Every once-in-awhile it is a good idea to stop what you are doing and take a good look at what you really are striving to obtain in life. After that, you need to look at the everyday activities of your life and see how they match up. The goals that make you tick may be: advancing in your profession, raising a family, making more money, and the list goes on and on.
Every Christian needs to reflect on their spiritual goals, as well. What makes you tick as a Christian? It may be going to church consistently, praying, reading your Bible, or maybe even something else. One thing you often overlook is being active in building into the lives of others. “The missionary statesman Woodward, when asked about the past missions and the future and what should be done, said, ‘Hats off to yesterday and coats off to tomorrow’” (The Speaker’s Quote Book by Roy Z. Zuck).
I know what you are thinking: missions is for the church or for missionaries. After all, you must be called to do mission work. God calls pastors to lead the church to promote missions, and missionaries are called by God to proclaim His saving grace. Think again! Recall the Lord Jesus’ last words on earth before He ascended into heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Notice, this command is made to all Christians. All Christians are to lead people to Christ and teach them the Bible, who in turn learn how to lead others to come to Christ and study their Bibles. They do this beginning with where they live, your own communities, and then venture out to other parts of the world.
So let’s take your hat off to what you have done in the past, no matter how big or small that may be, and get about the business of leading others to Christ and teaching them to do likewise. Like Woodward said, let’s take our coats off and get to work today. Do it now!
