Calling all Believers

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  - Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

What is God's will for my life? That is a question that is often asked by American Christians.Sometimes we hope to hear God's voice through inner whispers of the Spirit, or mystical signs from God. God may sometimes speak in such ways, but there is one foolproof way to hear God's voice and to know His will: by opening the Bible and reading it!

Over the past few days I've noticed a few explicit references to the will of God in Paul's epistles. Among other things, Paul noted these as God's will: to be joyful and give thanks in all circumstances; to avoid sexual immorality and live a holy life; and to live a quiet life, work hard, and provide for one's self and one's family. These may not seem as glamorous as becoming a missionary to a foreign land, but I believe they are just as pleasing to God, when done in faith and obedience to Him.

There is, however, a definite call for us to take the Good News of Jesus to all people. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus clearly made his will known to his disciples, in what has come to be known as The Great Commission. Does the call need to be any more specific than this? As Christ's Church in the present day, we are to carry on the work that was begun by those first disciples of Jesus. In the past, when I've shared with fellow believers about my desire to serve in missionary aviation, I sometimes felt pressure to explain it in terms of some mystical calling. Maybe I felt the need to prove that this call was really from God. But, although I do feel drawn specifically toward missionary aviation, I would much rather appeal to Christ's clear call to his disciples to go and make new disciples in every nation!

All throughout the Bible we see God's desire to bring people from every people group into relationship with Him. The book of Revelation indicates that one day people from every nation will, in fact, worship Him:

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you purchased for God

persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Revelation 7:9)

As someone who gets excited about experiencing other cultures, I can't wait for that day! In the past, I have had the privilege to worship with believers from many countries. There is something to be said for enjoying the comfort of your own culture and customs, but there is nothing like gathering with believers from diverse backgrounds and traditions to worship our One God together; to see that God is so much greater than what can be expressed in any one language or cultural context!

What a privilege we have to participate in God's work of reconciling the world to himself! (1 Corinthians 5:17-20) We are humbled not only to serve Christ in this way, but by the many family and friends who have joined with us in this calling through their partnership. We are truly grateful!