Acting Out the Great Commission

“…but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13b

I recently had the incredible pleasure of sitting down with Caitlyn Glass to discuss her past mission trips to Belize. This sweet and wise teenage girl gave me incredible insight into what it looks like to build a relationship with someone and through that, begin sharing the gospel and walking along side of them as they figure everything out.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” -Matthew 4:18-19

First, she told me that relational ministry is something that is missed a lot in the mission field today. Tons of people think that their one goal is to throw some basics of the gospel at the people they’re “ministering” to and then move on. However, Caitlyn took us back to the gospels to look at what Jesus did. He did not reveal who he was to fisherman and then leave; rather, he commanded them to follow and learn from him. We should all look to this example, because if Jesus (the savior of the world) has time to build community and to build relationships, how much more should we value and strive for those things when we are sharing the gospel.

Next, I asked Caitlyn to tell me a specific story of when she had been able to do this on her yearly trips to Belize. She told me about this girl who she saw every time she went with her church and family to Belize, and how they began to talk and become friends. Several years into these yearly trips, Caitlyn noticed that her friend has scars on her arms. Not wanting to scare or embarrass her, Caitlyn sweetly asks if it would be okay if they talked about what was happening in this girl’s life. They started talking about their families, and what they liked to do and had a good genuine conversation that let them get to know each other well. Then, Caitlyn and an adult who had some experience with what Caitlyn’s friend was dealing with began to talk about what her next steps were and why she had hope. Without the friendship Caitlyn cultivated with her friend, things may have ended up very different from how they are, because the trust she has with that girl opened a door to share the gospel in a very genuine and heartfelt way.

This story is such a good example of what the Bible commands us to do in Matthew 28:16-20

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are commanded to share the gospel with people, but also to make them our disciples and to teach them the Word of God. Let’s keep this example in our head the next time we have a friend who we want to share Jesus with, or the next time we go on a mission trip.