I Will Go!

This is a devotion that I shared with the High School Sunday School class at church this past Sunday. It sums up some of my recent thoughts on missions and sacrifice. . .

During the past couple of months, I’ve had a lot of thoughts going through my mind on missions, surrender, and thanksgiving and how they all relate. A couple of weeks ago, Pastor mentioned in church that we can worship and thank God through surrendering to Him. That really helped to spin my wheels on this topic!

We’ve had multiple opportunities this month to talk with missionaries here at church as well as with personal friends of ours who are leaving for the field next year. Our friends are going to Bolivia to help start family-style orphanages. They presented their ministry to us, and also talked about how much they’ve had to sacrifice to go. They have already sold nearly all of their earthly possessions. Just think for a minute what that would mean to you: your clothes, shoes, purses, electronics, books, games, instruments, Cd’s, movies, Christmas decorations, pets, and other sentimental things like photo albums, toys, and trinkets. They are leaving for Bolivia in January and have no plans to return anytime soon.

I have thought so hard over the past months if I could do what these friends of ours are doing. I’ve asked myself many times if I’m willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of serving God and proclaiming His glory to the nations. It is not an easy question to answer. Recently I was reading Matthew 13 and verses 45-46 stood out at me: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

Those of us who have salvation have been given fine pearls. God has blessed us so that we can share with others. We should be willing to sacrifice everything we have in order to expand the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” There are no question marks in this verse; it is a direct command. John 15:10 says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

One last verse I want to share is John 15:8, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” If we are really God’s disciples, then we should be willing to fully surrender to Him and to GO for Him. For some, “going” may mean leaving the country. For others it may simply mean “going” across a classroom. Romans 10:13-15a says, “for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?”

I hope that we can all honestly say “I Will Go! Send Me!”