During my college and seminary years, I worked for a financial institution whose mission statement began, “to make the world a better place to be….” That statement served as a guide for every member of the organization, from the CEO down to the retail workers. Despite campaigns to drill that statement into the employees, many of us found it difficult to connect it to our day-to-day activities. When a client reminded me threateningly, “I’ve used this bank since before you were born” to justify his insistence that I break the rules for him, “making the world a better place to be” was hard to keep front-and-center. As 5:00 p.m. approached and I observed the line with 15–20 people waiting, some of whom were visibly (sometimes audibly!) disgruntled, I wasn’t thinking about the improvement of the entire globe. I was focused on hitting the right keys, counting money accurately, being kind to everyone, and doing all those things quickly.

I thoroughly enjoyed my job. But apart from sounding a bit grandiose and perhaps overly philanthropic for a for-profit corporation, the mission of “making the world a better place to be” didn’t always connect very practically to the urgencies of the day-to-day. Most of my immediate coworkers wanted to do well, serve clients efficiently and happily, and contribute to the success of the company. We weren’t working against the mission, but we didn’t own it, either. Often, we were simply trying to keep things running well. Practically, we left the improvement of the whole world to the executives in a tall building in another state or to the occasional community event to help a specific cause.

Our Mission

Before ascending to heaven to take His place at the right hand of the Father, the Lord Jesus made His followers’ mission crystal clear: make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19, NASB). That statement serves as the “big picture” for all of Christ’s followers. God still calls on some to leave home and take the Gospel to another place. But Christ commissions all believers to make disciples of all the nations. This is the mission of the church in 2021 and until Christ returns.

Unfortunately, many Christians and churches often struggle with the same sense of disconnect I described above. “Make disciples of all nations” doesn’t permeate our lives and ministries. We lose sight of the big picture as we move from one activity or program to the next. Slowly, the heartbeat of a church for Christ’s glorious cause slows. Passion degenerates into tradition, and before long, the great mission of the church is little more than another line item in the budget: electricity, trash pickup, building fund, Missionary Smith, etc.

Restoring Passion for Our Mission

So, how can we see this heart and passion restored to our own lives, families, and churches?

First, friends, we must repent and take up the command of Christ as the all-encompassing heartbeat of our lives. Every believer must “own” the Great Commission as Christ’s mission for him or her. This great cause must be your reason for existence. I am not saying that every Christian should go to the mission field. I most emphatically am saying that “make disciples of all the nations” must be the mission of your life for the glory of God. This is Christ’s command to all who know Him truly, and this commission should give shape, direction, and fuel to all that our churches do. If necessary, let us repent of being enamored by lesser things.

Second, give prayer for the harvest a preeminent place in your life and ministry. Consider Christ’s command after having surveyed the greatness of the harvest and the lack of laborers: “Plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38, NASB). In our personal and family lives as well as in our churches, we must prioritize this kind of praying. Inform yourself and your church of the needs of the world through the many good resources available today. Plead with God out loud concerning the lostness of the world and the terrors of hell and urgency of the need. Use the first two requests in the Lord’s pattern prayer: “Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9–10, NASB). Beg Him for a true awakening among His people. Let this kind of praying be prominent in your homes and churches.

Third, share Christ personally with others. Participate in outreach activities and programs through your church. Beyond these, seek appropriate friendships with lost people, and spend time with them, aiming to point them to Jesus the Savior. Establish personal evangelistic habits, and your own heart for the world will soon expand.

Fourth, in the context of the local church, magnify the importance of senders. Without senders, no one can go. Without senders, those who go cannot stay. Local churches need to know and appreciate the fact that they are an integral part of what Christ is doing to build His Church around the world. Local churches are not merely supporters but partners.

Here is a final, practical suggestion. Anyone can help foster this “ownership” of the Great Commission in a congregation. This coming Sunday, grab one or two people after the service, and suggest a time to get together during the week to pray for laborers. Or invite a young adult to breakfast or coffee to read two or three prayer letters out loud and pray together. Then, write the missionaries a note to let them know you have prayed for them. Do this a few times, and then encourage your prayer partners to reach out to others to do the same. By God’s grace, this attention to the fields of the world and urgent praying will be “contagious” and will encourage the whole church to live for this great purpose: “make disciples of all the nations.”