Did you know that everyone is called to play a part in World Missions? Even if you are not called to be a missionary? {via} As John Piper puts it “You are either a goer, a sender, or in sin.” Have you spent your whole life praying that God doesn’t send you to be a missionary in Africa? That’s fine. Maybe you aren’t supposed to go to Africa {although if you have spent your whole trying to resist going… maybe you ARE supposed to go… just sayin’ J}. {find these prints HERE!} But honestly, most of us are not called to be missionaries. I, for one, feel no special calling on my life to be a missionary. I feel God leading me to stay in the U.S. and to be a light for Him in the university setting and through this blog and any other academic-y/writing-related opportunities He gives me in the future. But that doesn’t give me an excuse to forget about missions. This idea of being a goer or a sender began a friendly argument at our small group recently. “But God requires us some of us to stay here. There is a huge mission field right here in the United States. There are people all around me who need Jesus.” These were the arguments. True. All true. God calls many {probably most of us statistically speaking} to stay here. There are people in desperate need of Jesus all around us. The harvest is ripe in our own cities. But this is not the point. Obviously, we are called to share the Gospel with those around us. That’s why “love your neighbor” is the second greatest commandment in the Bible. The best way we can love our neighbors is to share with them the hope and joy found in Christ and to serve them as Jesus served us. World Missions is a separate, yet related, issue. We are called to love our neighbors and make disciples of all men where ever we live, whether that be in India, Brazil, New York, or Oregon. But we also have a special calling from God to support world missions too, even if we are not sent to foreign lands. Why? 1) Because Jesus commanded it. 2) Because Jesus is not coming back until we do. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14 I don’t know about you, but I want Jesus to return to earth in victory and abolish sin forever. That sounds pretty great. But the Bible tells me that Jesus will not return until every nation has been reached with the Word of God. And that’s why I’m called to missions, even from the comfort of my Arizona home. So how can we be “senders” of missionaries, even if we are not called to go ourselves? Obviously, we can give to missionaries financially. But even if you can’t afford to give right now, there are plenty of other things you can do.  ***Do you have friends who are missionaries? Pray for them specifically. Pray for them often and by name. Request a newsletter or emails updates from them and pray for them with your family.  ***If you have friends serving abroad, make it a point to keep up with the news in that country.  Keep up to date with current events and issues going on there, so you can pray specifically for their safety and well-being in the face of natural disasters, political uprisings, etc.  *** Send care packages to missionaries you know! Living in a foreign country can be lonely and difficult at times. Sure, the missionaries serving there are probably excited about their mission and feel called by God who gives them strength, but packages and notes of encouragement can go a long way. It’s especially important to remember missionaries on their birthdays and Christmas – two days that would usually be celebrated with lots of friends and family in the U.S. but might be virtually ignored in foreign countries.   ***If you don’t know anyone serving in missions, choose an unreached country or city and pray for it specifically. Again, keep up with current events there so you know what to pray for.  ***Ask your pastor or other church leaders how your church serves missionaries and ask how you can help. If your church is not very missions focused, perhaps God is calling you to start some kind of ministry in your local body. {via}       Be praying about how God might be calling you to missions... How can you pay for, pray for, or encourage those God has sent to the corners of the earth? Or maybe, just maybe, He is sending you too...        xoxo,      Jen      *Linking up with Casey Leigh and Call Me Blessed.* ... Read more