A Heart for the World

This morning I had the privilege of sitting in a room listening to Patrick Johnstone speak about his new book, The Future of the Global Church. It was an hour filled with statistics, graphs, maps (thanks to my husband Bryan for making them) and big ideas. Normally I would consider this well outside my scope of music and creative expression…which takes up most of my day…but this time I caught a bigger picture and saw the need for all believers to understand missions (and become passionate about it).

I admit, I only picked up John Piper’s book “Don’t Waste Your Life” a few years ago because my husband said it had a profound influence to lead him to go into missions research. While reading Piper’s book I felt a deep conviction to be burdened for the world that doesn’t know Christ. And today another brick was laid while listening to a life-long missions mobilizer, Patrick Johnstone (who lives in Peterborough, England). God wants us all to see the world through His eyes. It’s not just about our personal lives, which, if we’re not careful, can be all that we see each day.

Our church supports missionaries around the world. Your church probably does too, and you may have a world map in the foyer showing who they are and where the live. They’re part of the church family, even though you don’t see them every week. In the same way, Christ-followers all around the world are part of our church family. Some of them choose live outside of their own culture in order to reach a different culture that needs Christ.

I want to share their heart for people and be just as passionate. You and I can do so much where we are, right now. The city where you live has multiple cultures within it, people who have migrated there and still don’t know Christ. We first need to ask God for a heart of compassion and love for them, most of all. The love of Christ compels us. Missions isn’t for a select number of enthusiasts. It’s the call of every believer, because the heart of the God we serve is for them to know Him.

-Becca

Read Operation World, a daily prayer guide for the nations.

{This is Kathya, our little sister through Compassion Int'l. This picture reminds me of what matters most.}