USA (MNN) — Christ commanded His church to take the Gospel to all nations, but many Christians living in North America feel disconnected from ministries and mission work. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. In a recent blog post, Wycliffe USA explored eight ways to engage with this calling to reach the nations.
Defeating Fear
Daysi Russell says many believers might hesitate to participate in ministry work because of the lies they believe.
(Photo courtesy of Wycliffe USA)
“One of the biggest things is fear,” she says. “[People] are afraid they’re not qualified. They’re afraid they’re not good enough or worthy enough. I think that’s a lie of the enemy that keeps people from living out their calling.”
However, by being intentional and surrendering to God, Christians can avoid falling into this cycle of fear. In the article, Wycliffe outlines four disciplines and four practices to help believers engage in their calling to reach the nations.
The four disciplines – prayer, learning, simplicity, and community – help Christians live lives dedicated to Christ and therefore be willing and able to listen to His voice.
The four practices – mobilizing, sending, going, and welcoming – are all valuable ways the church is called to spread the Good News, though at some points in life people might be led to focus on one over the others.
Russell says that of these four disciplines and four practices, the importance of prayer stands out for her.
“Prayer is foundational to our work. We can’t do this on our own, and whether we’re here in the U.S. or on the field, we strive to make prayer a significant part of our daily life. The Word says, ‘Then you will call to me and come to me and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart’” (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
Stepping Out in Faith
Working through these disciplines and practices can be challenging, but amazing things can happen when you step out in obedience.
“When people say yes to God, one of the most important things is to do the research, and God is going to open up the doors in such amazing ways,” Russel says. “God has gifted and given people opportunities to learn and to grow in areas that are useful for kingdom work, so the first step is taking that step of obedience, then he’s going to open up the doors.”
(Photo courtesy of Wycliffe USA)
God continues to open doors even during the pandemic. When one translation group found themselves short-handed, Wycliffe connected them with believers who spoke the language, allowing the project to move forward. Even if you don’t speak another language, there are still plenty of ways to serve and connect with Wycliffe.
“At Wycliffe, we’re passionate about encouraging everyone to connect with us. We have hundreds of opportunities to serve or even volunteer. Wycliffe needs all kinds of people with various skills to contribute to this mission, and particularly in the season of COVID, there are still a lot of opportunities to work remotely,” Russel says.
Visit Wycliffe’s website to learn more about how you can pray and serve.
Header image courtesy of Annie Spratt via Unsplash
