Everyone can. . . no, SHOULD be a missionary!

Before you choose not to read this post because of the title, know that I am not saying that everyone should pack their bags, say goodbye to their families, and head overseas!! Missions is not simply something that takes place in foreign lands. God, through His Word, gives each of us as believers a command to be a witness of the Gospel. Luke 24:48 says, "And ye are witnesses of these things [what Christ has done in your heart]. I am an English major, so I enjoy determining what each word in a sentence is functioning as. In this verse, witnesses is a noun. We often think of this word in light of it's verb context (performing the action of witnessing), but Christ is not referring to witnessing as an action here. He is saying that ye = witness. Before we can witness to others, we must be a witness! "The noun must come before the verb!" -Clarence Sexton

With that said, back to the title of the post. So do I truly believe that everyone should be a missionary? YES!!! Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Some are called to reach "the uttermost part of the earth" as are Simeon and I. God has burdened our heart and called us to go to the foreign field of Australia to be a witness for Him! But Christ also says to be a witness in "Jerusalem. . . Judaea. . . and in Samaria." So what does this mean?
   Jerusalem: The area in which you live, work, etc. (ex. Knoxville, TN)
   Judaea: The broader region of your "Jerusalem" (ex. Tennessee)
   Samaria: The area in which you'd rather not go (ex. homeless shelters, slums, etc.) (Jn. 4)
This verse shows us that we are all to be missionaries, whether it be abroad or in the city we live in!

There are other ways you can "be a missionary." As stated before, you may not go to a foreign land, but you can have an important part in the ministry of someone who is, and therefore be a part of the ministry to which they are called. 
Here are some ways you have a part in the ministry of a missionary. . .
   1. PRAY!!!- This is the most important thing you could do for a missionary! God is the only one who can meet their needs and increase the ministry He has given them. Your prayers bring the needs before God's throne. By praying for a missionary, you develop a connection with them and their ministry and you enter into the reward of their labors!
   2. Communicate- I probably won't understand the full importance of this until I am on the field myself, but I have heard that missionaries love to receive emails and correspondence letting them know what is going on at home and how you are praying for their ministry. I am currently corresponding with a missionary wife, and I could not begin to express to you what an encouragement it is to BOTH of us! I love hearing her stories about their life and ministry, and she enjoys sharing them! Our emails are a blessing to each other!
   3. Give- You give so that the missionary family is relieved of the financial burden of making ends meet. This frees them to devote their time and abilities solely to the work of the Lord. 

These are just a few things that I have found in my studies of the Scripture. It is my belief that even right now I am a missionary! No, I'm not serving on the field God has called my fiance and I to, but I am in my "Jerusalem" and right now, this is where God has called me to be a witness to! So I challenge you to be a missionary to your "Jerusalem" and support those who are reaching "the uttermost"!


All for His Glory,
Brettnay
Philippians 1:20-21