Prophets and Missionaries

“Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy.” (1 Corinthians 14:13 MSG)

Terms like prophet, missionary, evangelist, minister, pastor, priest, and apostle have been used to describe those who have dedicated their lives to sharing the Gospel of Christ. Yet, are we not all called to this purpose? We do not have to travel to a foreign country or speak to people who have never heard of Christ to be missionaries. We are all given missions from God and, thus, are called to be missionaries, but as they say in the Mission Impossible movies, it's up to us whether we 'choose to accept it'.

Every day, we have innumerable opportunities to draw people into intimacy with Christ--wherever we are. Oftentimes it's easier for us to build relationships with our neighbors and friends than it is to do so with those in foreign countries. Those of us who are not overtly proselytizing, who do not hold the title of minister or missionary, sometimes have better luck at making Christ known. Sometimes, Christian 'evangelists' inadvertently turn Christianity into a multi-level marketing scheme like Mary Kay or Amway. This scares people off more than it attracts people to Christ. People have to trust us before we can influence them. This takes time, agenda-free love, and kindness.