Mind of the Missionary
July 2020
“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the Gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20.24)
I recently read an article on how to better fish for crappie in the “Alabama Living” magazine. The author talked about the different types of bait and lures as well as the areas to catch crappie. I was impressed with his knowledge on the subject. I’m sure he has a lot of practical experience or better said, he’s done a lot of crappie fishing.
This man was intently fixed on his subject. He never wavered. This started me thinking about how Christians are responding to the coronavirus and the protests. I’m afraid that it has caused us to allow our non-Christian world to shape how we act and become distracted. As believers, we have one task…teaching, preaching, and living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If anyone could have been distracted, it would have been the apostle Paul. As he met with the Ephesian leaders at Miletus, Paul boldly stated how he would not stop testifying “to the Gospel of God’s grace” despite all the physical and spiritual barriers trying to stop him.
Also, the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him if He was the Messiah or should they look for another? This would have been the perfect time for Jesus to make a social, racial, economic, or political statement, but Jesus didn’t spend his time talking about social injustice, racial inequality, economic problems, or political issues. Does that mean these issues weren’t important, NO!
Jesus had another motive – fulfilling the task that His Father gave Him. Jesus’ response to John’s disciples was the repeat of His reading from Isaiah 61 when He began his earthly ministry, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Luke 7:22) Notice how many times Satan, the religious leaders, the disciples, and others tried to change his purpose, but He persevered all the way to the cross. His earthly ministry was complete when he said, “It is Finished!”
However, for Christian leaders and believers, we can easily get distracted from our main task which is teaching, preaching, and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is this message that turned the world upside down, that has brought down empires, that has changed societies, and transforms the world. So, in this time of uncertainty, don’t take the bait! May we remain faithful to the task that God has given us to teach, preach, and live the Gospel. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Until next month,
Bro. Lyle