As You Go
Examine – Embrace – Engage – Encourage.
This was the theme of the 2025 North American Mission Board’s Women’s Evangelism Conference. What a wonderful two days! I had the privilege of worshipping with 400 women and being encouraged and reminded that we are the light of this world, and we have been commanded by our Savior to share the good news of salvation with others...as we go.
As we go about our everyday lives...in the grocery store, in the doctor’s office, at the ballpark, at the gym, in the classroom...wherever we go, we are to be overflowing with the love of Christ so that others will want what we have. Our light should be shining so brightly that we might even get the opportunity to help light someone’s way right to Jesus!
Reading in Matthew 26 this morning, I came across this one sentence. Just a few words, but how they struck my heart!
In Matthew 26:56b we read these words: “Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
A mob had come to arrest Jesus. With clubs and swords in their hands, they would take Him by force if they had to. In the face of possibly being arrested with Jesus, His disciples forsook Him and ran away.
Forsake means to abandon, renounce or give up something valued or pleasant. In the face of danger, Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him. They ran away to protect themselves.
What would you have done? I often judge the disciples a bit too harshly, I think. I like to think I would have stood by Jesus’ side no matter what. Arrest me or beat me, but you would have to drag me away from His side.
But the Holy Spirit reminds me that I often do run away. I side-step opportunities to bless others with the gospel. I ask for God to give me opportunities to share the gospel with others, but then I set myself up with needing to hurry through my day that I don’t leave any margin in my life to actually have time to share. And, honestly, sometimes I give in to the fear that I might not have all the right words or answers for them.
I find that I am just like the disciples. I forsake Jesus, giving up the valuable opportunity to share Him with someone, and then I run away, going about my busy life, hardly looking back at the missed chances.
Jesus hasn’t just kindly asked us to make disciples and teach them His ways.
He has commanded us.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus didn’t say we have to go to a foreign country or another state. He said, “as you go.”
As we go about our daily lives, we are to let our light shine and share the gospel by our actions and our words.
I have been challenged by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to shine and share the gospel and I pray that you will be challenged as well.
· Examine – look into your own heart and mind. Are you being obedient to make disciples?
· Embrace – Are you taking hold of the mission field God has placed you in? This may be your own home, neighborhood, office, classroom, workplace.
· Engage – Will you intentionally engage others in gospel conversations?
· Encourage – Let’s encourage one another on to the good works God has prepared for each of us, and for every believer, this good work definitely includes sharing the good news!
Now, let’s go, shine and share what Jesus has done for us!