In this series, we have looked at the commission and the command found in it, then the excuses of not being enough and not wanting to be uncomfortable. In this post, we will be looking at the excuse of thinking you won’t make a difference. Whether it’s thinking that the missionaries have it covered, thinking you by yourself can’t make a difference, or doubting what God can do with little time, we will be looking at each of these, seeing how God uses His weak and faithful servants to do great things.

The Harvest is Plentiful

And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest”. Luke 10:2

There are too many who believe that missionaries have it covered. According to certain mission agencies, nearly 60% of the world is unreached, meaning there is little to no gospel presence. If you are in a church and have a good Christian community, it can be easy to believe that this is the normal across the world. It can be hard to believe that there are places in this world where people will never meet a Christian. This is the kind of need Jesus was talking about in Luke 10:2. There is a wide world in need of the gospel. Although there are a number of missionaries, there is still a great need. Jesus reminds us of the need, then calls us to pray that there would be harvesters sent out. Prayer is a great instrument of missions; it is one of the best ways to participate in missions even if you don’t travel halfway across the world, but if you hear God calling you to go, obey. Do not pray for missions while refusing to consider God may be calling you to go.

God Uses the One

Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. Jonah 3:4-5a

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

The story of Jonah is one of my favorites. I remember hearing about it as a kid and only really caring about the first half, when he is swallowed by a fish. However, when I read that story now, I gravitate to the back half. We see God use a reluctant servant to draw an entire sinful city to repentance and ultimately save the people from destruction. The book of Jonah goes on to show Jonah maintains his overall grumpiness even after this great work of God. I wonder what would happen if Jonah wasn’t just the story of a man swallowed by a great fish, but instead was an example of God using a servant in a mighty way to bring about His will. I believe the conversation around missions would not be about what little we could do, but rather how much God can achieve. Think about how much God did with the reluctant servant Jonah and imagine the great work God can do with a soul-on-fire servant. Now, not every time you go out and share will seem like a great success. That is why it is good to remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:6 and 7. It is not on us to bring about the growth of new believers. God is the only one to truly bring salvation. We are called to faithfully share the gospel and disciple others or, as Paul puts it, planting and watering. We may be the planter who does not get to see the full process through, maybe we come alongside someone and water, or maybe we get to come alongside them and see them come to Christ as a new believer. We should not measure our success on spontaneous conversions. Instead, we should seek to scatter many seeds and praying God will bring about salvation.

God Uses the Week

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15a

And they went out and preached everywhere. Mark 16:20

Throughout this series, I have pushed for short-term mission trips. This section will address the great impact one week can have. Many doubt that because most short-term trips are just one week, there can’t produce great impact. First, mission trips support missionaries in two ways. Mission trips can multiply the missionaries’ reach for a week. As I said before, in missions, we are supposed to plant as many seeds as we can. Mission trips can add numbers to the already existing teams. Mission trips also support missionaries simply by being a reminder of home, a reminder that the church family has not forgotten them and that they are not isolated on the mission field. Another way a short-term mission trip can have an impact is by changing you. According to various missions agencies, roughly 80-90% of missionaries first heard the call on a short-term missions trip. God repeatedly uses short-term mission trips to call His people to long-term mission work. That one week can be the start of a life on mission, a life dedicated to bringing the gospel in the hardest-to-reach places. Do not jump to excuses, rather, be open to the calling God has put on your life and follow where the Lord leads.