To the Ends of Your Earth

              Happy Wednesday afternoon! Unbelievably, another work week is more than halfway gone. I’m not complaining though! I returned from West Michigan on Monday afternoon. Stepping out of the car in Nashville, the 90-degree heat smacked me in the face. The weather in Michigan was mid-50’s, cloudy, and rainy (not so pure Michigan!). Despite the challenging weather, HighRoad persevered and managed to put on a great show at Sandy Pines Chapel in Dorr, Michigan. The previous evening, HighRoad graced the stage at the Gospel Barn in Hillsdale, Michigan. On my Facebook page, I shared the link to an article on the show written for Bluegrass Today. Check it out!

On to today’s reflection…

              Perhaps Billy Joel was on to something in 1977 when he sang “Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray; They built you a temple and locked you away.” Who knew he would be describing a large swath of Christianity forty-two (I'm an accountant, I hope my math is right!) years later in 2019? What a great theologian the great Billy Joel is!

              Countless numbers of Christians build God a temple one hour a week on Sunday mornings (maybe 2 or 3 if you’re really holy!) but lock Him away in said temple the remaining 167 hours of the week. Part of the reason I write this blog is to call out my own weaknesses and deficiencies. Man, this is one area I really struggle with! I tend to keep God and the story of redemption through Christ bottled up inside me. I fail to share and witness to the Gospel in a fervent manner as commanded in Romans 12:11. Perhaps, I could blame this deficiency on my reserved, Midwest, mind-your-own business nature.  This character is our birthright as Midwesterners (You know it’s true)! However, that is no excuse. Acts 1:8 exhorts the following: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

              What a powerful command! There are multiple ways we as Christians can go about fulfilling this verse.  Most notably, we can take an overseas mission journey to a part of the world in which the light of the Gospel is very dim or nonexistent. There are many wonderful missionaries out there raising the Gospel and shining its salvific light on the darkest of places – the ends of the earth. The Christian community should be eternally grateful for these fine men and women of God.

 Ok, so for most of us, it probably isn’t feasible to serve long-term as a missionary overseas. What do we do now? We must see every aspect of our ordinary, day-to-day lives as a perpetual mission field! You may not have the means to travel overseas to share the Gospel, but you can sure take the Gospel to the ends of YOUR earth each day! We all have numerous places where we interact with people of all sorts on a daily basis.  Be a witness to the Gospel at your workplace, your school, or at your children’s activities.  The way we do this effectively is through our words and actions.  Let your doings at all times be a reflection of the God who created you in His image. Simply embodying the teachings of Christ is one of the best ways to spread his message. (Remember that song from your childhood- “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love”?) Though God is sovereign and draws the unreached to Him regardless of our moral shortcomings, it remains imperative that we are faithful witnesses to the precepts of a life-changing Gospel message.  2 Peter 1, verses 5 through 9 state:

 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins."  

          So be encouraged! Take heart in God's irresistible nature and be bold in sharing the Gospel, as the effectiveness of the message is not dependent on your evangelistic skill!  It's the Spirit of God guiding your efforts that draws people near to Him. Taking credit for those coming to know Christ is contrary to Scripture.

I know how difficult embodying the virtues of Scripture can be. Recently, I had an instance in which my words were not a reflection of the Creator. (I’m really pointing out a lot of my shortcomings today!)  This is precisely the reason I (and the entire Christian community) need the sanctifying grace conveyed in the sacrament of The Lord’s Supper.  I need to be perpetually conformed towards the image of Christ! I’m a sinner and in need of the grace and mercy that only our merciful God can bestow.  I’m guessing you’re in the same boat.

So, as we finish out another grueling work week, take Christ out of the temple we’ve built for him on Sunday mornings and into your perpetual mission field. As far as your world reaches, strive to shine the light of the Gospel. The world will be better of for it, no doubt.

In Christ,

Kendal May