For Natalie

Two years ago I wrote this to my girlfriend Natalie as she left for a Summer mission trip in Peru (10 weeks). Now she is my fiancée and is in San Diego for yet another Summer mission trip. I post this as a reminder for her but also to hopefully edify others who seek to be obedient to God's global purpose for propagating the gospel.

When you miss me and your family and friends: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

When you are nervous: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:31-33).

When you meet new people look for God's purpose: Acts 8:26-40.

When you lose purpose: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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" (Matthew 28:18-20).

When you get scared: "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people" (Acts 18:9-10).

When you get sick: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church" (Colossians 1:24).

When you are tempted not to share the gospel with someone: "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:14-15)

When you feel worthless: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:15b)

When the gospel is rejected: "[the gospel] is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

When the conversions happen: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

When you forget your life verse: "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

It should be encouraging for you to know that what you are doing is the fruit of your own salvation (Romans 1:5). Missions is SUCH an important part of the Christian life but it is not THE most important part of the Christian life. Make sure that all of your flights, eating and drinking, evangelism, singing, are acts of worship in faith or else it is in vain and, in fact, sin (Romans 14:23). Remember that the fruit of your labor is already being prepared by God; there are names of people God will save through your testimony of the gospel that have been written in the Book of Life since before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Grace and Peace,
Stephen