Recently I participated in a missions journey with my church to Europe. Our team traveled by train across Germany, Austria, and Italy. Everyone on the trip is considering serving the Lord through overseas missions, so the purpose of the trip was vision, training, and strategy. We had the opportunity to interview several key Christian leaders and believers, and although they all said different things, I noticed a recurring theme – serving in Europe is very, very difficult, but it’s worth it!
On the trip, I was reminded that it truly is a blessing to be a part of the Lord’s work. God works in mysterious ways, and He could have chosen any number of means for the proliferation of the gospel around the world. In His grace and wisdom, though, He chose us to be the carriers of His message. He has given us the privilege of serving as ambassadors on His behalf. It is our responsibility, then, to represent Him well and to plead with others to be reconciled to God.
The language from 2 Corinthians 5:20 of “pleading” implies that our task is not easy. In Europe, for example, the spiritual soil is very hard and infertile. The good news, though, is that we are not expected to complete this task on our own. God appeals through us, and Christ has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. We simply have to be faithful in our obedience to follow Him.
Seeing God accomplish the impossible is one of the most rewarding things that anyone could be a part of. Along the way, you can expect that there will be difficulty and trouble, but if we aren’t willing to stick it out, then who will?
If you are in a season of discouragement in your ministry, don’t lose hope. Remember that He who has promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23). Although the journey might be long and arduous, it is certainly worthwhile.