Where might Jesus be calling you?
I’m no expert in following. I certainly am not one in listening. I’m learning, I’m growing, and I pray I continue in that as long as I’m on this side of earth. Throughout this life, Jesus continues to open my eyes to so much NEW. Like today?
This verse struck me in a different way, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth have been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV). I have seen this verse numerous times. I see it on the walls of churches. It is our great commission, but this morning during my coffee and time with Jesus, I pondered on how many of us, myself included, take time to understand the weight of this, what it means, and do what Jesus instructs us to.
Go and make disciples. It sounds easy when you make the statement. “Just go and do it,” but for each of us, It’s complex. It carries a lot of weight. As in, when you know God is asking one thing of you, but it’s the opposite of what you want to do. Do you listen? Or do you choose to do what makes sense to you because at this current time you don’t understand the order from Him? We say it’s where faith steps in, and we aren’t wrong, it’s true. But then, what if we were wrong in our faith or next step? Do we serve a God big enough to bring us back? I know we do, but it’s us as people who make it more complex. It’s not as simple when others disagree. It’s not as simple when you want to love, but you have to do it from afar and that love looks like prayer and silence instead. It’s not so easy when you want to provide and meet an immediate need, like money, but God is saying “that’s not what they need.”
In making disciples, in following the direction the Holy Spirit leads, I find peace at end of this verse, “And surely I am with you, always, to the very end of age.” (v 28:20) These words make this weighty verse spoken from the mouth of Jesus, a tiny less complex. It brings it back home because I realize that HE is with me. Even when we do, say, or choose the wrong way. He takes us back. He walked this earth. He knew it would not be easy. He knew His followers would be persecuted and/or rejected, just like Him.
Yet, Jesus is who we will see when we one day enter into eternity. And that makes this life down here, the temporary troubles, the moments we don’t understand, worth it in the end. As followers of Him, shouldn’t we desire everyone to experience a love like that? Many do not know this pure and true love exist. They are skeptical, they’ve been hurt, they think it is rules you must do to gain a relationship with Him, and others have never even heard His name.
It’s why Jesus called us to go.
For some, it may not be going far. He may be calling you right down the road or even to stay and clean up your own home. For others, He calls to nations, to small communities, to churches. He knows where we each need to go, some of us need to make it a priority and spend time asking, “where are you calling me, Lord?” And then, listen to where or to whom He may send.