In the past I have never been a person that is very good at finishing what I started. I would read half of a book, become bored and start another book. I wouldn’t complete certain tasks, and even ideas in my head that I told myself I would do, I never actually did. One of these ideas is going on a missions trip. I have always told myself I would travel to India or China but I never did.
Local Missions
The thing is, I do not have to travel overseas in order to be a missionary. I always told myself I had to travel, otherwise I was not showing the love of God. When it comes to mission work you do not need to travel in order to complete a missions trip.
Global vs. Local
I finally realized this in college when I did a missions trip to skid row with my college group. There were so many people that just wanted prayer for things such as healing, finding a job, starting a life, being able to afford a place to live, etc. To be a missionary does not necessarily mean you have to hop on a plane and go to a third world country, although people that do that are incredible people with humble hearts. Missions trips such as those are not made for everyone. People in your home city need to hear the word of God also.
Spreading the Word of God to Your Neighbors
If you are spreading the news of the gospel to non-believers it is considered missions. There are people out there that God put on this earth to travel the ends of the earth to spread the word of Christ. There are also people he put on earth to mainly show the love of Christ to friends, family, or the local community. As long as you are living to share His name to others, you are doing works of faith. So many people around the world need to hear the gospel. That includes local areas also!
Sharing the gospel within your own culture is evangelism. Sharing the gospel with someone from another culture (people group) is missions. If you volunteer at a local shelter for refuges from a third world country that could be your mission field.
One can also serve by using one’s technical skills to help publish God’s Word near and far in many languages.
One can also be a missionary by sponsoring Sonset Solar powered portable radios to people who need to hear the gospel 😉
Very true. That’s why my husband and I decided to back to our country to do evangelizing among the neighbors and relatives.
where you are
amen.
Global missionary and local also.every one of us are missionary.
True
I would also add that in our world of modern missions, and the vast wealth the church in the West represents, billions today, still have yet to hear of Jesus! Some may not be called to go, but to send and equip, and more than any time in history, there are ways we can reach such people in some of the least reached countries on earth. God is opening doors and bringing unprecedented harvests in many unexpected places. Iran, to name one, is where the church is growing fastest of all the nations. Many Islamic nations are seeing growth, but the need is great.