When You Wonder WhySample

What is Missions?

The mission of God is displayed in the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus preached God’s Word to crowds and fed them with bread and fish. He forgave sins and healed people’s bodies. Jesus saw people holistically. He ministered to them both spiritually and physically.

Because whole people matter to God, they must matter to us. God’s kingdom is one where the sick are healed, the poor are cared for, the oppressed are set free and the grieving are comforted. That’s why you see Christians engaged in projects like providing food security, digging wells or fighting human trafficking all around the world. All of this is missions work.

But at the heart of all missions work is the proclamation of the gospel. As we work for justice and seek to alleviate suffering, we can’t leave Jesus out of the picture. If we never proclaim the why, our good deeds won’t help people know God now and spend eternity with him. Jesus is the bread of life and the living water, the only one who can satisfy our souls. He is the only one who can make all things right.

As we spread the message of his gospel, we must work with other Christians to make disciples, plant churches and bring new life to our communities. The mission of the church isn’t something anyone can do on their own—we need each other. Jesus prayed in John 17 that all believers would be one just as he and the Father are one, so that the world could see God’s love displayed in their unity of worship and mission.

How is God calling you to show his love to others holistically? Consider finding out what kind of work your church is involved in doing as part of God’s mission, and pray about how you can be a part of it.