“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 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)
Growing up, I have been comfortable just being a ‘church attendee.’ In my mind, I’m doing exactly what is expected of me as a follower of Jesus — I rarely miss Sunday services, I pray, and I don’t do ‘bad’ things.
From college up to the time I started working, nothing much has changed. I still thought that I’m doing good by having that personal time with our Lord. I thought sharing Jesus with others is exclusively the calling of priests, pastors, and church volunteers. But for me, as long as I am not hurting anybody, I am fine.
The mindset shift
Then this mindset changed. The first time I heard the Great Commission was such a wake-up call. Being a church attendee is good. Praying and obeying the commandments deepen our relationship with God. But He called us for a much greater purpose in this world — to know Him and make Him known.
That convicted me. But I find it hard to start sharing about Him because of the fear of judgment. I fear the prejudice of others. I fear that they may see me as boring. I fear I might lose my ‘cool’ friends.
But I am reminded in verse 18 that all authority in heaven and on earth is in Jesus. He established in us that, however, the world sees us, He is much greater. Much greater than all the judgments and fears we feel. And as Jesus said in verse 20, ‘I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
What now?
Now more than ever, we are to be done with complacency. Let us share our greatest joy, our never-ending peace — Jesus. We have been placed in our families, workplaces, and circles of influence to be that salt and light. Let us be influencers for Jesus. Let us point people to his love on the cross. Let us go and make disciples for His glory.”
Reflection:
- As followers of Jesus, we are all called to do the Great Commission.
2. Pray for the people with whom you want to encounter Jesus. Pray for an opportunity to share the gospel with them.
3. Let us step out of our comfort zone and be reassured that Jesus is with us when we make disciples and make Him known in all nations.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, all authority belongs to you alone. You are our Lord and Savior. We desire to be Your hands, feet, and voice for this generation. Lord, we acknowledge that you don’t need us, yet we thank you for the privilege of using us in our circle of influence to make you known. Open doors for us to share about you with our families, friends, workplaces, and even with random encounters with people. Give us the right words to speak, so that you alone will be magnified.
Help us not to become stumbling blocks to fellow believers and future believers. Protect us, Jesus, from the discouragement and lies of the enemy. Our work is to share about you, and we will surrender the results to you. You alone know what is best, and we trust in your power and unfailing love. Thank you again, Jesus, for dying for us. May we hear these sweetest words from you someday, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.
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Cheska Geron
7/21/2021