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Happy New Year! Or in my case, “It’s time to start again” New Year.

Every New Year I say the same thing… “I’m going to loose weight, complete a new bible study, eat better, Blah Blah Blah.” I start off doing really good and then somewhere down the road I’m back to the same busy schedule and excuses that keep me from fulfilling my goal. I am already telling myself that I know my history and I can foretell my inability to finish these goals. At what point do I tell myself that enough is enough. I’m tired of my own excuses. I want to feel better about myself. I want to dig deeper into the bible. I want to know that I can fully accomplish the things that I set out to do. 

So much of our lives are built around excuses. Excuses given to us by the world. They are pushed on us so heavily that we begin to believe them. We know our habits, our faults, and our temptations. Because we know them all to well, we allow them to control us. They are our excuses to continue down the same path. To be the mom that feels too busy to bake cookies with her child. The dad that feels too tired to go outside and play tag. The grandparent that feels too old to have a conversation with their teenage grandchild. The friend that feels too busy to have a cup of coffee with an old friend. Our thoughts and feelings are the things that keep us from doing what God desires us to do. We are right where the devil wants us. He wants us to think we aren’t good enough or that we don’t have it in us to finish what we start. 

It’s time to start again moms, dads, grandparents, and friends. It’s time to start telling yourself that you will never be too busy, too tired or too old to do what you and God desire. The bible tells us in Romans 12:2 to” not be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God”. God wants me to feel good about myself; to not let excuses of this world get in the way of my transformation. We are all transforming to be everything God wants us to be. He wants us to have a close relationship with Him. One that is always growing. He wants us to share the gospel to everyone we know. Don’t let the world aid your excuses. Start Again this year! 

3 Ways to Make Missions a Lifestyle

Coming off of our mission Sunday in December I was so excited. Our church really responded to the call to pray, give, get involved, and go. Many people talked about going on mission trips, giving to missions, praying for missions, etc. This is such a blessing and I count that day as a huge success; however, it doesn’t need to stop there. The missions’ day doesn’t need to be the only time we talk about missions. That day needs to be a spring board that launches us into 2015 with our hearts on fire to reach the unconvinced world like never before. 

Missions isn’t about a day, or even a sermon series, it’s a lifestyle. We need to learn that being on mission is a part of who we are. We should be on mission every day of our lives. So what does it mean to live a life on mission, here are three ways we can be on mission every day: 

1. Resources

We need to devote our resources to missions. That doesn’t mean just our money; of course we need to give to missions. We need to use the funds the Lord has given us to change the world around us— support missionaries, mission trips, local outreach ministries, and even using our money in small ways to impact our neighbors. Have a neighborhood cookout or bake cookies for your co-workers. Do anything that will help you build a relationship with them and open the door to share your faith. Money is not the only resource you have. Your time is an even greater resource than money. So many of us seem busy, but really if we think about it we waste a lot of time, especially on entertainment. We need to do away with some activities that take up a lot of time but do nothing to advance the kingdom of God. We all have the same amount of time, the difference is how we use it. Use your time to reach the unconvinced. 

2. Exposure

Christians are notorious for not being exposed to unconvinced people in any real, meaningful way. We seem to live in a comfortable Christian bubble. Sure we may work with some non-Christians or have some in our neighborhood, but do we actually know them? Part of being used by God to reach out to those around us is just simply proximity. We have to be around them. We have to expose ourselves to them. We have to open up our lives and our homes to them. You may not have an opportunity to share your faith in the flow of the work day but what is stopping you from inviting someone to your home or out to lunch? In those moments you can start to build relationships and look for opportunities to share. Don’t only be friends with Christians, don’t live in a Christian bubble; expose yourself to the unconvinced people around you. 

3. Intentionality

Finally, this stuff does not just happen. We have to be intentional. We do not accidentally become missionaries. We do not accidentally reach our neighbors for the Lord. Start by intentionally praying about being used then begin to adapt and change your habits. Change the way your think about the world around you. Begin to look at your world as a missionary looks at a new mission field. Look for opportunities to reach out and do good works in the name of Jesus. It does not just happen, you have to make it happen. 

As I think about how missionaries live when they go to another country, I am sure, whether they know it or not, that they do these things. Missionaries use their resources wisely to reach those in their new country, they have to expose themselves to the native people, and they have to become intentional in reaching out. Being a missionary doesn’t just happen, it takes planning and commitment. The same is true for us. Just because we live here in America does not mean we aren’t missionaries…we are and we need to start living that way! Missions is a lifestyle. We need to start living it out before it’s too late.