Why 1-2-3 Go!

The Great Commission is not a suggestion, it is a command!

Most of us remember in childhood our parents or teachers saying phrases like "I did not ask you, I told you." Some who are grown and now in those positions may have recently utilized the phrase. Clean your room. Brush your teeth. Take out the trash. Finish your work. On their best days, the authority figures in our lives were preparing us to navigate a world of obligations and opportunities.

In our society, deeply formed by expressive individualism, we gawk at the concept of obligations. Opportunities are splendid as they provide us with options for us to create and recreate ourselves into whatever image we desire to conform to for that given week. Obligations, on the other hand, we are warned, will shackle us to a monotonous routine, draining us of spontaneity and forcing us into the dull, soul-numbing role of a mass-produced, assembly-line replica.

In Disney's Frozen, Queen Elsa grew tired of the obligations placed on her and famously decried them in her hit song 'Let It Go', it's a song of liberation from obligations and a single focus on opportunities; it has become a favorite song and anthem for many in our culture today. What is striking though, is that few have taken the time to reflect on how in 'letting it go' Elsa destroys her kingdom and almost kills her sister. The true beauty of the story lies not in her escape from responsibility, but in her eventual realization of the value of obligation—especially the obligation to love, which is ultimately demonstrated through Anna’s self-sacrificial act.

Likewise, the gospel of Jesus Christ comes with obligations. Jesus fulfilled the law; there is nothing more we must do to earn His love or secure our salvation. Yet, this does not mean we are set free into a world of endless opportunities without divine expectations. In His final words to His disciples, Jesus gives a direct command:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations."

Jesus is not asking his disciples, he's telling them. The Great Commission is not an opportunity to consider; it is an obligation to obey. Yet, like brushing your teeth, it is an obligation for our good. The opportunities lie in how we fulfill this command—there is freedom and creativity in the method (Romans 10:13-17). But the reality that we are commanded to go is not up for debate.

Pray

Lord, Help us embrace Your command to go and make disciples. Give us the strength to obey, trusting that in fulfilling Your will, we find true purpose. Empower us to love and serve others, sharing the hope of Jesus in all we do.