by Jason WildeToday is World Missionary Sunday, but I'm not going to share stories about building grass huts in Africa, or hiking through the jungles of Ecuador, or avoiding the eyes of governments in “Asia”. Here, you won't read about how the poor only eat rice or beans for every meal and sleep under a leaky roof. I'm not even going to ask for money. In fact, you could say that I'm about to make the world's least effective mission appeal.
Today, I'm going to tell you to be a missionary. After you leave church, follow the words of Jesus: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15), Love God, Love your neighbor, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you...Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back” (Luke 6:27-30). “Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul” (Mt 10:28), forgive, do not judge, do not be angry or envious, give what you have to the poor and follow Jesus (Mt 19:21). Take what you hear and pray about every Sunday, put it into action and live your life every day as a mission! For all the specific prayers or practices or rituals that you do every Sunday are meaningless if they do not implore you to share the love that Jesus gives you in response to those things. Faith is so much more than just a one-day commitment or a cross on your wall, and “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:14), and works that are done out of love, charity, and mercy are those that will bear witness to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is these things that will share the Gospel message, not debating, bragging, gossiping, or being envious or self-righteous. So, today I invite you to be a missionary and to live your life as a mission. Be patient with one another. Invite a stranger to have lunch with you. Be kind while driving. Think less about the financial cost of each decision in your life and more about the impact it has on one another, our planet, and your own soul. Spend less on yourself and give more to those in need. Refrain from using Facebook as a political battlefield and try to listen to another's point of view with an open heart. Go out of your way to meet a non-Christian, someone from a different church, or someone who is just different, and love them! Love them not by trying to correct or educate but by becoming friends and sharing your life with them. Dampen your pride and sharpen your humility by allowing yourself to suffer just a little. By living your life as a mission your are offering salvation to yourself and to those you meet along the way, because “Mission revitalizes faith” (Redemptoris Missio, 2).
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On a MissionTwo passionate parents and their four children are excited to bring His Word to everyone in need while living a life of Gospel poverty as missionaries. They invite you to join them on a journey to encounter our global neighbors that Jesus commands us to love through works of charity and service. Archives
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