Devotional
for the Week 6 May 2007
Out
of the COMFORT ZONE
Scripture Text:
Acts
13
George
Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilisation, is surely a man who
lives out of the comfort zone. Saved at 16, he immediately went
to Mexico for his first missions trip. In 1961, he founded Operation
Mobilisation (OM), a ministry of evangelism, discipleship training
and church planting. OM is known for its ships, The Logos II and
the Doulos, which has brought the gospel to many countries, through
street evangelism, community service, church planting and sale
of Christian literature.
George
Verwer's life message has been consistent throughout his fifty
years in the mission field. He makes the basic passionate appeal
to believers to step out of their comfort zone and to challenge
current mindsets to receive the larger call of the kingdom. We
are to live out the reality of the faith and grace as expressed
in the life of Jesus, and to step out intentionally to spread
the gospel to the nations.
We
can understand the notion of stepping out in three strands:
We
need more full-time missionaries. Statistics show that
only a small percent is sent to long-term missions. Christian
parents and youth should view being a missionary as a legitimate
career. We need more full-time missionaries in places that have
never heard of our Lord Jesus Christ. We also need more tentmakers
who do not just do their jobs in a foreign land but make conscientious
effort to share the gospel with the locals explicitly.
We
need more grace in global missions. Many a time, there
is a lack in grace in the body of believers, and this leads to
much hurt and tension. As a result, it also hinders the work of
God in the mission field. Charles Swindoll, in his book, The Grace
Awakening, lists some of the grace-killers within the church community
as legalism, expectations, negativism, control, pride, resentment,
bitterness, unforgiving spirit, gossip, hypocrisy and others.
There is a great need for grace, compassion and 'big-heartedness'
in mission work.
We
need to lay down our lives for Christ. 1 John 3:16 states:
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down
his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
Are we willing to lay down our lives for Christ by being involved
in short-term missions, and possibly leading on to long-term missions?
Prayer
Response:
Dearest
Lord, I am willing to be available and intentional about sharing
the wonderful message of Your gospel today. Remove the grace-killers
in my life; I am willing to be more gracious in relating to others.
Transform my old mindsets, help me to step out of my comfort zone
and enlarge my territory. The harvest is plentiful; help me serve
You purposefully in Your mission field. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Devotional
based on a message by Mr George Verwer in BMC.
For
further reference, read his book, Out of the Comfort Zone
and Into Missions (OMF Literature Inc, 2000).