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The Purpose Driven Life(91)

By:Rick Warren



“You can’t take it with you”—but the Bible says you can send it on ahead by investing in people who are going there!



What are you allowing to stand in the way of your mission? What’s keeping you from being a world-class Christian? Whatever it is, let it go. “Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back.”21

Jesus told us to “store up your treasures in heaven.”22 How can we do this? In one of his most misunderstood statements Jesus said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”23 Jesus did not mean for you to “buy” friends with money. What he meant was that you should use the money God gives you to bring people to Christ. They will then be friends for eternity who will welcome you when you get to heaven! It’s the best financial investment you’ll ever make.

You’ve probably heard the expression “You can’t take it with you”—but the Bible says you can send it on ahead by investing in people who are going there! The Bible says, “By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well.”24

Shift from thinking of excuses to thinking of creative ways to fulfill your commission. If you are willing, there is always a way to do it, and there are agencies that will help you. Here are some common excuses:

“I only speak English.” This is actually an advantage in many countries where millions of people want to learn English and are eager to practice it.

“I don’t have anything to offer.” Yes, you do. Every ability and experience in your shape can be used somewhere.

“I’m too old (or too young).” Most mission agencies have age-appropriate short term projects.



Whether it was Sarah claiming she was too old to be used by God or Jeremiah claiming he was too young, God rejected their excuses. “‘Don’t say that,’ the LORD replied, ‘for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you.’”25

Maybe you have believed that you needed a special “call” from God, and you’ve been waiting for some supernatural feeling or experience. But God has already stated his call repeatedly. We are all called to fulfill God’s five purposes for our lives: to worship, to fellowship, to grow like Christ, to serve, and to be on mission with God in the world. God doesn’t want to use just some of his people; he wants to use all of his people. We are all called to be on-mission for God. He wants his whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.26

Many Christians have missed God’s plan for their lives because they have never even asked God if he wanted them to serve as a missionary somewhere. Whether out of fear or ignorance, they have automatically closed their minds to the possibility of serving as a resident missionary in a cross-cultural location. If you are tempted to say no, you ought to check out all the different ways and possibilities that are now available (this will surprise you), and you ought to seriously pray and ask God what he wants from you in the years ahead. Untold thousands of resident missionaries are desperately needed at this critical point in history, when so many doors are opening wide like never before.

If you want to be like Jesus, you must have a heart for the whole world. You can’t be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over 6 billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all his lost children found. Jesus said, “Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live!”27 The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.


DAY THIRTY-EIGHT

THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE





Point to Ponder: The Great Commission is my commission.





Verse to Remember: “Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind.” Psalm 67:2 (LB)





Question to Consider: What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?





39

Balancing Your Life


Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do.

Ephesians 5:15 (Ph)





Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance.

2 Peter 3:17 (CEV)





Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone.

One of the events in the summer Olympics is the pentathlon. It is composed of five events: pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, running, and swimming. The pentathlete’s goal is to succeed in all five areas, not just one or two.