We have been given the assignment to make disciples of all nations. How we accomplish this is many times through small, seemingly insignificant acts of obedience as we are directed by the Spirit of the Lord. What is your mission today, and are you on your way to completing it?
As I was praying about what I should write this week, I felt the Lord urgently speaking “Do not abort the mission.” What does this mean exactly? The reality is that it might mean something completely different for you than it does for me. I purpose today to share with you the things I heard in my spirit in hopes that it will do one of three things: encourage you in, remind you of, or propel you toward your God-given assignment. I know for some of us, this can sound intimidating or scary. If that’s where you find yourself today, my prayer is that by the end of this reading, you will come to understand the importance of following through and that it really isn’t as scary as it may seem.
Has there ever been a time in your life that you had a thought to start something? Maybe it was to get involved with feeding the homeless community or volunteering at the senior citizen’s center, or perhaps start a charity or business of some sort. Possibly you felt you were supposed to publish that poem that’s been sitting in a notebook tucked away or reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t spoken with in years. If it isn’t clear to you at this moment, take a second right now to pause and allow God to remind you of the thing you were supposed to start doing. You see, sometimes we chalk those thoughts off as being “just me” and don’t give credit to the One who inspired them. It could be something big, or something you might consider to be small and insignificant. No matter, big or small, we don’t always have the privilege of knowing the depth of impact doing that one thing might have.
To abort means to terminate before completion. Many times when we get the idea or unction to start or do a thing, we’re excited and begin with a bang. Then opposition comes or we meet a roadblock and we either decide it isn’t worth the time and energy or conclude that we weren’t supposed to do it in the first place. This is a trick of the enemy and he would like nothing more than to see us quit too soon.
I love sharing stories that expound on a point because it helps us relate and encourages us to apply the principal to our own lives. The story I’m sharing today begins back in 1971 when a lady was driving along the road and saw a young 17-year-old pregnant girl walking along. These two were complete strangers to one another, but the lady driving felt impressed to stop and deliver a message to the young mother that Jesus loves her, she’s not forgotten, she did the right thing and it’s going to be alright. What this lady didn’t know was that when the young mother told her parents she was pregnant, they insisted she abort the baby. The teenage girl made the choice to keep the child instead and was shunned from her family. At the time of this encounter, she was living 17,000 miles away and had just recently broken up with the baby’s father. She was feeling desperate and questioning whether she made the right choice in keeping the child. Because of this lady’s obedience and words of hope, the young mother ended up giving her life to Christ and went on to have her baby. Had the lady continued driving and chose not to complete the assignment in stopping to talk to this young girl about Christ, or had the girl chosen to abort her child when pressured by her family, we as a Christian community would not have had the honor of entering into worship with songs such as Friend of God, Jesus at the Center and To Worship You I Live. The world-renowned worship leader and songwriter, Israel Houghton, would not exist.
For sake of conversation, we might say the lady driving had the small mission and the young mother had the big mission. Without the “small” mission of delivering a message, would the young mother have accepted Christ and taught her son about Him? Israel Houghton may still have become a household name, but would he have impacted the Kingdom of God and changed the face of worship in the way that he has? Remember, the depth of impact is God’s determination, no matter how big or small the mission may seem to our human understanding. What may have seemed small by simply stopping to tell this young girl about Christ, changed the course of her life, the life of her son and thousands of worshippers all over the world, including mine.
Age doesn’t matter, life circumstances don’t matter, failures don’t matter, lack of experience doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have been given a mission and we must not abort it. God has called each one of us to make an impact in the world around us. If you are actively working on your mission, I encourage you not to grow weary when it might get tough. If you’re not quite sure what your mission is or feel you’re past your time for accomplishing anything, spend time in prayer and allow the Lord to show you – it’s never too late. If you are sure of your mission but haven’t started it yet, begin taking steps toward it one day at a time. DO NOT ABORT YOUR MISSION. Someone’s life may depend on it.
Scriptures:
Romans 5:19 (ESV) – “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
I Samuel 15:22 (ESV) – “Has the Lord as great delight burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
Isaiah 1:19 (ESV) – “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”
Luke 6:46 (ESV) – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
Prayer
Lord, I choose to be obedient to do the things You guide and direct me to do, no matter how big or small they may seem. You are capable of changing nations by one simple act of obedience. May I complete each and every assignment You entrust to me so that lives will be changed and impacted for Your kingdom.
Ryan, L. (n.d). Israel Houghton: An Intimate Portrait of Worship. CBN Entertainment. Retrieved from https://www1.cbn.com/music/israel-houghton%3A-an-intimate-portrait-of-worship
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