Radical or Obedient?

I'm blessed to be apart of an exciting season of student ministry. We feel a strong and clear nudge from the Lord that this is a time to focus on equipping our students to reach out to others to make disciples. It's exciting and comfort zone stretching all at once. My co-director, Joe, wrote about it from his perspective, so check that out here, http://joeggarrison.com/blog/focusing-students-making-disciples/

We are moving forward with Matthew 28:19-20 as our focus:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

I'm finding it just as important to take on this challenge not just from a ministry perspective but also as a calling for my own life and walk with Christ. As important as I feel it is to equip our students to help them share Jesus, I know I am also called to go and make disciples right along with them.

It's easy for me to really love on my people. My family. My friends. My students & their families. All blessings in my life that I love striving to love like Jesus does. By no means do I love the people I'm closest too perfectly---but what a blessing it is to pour into their lives. It's not out of my comfort zone to strive to do so. I'm thankful that God knows that about our hearts--that there are those in our lives that loving comes easy. But, the more I pray about it, I feel like God is nudging me that those relationships should more so fuel us as Christians to have even more passion for living out those powerful words spoken by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20.

We can stay content in our lives of loving our people--or we can share the love of Jesus...everyday...in the world. 

One of the most powerful examples of living out Matthew 28:19-20, has come to me through Katie Davis. My students, my family, my friends--all know I have been talking about Katie & her story of moving to Uganda and adopting a liter of little girls as well as starting a feeding ministry...for years. I've bought everyone I know her book. I myself have read it cover to cover probably 10 times...not exaggerating. You can read more about Katie, here: http://www.amazima.org/katiesstory.html

Nearly every time after I share her story the responses I get usually are in awe of what she's doing and also how radical Katie's calling is...and yes, moving to Uganda as a single 20 something is a big deal and it's not every Christian's calling.

Yet, I can't help but feel that Katie's testimony is simply obedience. And that's my prayer for our student ministry as we head into a season focused on making disciples--one of loving obedience, that we would realize that the love God has blessed us all with for each other is just too great to keep to ourselves.

It may stretch us at times. We may need to pray for courage and boldness to step outside of those comfort zones. The last thing Jesus said after his command to make disciples was, "I am with you always." He is with us in this! We aren't headed into this alone.

Instead of sharing the good news of Jesus with our peers, neighbors, co-workers, family members and friends being a radical idea or action maybe we can strive to allow it simply to be steps of obedience in following the command of the One who loves us perfectly.