missionaries of us all

Like many of you, I remember as a child when missionaries came to my church and told stories and showed pictures of their work overseas.  I was both amazed and shocked to hear about the wonderful things they had seen but also the scary things they had endured in order to help people far away find God.
 
These people, to me, where like superheroes.  They must be special and possess special powers to do this work.  I knew that I was not like them.  I didn't have the faith or the knowledge needed to do this work.  So I threw a few dollars in the plate and prayed a prayer for them...and went back to my comfortable life.
 
That's exactly the problem.  We have decided that only SOME people are missionaries and we are just normal Chrsitians.  But that isn't supposed to be the case.  The whole world is a mission field.  Our local school is a mission field full of students who don't know God's love.  Our neighborhoods are a mission field full of families who don't know Jesus yet.  Our own families may be mission fields with loved ones who haven't accepted God's grace in their lives.  And we are the missionaries most likely to be used to share that love and grace and truth.
 
1 Peter 2:9 tells us that "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light"
 
No longer is the work of proclaiming the good news just for a few, but for all.  We are all missionaries.  We may never go overseas to do the work, but our mission field is all around us.  Open your eyes and share the good news.
 
In Christ,
Pastor Scott