Where Do I Go From Here?

In two of my last three posts I have talked about motivations for being involved in missions and also how important missions is. If God has moved us in any way to take up the cause of missions, we will ask the question, “Where do I go from here?”  So, here are a number of steps we can take to be engaged in the glorious cause of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom in all the world as a witness to all people groups (Mt. 24:14).

1. Spend time in prayer, asking God to guide you in how you should be involved in missions. Though God will not direct every Christian to go to another part of the world permanently, he has already directed every Christian to be involved in the work in some manner (Mt. 28:18-20).  We can pray for missionaries and missions needs, we can support missionaries, we can correspond with missionaries to encourage them, we can be involved in reaching out to internationals and international students locally, we can go on short-term trips, and some of us will go to other places in the world permanently.

2. Spend time praying for missions you and/or your church supports. Pray for missions throughout the world. One of the great tools to provide guidance in how to pray for every country in the world in an informed manner is Jason Mandryk’s Operation World (Biblica Publishing, 2010), a book that can be ordered at www.operationworld.org. Some of the information about each nation, set out in a daily prayer calendar, is available on that site. The book, however, has much more information in it and is a treasure house of missions information.

3. Spend time learning about missions, missionaries, and missions needs. God often uses this to prick our consciences and moves our hearts in the ways we can and should be involved. In addition to the book mentioned above (Operation World), biographies about missionaries can be very helpful. For some short free biographies, check out www.desiringgod.org/biographies. Nothing will aid any more than taking the class, Perspectives On The World Christian Movement. For the class closest to you, check out www.perspectives.org.

4. Determine that you will not give in to the “American Dream.” The driving force for any true follower of Jesus Christ should not be merely to amass as much money and “stuff” as we can, as well as to have the house, white picket fence, and to make sure that our children can turn around and do the same. Our dream should be to infuse within each other a powerful loving producing joy that overflows into a passion to make disciples here and abroad to the glory of God.

5. Look at your gifts, education, abilities, resources, and your experience. Begin to brainstorm and to pray about how you can utilize for the fame of his name among the lost and among the nations what God has given to you. Pretty much every vocation and skill set can be a great blessing somewhere to the cause of missions. Also remember wherever God has you living and working is a mission field for you. Approach it that way.

6. Begin missions where you are. Build relationships with unbelievers, as well as new believers. Win the lost to Christ and help Christians grow into those who can reproduce in others. Again, this is not the calling of a select few, but of all of us. Start by asking God to give you opportunities. Then look for people to be-friend and to love. Be open to how God may lead you to share Jesus with them. You can work this into your daily schedule of work, family activities, time spent with other Christians, school events, and/or meal times.

7. Begin setting goals for how you can be involved in God’s mission, such as: I will befriend one person over the next six months; I will share the gospel with one to two people over the next six months; I will learn how to share the gospel in the next six months; I will pray five days a week for missions and missionaries; I will go on my first short-term missions trip in the next two years; or I will take the Perspectives course in the next year.

8. Finally, remember, to whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). God has given so much to us in the United States. He has blessed us that we might be a blessing to others (see Psalm 67), rather than merely sitting on it for our own comfort.