10/26/2025
Do we identify ourselves as missionaries? Is that what we do as a vocation, or is it a part of our everyday routine as we go here and there in life, and mix with all those we come into contact with each day? Being a missionary is not just an amazing calling for the few but should be the goal of every Christian. Spreading the gospel to one or one hundred thousand makes no difference in what we are asked to do, nor in what we are called to do. Whether we refer to ourselves as evangelists, missionaries, or simply Christians... spreading the gospel is what we are meant to do.
“Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”
John 20:21-22 ESV
Do we think this instruction was meant for the disciples only? Well think again, because we are all meant to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, even if it is limited to our own country, county, city, neighborhood, workplace, school, or family.
"A missionary is one sent by Jesus Christ as He was sent by God. The great dominant note is not the needs of men, but the command of Jesus." - Oswald Chambers
If we do the work of evangelizing but do this simply because of our own personal desire to excel before God through service, then we are not answering His call. Equally, if we do so out of pity for those we deliver the message to, then we have not been called either. But, if we witness to others, and spread the good news of Jesus because we have been led to do so by the intense commandment and urging of Jesus Himself, then we are called and will not fail.
One of the great dangers of being a missionary is to go into the world and become so moved by the human condition of the people there that it impairs our ability to deliver the message as we were called to. If we have been sent to spread the word then we shouldn’t look to the left or the right, nor consider ourselves to be the physical savior of those we have been sent to enlighten... otherwise we will not be able to deliver the message as we should and will become bogged down in a goodwill mission instead. Pastor Oswald Chambers recognized this danger and wrote these words:
"In missionary enterprise the great danger is that God’s call is effaced by the needs of the people until human sympathy absolutely overwhelms the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, the conditions so perplexing, that every power of mind falters and fails. We forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary enterprise is not first the elevation of the people, nor the education of the people, nor their needs; but first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ—‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.’" - Oswald Chambers
Spreading the gospel begins the process of salvation and the changing of lives, and as we do it is hard not to let the joy of this accomplishment turn into pride. I am speaking not only of those who are spreading the word, but also those who venerate the missionaries. A certain sign of this is in counting... we Have all heard someone say, “I have saved over ‘X’ number of souls, and I have established churches in ‘X’ number of places”... well you get the idea. God knows the number, and the honor in this belongs to him. Our part is to keep ourselves humble as we serve Him. None of us are any more special because we have gone to the darkest part of Africa or the furthest reaches of the Far East, no, we are no more important than the little boy on the playground back home who tells a playmate about Jesus. One soul, or a thousand, both are answering the call and that is what is of great importance. Oswald Chambers travelled the world and witnessed for Christ, but he died in near obscurity. If not for his wife, we would not have his words today, so listen as she shares his thoughts with us again:
“When looking back on the lives of men and women of God the tendency is to say— What wonderfully astute wisdom they had! How perfectly they understood all God wanted! The astute mind behind is the Mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the Divine guidance of God through childlike people who were foolish enough to trust God’s wisdom and the supernatural equipment of God.” - Oswald Chambers
True men and women of God do not usurp His authority, nor do they claim His honor and grandeur. We are to be simple in our following, and unobtrusive during the praise of God for the things He has led his children to accomplish... humble in all ways. I once read a guidepost article that offered six steps to help us in this regard; here they are:
1. Remember who’s in charge - and praise Him.
2. Pray for a humble heart.
3. Pay more attention to our own faults than to the flaws of others.
4. Don’t hide behind your dignity - its pride’s favorite hiding place.
5. Try not to watch yourself worship.
6. Serve others.
There is nothing exceptionally profound nor difficult in these steps until we begin living them. It is in doing such things that we come to realize our place in God’s plan and look around to find that we are just one of a great many instruments in His orchestra. What if all of us acted as though we were virtuosos, or the conductor? What if all of us felt we could improve upon the very music we were being asked to play?
So, we are meant to stay humble, deliver the gospel at the call and command of Jesus, give God all the glory, and to serve, serve, and serve Him.
Prayer:
Father I thank you for your call which sends me to witness to others, and I thank you for being able to see you at work once the gospel of Jesus Christ has been delivered. You selected me Father, and I thank you for that. Help me to be ever cognizant of the fact that the mission I am on is yours, and that although I feel great joy in its accomplishment, it is only by your hand that I am able to succeed in any way. All glory and victory is wonderfully yours, and I am but a tool in your hand. If I should ever begin to praise myself, or accept the praise of others, please remind me Father that I am unworthy to even gather the chaff from the threshing room floor. It is only by your grace that I am sent into harvest and asked to gather the wheat from your field. Praised be your name Gracious Lord… now and forever more.
Amen!
Rich Forbes