A few weekends ago, a wonderful friend took me to a café for breakfast at the beach. Her name is Heather and we met when we were both students on Discipleship Training School. It was actually quite a beautiful thing how God orchestrated that lovely morning. As we were talking over eggs benedict and a cuppa, Heather opened my eyes to a lie I believed about missions.
I equate missions with suffering. I felt that I wasn’t doing “real” missions, that I wasn’t “suffering” enough, because I love what I do and if I love it I’m not suffering, right? Wrong. You always hear about the missionary who sacrifices everything to go to Africa and live in a village with people, or the missionary who went to Vietnam to remote areas to tell about Jesus. As I was sitting at brekky with Heather, I was just speaking out how much I love where God has brought me and what I get to do. It finally hit home, that I am doing missions, and I love it!
God has called me to Perth. He has called me to develop discipleship skills and to grow in different areas while I’m here. He called me to serve in the hospitality ministry where I get to serve in a café, communicate with guests, clean guest rooms, serve the base in a practical way. I get to be the hands and feet, loving people practically every day.
In the café, we raise funds for the base. It’s a way we are able to support the vision God has given our leaders. We are opening a new public café and will be able to spread God’s light to the people around us.
Now that is not what the world thinks of a “missionary”, but that is what God has called me to do. Being a missionary means loving people and sharing God’s love wherever you go, whether that be in an office, at the grocery store, in Africa or in Perth. It is not about the world’s view of a missionary, but about God’s view. So friend, if you love Jesus and tell others about Him, we’re both missionaries. We’re both obeying the Great commission to go out and make disciples.
And I love it. That is the crazy part that leaves me in shock. Now that God leads me and my steps, He leads me into a greater love than one could ever fathom. God has given me a heart for what He’s called me to do, which is to love and serve people; to show them Jesus through whatever I do and say. Listening and obeying God fills us in a way that makes us desire more of Jesus. And I pray that for every person I encounter, they experience God’s love in a new way.
Furthering Grace 