Use What You Have
Mission is always, first and foremost, an issue of motivation, not means.
Case in point: the Jerusalem church of Acts. While the eleven disciples and the early church could have wished they had more resources to accomplish the job of making disciples of all nations, they didn’t. Instead, they simply and obediently started where they were with who and what they had. They were motivated, not by means, but by mission.
This is the essence of the logistical dimension of both the mission and missions: using who and what you have. Truly missional followers aren’t waiting till the right person comes along, the best tool is found, or the golden opportunity presents itself. They size up what they have available and seize the moment. They don’t see logistics—or the lack of them—as limiting their movement, but rather as a way of leveraging momentum.
Frankly, the early church, still reeling from 50 days of amazingly life-altering and eyebrow-raising events (i.e., Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension), cleared some high hurdles in their first few weeks. From appointing Mathias to replace Judas to meeting in an upstairs room to utilizing homes for gathering tobaptizing thousands in rivers to sharing resources and selling property to finding men to help with widows, the early church didn’t wait till everything was “in place” to begin making disciples. The task was simply and supernaturally thrust upon them, and they responded by using who they had and what they had immediately. Willingly. Generously.
Clearly, all were in because all were needed. This is what the Great Commission requires—all of us “all in.” Everyone using everything they have.
Today, stop delaying giving because you’re waiting till you have more to give; give what you have. Quit procrastinating inviting your friend to church; send that text or make that call today with an invitation for this weekend. No longer delay in opening your home to your neighbors; swing those doors wide today and show hospitality to those closest to you. Refuse to put off taking time off to go on that mission trip; commit today to experiencing the foreign field.
In short, look at what you have, then use it for God’s mission. Resist focusing on what you don’t have; rather, utilize what you do have. Think participation and progress, nor perfection.
After all, there will never be a perfect time to be on-misson; there will only be the right time. And the right time is now.
Pastor Todd