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Written by Kassie Lamoureux, Executive Assistant for Iron Rose Sister Ministries
The week after our college graduation, my friend, Emma, was getting married. I was so excited about the wedding for many reasons; one being that I was finally going to meet Emma’s older sister. I had heard story after story about her over the past few years. And Emma always said, “Oh, you’re going to love her.” A few days before the wedding, Emma’s sister arrived! The first thing I said to her was, “We’ve never met, but I feel like I know you because of how much Emma has talked about you.”
Just as I felt as if I knew Emma’s sister through the stories she told, others should feel as if they know Christ through us as His disciples. We should be talking about the great things Jesus has done in our lives so that the world knows Him. We should be telling others about Him and saying, “Oh, you’re going to love Him.”
Making Jesus known should be a natural response to encountering His love. But it is also a command He gives us. In the book of Matthew, Jesus’ parting words to the apostles before He ascended into heaven were His instructions to spread the Good News so that more would come to know Him.
All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mt 28:18-20 CSB)
It is significant that this command to the apostles is the very last event recorded in Matthew. Jesus had just resurrected, and we know from other gospels that He was about to ascend to heaven. I imagine the apostles were asking Jesus lots of questions about what would happen next. So, Jesus left the apostles with an instruction of what they should do once He was no longer physically with them: Go and tell!
This final command to the apostles is of such importance that it has been given a special name by which we refer: The Great Commission. The word “commission” comes from the same root word as “commitment.” As followers of Jesus, we need to be committed to telling others about Him.
The most notable disciple in Acts who committed himself to making Christ known is Paul. He went on several journeys, for years at a time to introduce people to Jesus. He often returned years later to encourage the church, reminding them of “the Lord in whom they believed.”
When they had appointed elders for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Ac 14:23)
The Great Commission was not only a command for the early disciples. All are called to share the Good News of Jesus.
Another way to think about the word “commission” is to break it down into two parts:
- “Co” – with, together, joint
- “Mission” – assignment, operation, task, or goal
The Great Commission is the invitation for us as Jesus’ disciples to join (co-) in Jesus’ operation (-mission) to bring all people to God— to make Him known throughout all the world. How cool it is that we have an all-powerful God who doesn’t need our help, but He invites us to participate in the story He is unfolding!
Today, how can you join God’s mission in making Him known? Who can you tell about Jesus? And don’t forget to add “Oh, you’re going to love Him.”
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Written by Kristi Bond, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2Co 5:13-15, NIV)
The most memorable lesson I learned in college did not take the form of classroom instruction. It didn’t come from a book, and although I am grateful to my parents and professors who set me on a course of faithful service and academic excellence, this particular lesson was not theirs to give me.
During my first year in college, I worked at a Mexican food restaurant. It was hard work made even harder by the fact that I didn’t have a car for a while, so I had to catch rides from co-workers. I left campus as soon as I was finished with classes, and I arrived back at the dorm late at night with hours of studying still to do. My earnings were hard-won, and I intended to use them well. God knew how to use them better.
One day as I was reflecting on what it might mean to live for Christ, I decided that no matter what happened that day, I was going to have a positive attitude. I hitched a ride to work with about $50 cash in my jacket pocket, expecting to add some tips to it that night, I clocked in and hung my jacket on the pegs in the kitchen and worked my shift. Later that night, I realized the money was gone. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find it – it had not fallen out of my pocket; it had been taken.
I had a decision to make. Was I going to let this event make me angry, or was I going to stick with my earlier decision to let the peace and joy of Jesus Christ reign in me no matter what? Whichever of my co-workers that had taken the money was living for self. But God used that moment to teach me to live for Him —I made the right decision and went back to the dorm with a cheerful heart. It was the best $50 I ever “spent” because it has given me a better perspective not only about money but also about maintaining a positive attitude even when things go wrong.
Martin Luther wrote: “Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to His beloved is that of overcoming self.” It is a gift to leave behind our selfishness and enjoy relationships and actions we might not have taken otherwise. It is a grace from God that allows us to hand over our fears, our failures, and even our trauma to One who can help us function through them. Living for self leads to entrapment in our own misery, and living for others results in enslavement to their actions and values. But living for Christ transforms all of who we are and all of our relationships, creating space for even tough situations to bring peace and abiding joy.
When we overcome self to live for Christ, we don’t have to react negatively or take offense at others. We can seek peace in challenging conversations instead of responding with hateful words – especially on social media! We can see chores and daily tasks as part of something bigger than ourselves and do them without complaint. Every moment is an opportunity to honor God – even when someone takes our hard-earned money.
What does overcoming self and living for Christ look like in your life today?