes of spiritual needs as well. Wherever there are people, there are plenty of needs. No one is exempt from problems.
Share the teachings of the Bible with other people. When someone is having trouble making a decision, tell them about a time that you had trouble coming to a conclusion and something in the Bible or teaching at church that helped you to find the answer. If somebody is very worried about something, share with them how you believe that God is always with you bringing you peace of mind. Simply share the concepts of the Bible: sowing and reaping, forgiveness, kindness, love, and even the consequences of doing bad or wrong things.
Do good and act with integrity. Live by a moral code that unbelievers may not understand. They may not understand what you’re doing, but they still might take note of how you conducted yourself. If a group of people are gossiping about another person, don’t contribute. Better yet, say something positive about the same person. Don’t just follow along with the crowd; do something different.
Live with a "random acts of kindness" attitude. No matter where you are, stay alert to the people all around you. Sit down next to someone who is sitting alone and start a conversation. Let someone who is in a hurry ahead of you in a line. Pay for the lunch of the person behind you in a drive-thru. Perform expected and unexpected acts of kindness. Live your life as if the Lord is right beside of you at all times—because indeed He is.
Please pray with me:
Dear Lord, help me to continuously be aware of all people around me every single day. Where there are people, there are needs. Give me Your eyes to see some of those needs and the wisdom to know how to help as well. Help me to be your hands and feet as I serve others right where I’m at. And allow them to see Your light in my life as I do work in your name. Amen.
Editor’s Note: Content taken from “We’re Not All Called to be Missionaries: How to Find Your Calling at Home” by Jennifer Heeren. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.
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