Everywhere

Acts 1:6-8

You will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ENGLISH expansion into the world of trade, when England was trying to catch up with its colonial rivals, many ministers went along as chaplains, pastors, and scholars to serve those who were involved in the commercial ventures. Most undoubtedly had a sense of calling to vocational ministry, but they could have satisfied that calling in parish work in England. It was often their curiosity about the world and their sense of adventure that drove them beyond borders and beyond convention. They ended up crossing paths with dignitaries in high places, people of other faiths, indigenous populations, and a wide assortment of travelers and tradesmen who would never find their way to a church. Their gifts and skills positioned them for influence in ways their more church-focused colleagues could not have.

All kinds of ministry are needed in God’s Kingdom—from the local to the far-flung to everything in between. But history is full of Christians whose longings to serve God were directed back into the church by well-meaning advisers. In times and places where a culture is saturated with Christianity, this type of focus may make sense. But in a pluralistic age, the greatest opportunities for ministry are very often in the least likely settings. The gospel—its words and its demonstrations—will only reach into the corners of the world through the carriers who take it there. God has a place for unconventional adventurers.

Too many people see their earthly interests as competition for their heavenly calling, but God has ordained both. Your passions—commercial, scholarly, frivolous, social, specialized, general, or any other category you can think of—may serve as distractions from your God-given focus at times, but more often they are vehicles that connect you with the rest of the world. The message you carry is absolute; the means by which you carry it can be flexible and multifaceted. The convergence between your desires and the world’s needs are useful to God and assets in his Kingdom, and they will fill your heart with purpose.

{Holy Spirit, shape my longings, direct my steps, and take me where you want me to go—no matter how far off the beaten path it is. Amen.