“Be a missionary everyday!
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
Be it in the town or country, or the busy avenue,
Africa or Asia, the task is up to you!”
Children’s song
Leland and Ben Miller recently returned from a missions trip to Ecuador, and I have asked them to share about their experience this coming Sunday morning. I am excited to hear what they are going to say, as the purpose of their trip was not to domissions, per se, but to experience missions. Hopefully, hearing about how missions is done in another part of the world will give us greater clarity concerning how we can do missions here.
Missions here? Yep, that’s what I said. We are all called to be missionaries and to do the work of evangelism. And wherever the Lord has placed us today, that is where He has called us to be missionaries today!
That got me thinking. How can we be effective missionaries today? So I put together a list of five simple and practical ways you and I can engage in missions today. See if you agree with my list…
§ Invite.
The simplest way you can be a missionary today is to invite someone into your life. If you are a follower of Jesus, your life itself should be a testimony of God’s grace. That means your daily activities should reflect your love for Christ, your desire to see Him honored, and your passion to share Him with others. So, inviting someone into your life ends up as a witness to that grace.
Yes, I know. Someone just read this and thought, “Well, that’s fine for other people, for those whose lives really reflect their Christian lives. But my life doesn’t really do that. So I guess I won’t invite anyone.” To that, I have two answers. First, if your life doesn’t measure up, change it. Ask God to show you what needs fixing, and then get to work. He’ll help you make it right. And, second, you don’t need perfection in this area. The testimonies of our lives are much more than a rigid adherence to a moral code. They are testimonies to God’s all-sufficient grace, even when we blow it. What matters most is the heart attitude.
But what, specifically, can you invite someone to? Well, here are a few suggestions: to church for a worship service, to a restaurant (for lunch, dinner, or just a snack), to your house (to hang out, play video games, or watch a movie), or to the church’s game night THIS FRIDAY at 6:30 PM!
Whom can you invite today?
§ Publish.
Another simple way you can be a missionary today is to publish your testimony online. Most people in our community access the Internet, and social media presents a tremendous opportunity to make your voice heard.
Now, by testimony, I don’t mean the whole account of how you came to Christ. I just mean a witness about what He has done for you or what He is doing for you today. Then again, if you want to give the whole account, that’s cool too.
You can do this using a Twitter account, Facebook account, or a blogsite. The least demanding of these are the first two. A Twitter account provides you with an opportunity to share a daily devotional thought or verse, and the very brevity demanded by the format (each tweet has a 140 character limit) means your investment and effort remains minimal. A Facebook page provides you with a way to keep in touch with your friends, and you can easily post favorite verses or Christ-centered thoughts daily.
Many professional athletes are using Twitter to witness for Christ. One example I know of is Russell Wilson, the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. He tweets Bible verses and encouraging thoughts every day. Anyone who ‘follows’ him on Twitter knows he is a Christian. It’s a great example that we can all follow.
That said, I should probably give a word of caution. Be sure your Twitter account and Facebook accounts reflect a Christ-centered life. If you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing, and people know that from your other posts, they’ll probably look doubtfully on your Christian testimonies. So, again, if you need to clean things up, clean them up – and then start publishing!
What can you publish today?
§ Distribute.
A third simple way you can be a missionary today is to distribute Gospel-centered literature. Tracts may not be as popular today as they once were, but they still have their place. It is amazing what people will read when they’re trapped and bored. (Think of some of those terrible magazines at the doctor’s office!)
My favorite tract is the Bridge to Life tract published by Navpress, but there are many excellent tracts out there. The reason I like the Bridge to Life tract is that it presents the Gospel clearly, using simple diagrams and carefully chosen Scripture verses to explain the need for salvation and how to come to faith in Christ.
The key to using tracts effectively is wise distribution. I think there are two effective methods to distribute them. The first method is to give them as you share a personal Gospel presentation. The tract gives you something to place in the hand of the person to whom you are witnessing, and you can use the tract as you share to reinforce your points and lead the conversation forward.
The second method is to ‘plant’ the tracts in places where people will see them, pick them up, and read them. The possibilities are endless, but I’ll mention a few of ideas. My favorite is to place a tract on top of the toilet paper dispenser in a public bathroom. Another possibility is to place a tract beside the nozzle at a gas pump. (This one can be a bit tricky, since inclement weather can reduce the likelihood of the tract being picked up and read.) A third possibility, and probably my least favorite, is to leave a tract at a restaurant with a tip. (I used to work as a waiter, and I know from personal experience that very few of these tracts are read. Still, if you do leave a tract, please be sure you leave a really great tip, and, again, make sure your behavior through the meal was consistent with your Christian testimony.)
Where can you distribute today?
§ Engage.
Yet another effective way to play the missionary today is to engage other people in ‘redemptive’ conversations. This means to engage them in strategically focused conversations for the purpose of sharing Jesus. This approach may be tough for some people. Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to talking with other people. Some folks engage with strangers without any difficulty, and others find the experience painful. But if you are an outgoing person, this may prove an exceptionally effective method.
The people I find to be effective with this method tend to be people who are genuinely interested in other people, in their lives and interests. They ask open-ended questions, avoid the expression of strong opinions on minor issues, and subtly and skillfully point the conversation to Jesus.
We can all do better in this area. I know I can. I sometimes fail in this area because I permit myself to be distracted from my ultimate purpose – the sharing of Jesus. I find myself mired down in a discussion of politics or something else – something of relative importance, but not ultimate importance. So now I try to remind myself, going into a conversation, of my end goal – to share the wonderful blessing of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
The opportunities for these sorts of engagements are never-ending. Here’s a few: waiting at school to pick up kids, at the dentist’s office, buying groceries at the store, checking out books at the library, getting coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, and on and on.
When can you engage someone today?
§ Provide.
“Don’t tell me how much you love me until you show me how much you care.” We’ve all heard similar statements. Words of love without actions of compassion are like clouds without rain – full of promise, but disappointing.
My fifth suggestion concerning an effective way to play the missionary today is to provide micro-helps. A micro-help is a small act of compassion done for the purpose of putting ‘feet’ on the Gospel and of providing a doorway for the proclamation of the Gospel.
We all believe in the importance of helping others. Loving others is an essential part of Christian life. It is an expression of our very love for Christ. But sometimes we are at a loss for how to put that love into action. The bigness of the tasks sometimes proves overwhelming. The answer is ‘micro-helps.’ This means determining, as the day begins, that you will be available to help others in small ways as the day progresses. This may include helping an elderly person with groceries, picking up trash from a community playground, assisting someone with a flat tire. It may also include occasional visits to nursing homes, hospitals, and the like. Again, the possibilities are endless.
Providing help to others is a wonderful way of expressing the love of Christ. I encourage you to seek opportunities to help, and, as you do, don’t forget to share your Christian faith. You don’t need to share your whole salvation testimony. Just find some way to share the source of your hope and life – Jesus Christ.
How will you provide today?
Well, there it is… a list of five simple and practical ways we can engage in missions today. Do you agree? Are there other ways I should have added? Do you agree that these really are simple and practical?
Let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
“Be a missionary everyday!
Tell the world that Jesus is the way
The Lord is soon returning: there is no time to lose,
So be a missionary, God’s own emissary,
Be a missionary today!”
Children’s song
-- Christian Pilet
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