The Great Commission is for all of us, but God does not call on all of us to go to another country to serve him. If you have a heart for global kingdom growth but are living out your obedience in your home country, here are five habits to develop to keep you in the thick of the action.
1. Focus on the Vine.
St Francis of Assisi once wrote, “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some persons will hear today.” The most important global habit in making disciples is being a disciple. Jesus made it pretty clear in his final, intimate discourse with his followers recorded for us in John 15. “Apart from the vine, you can do nothing.” What is a disciple? A disciple is someone who follows someone around in order to learn from them and be like them. Spend time with Jesus. Be like Jesus. Experience kingdom growth around you.
2. Pray for more harvesters.
Jesus tells his followers to do this. We see this recorded in Matthew 9:38 and Luke 10:2, “There is a bumper crop of people ready for the kingdom but there are few workers to guide them. Ask God to provide more workers.” Let me be clear. Harvesters work in all fields. Lately, unengaged peoples and unreached peoples have taken center stage, and they should be a priority. But let’s remember that God is the author and director of the play we are actors in and he is interested in kingdom growth among all peoples; so, when you pray for harvesters, pray for harvesters for the entire harvest.
3. Pray for cross-cultural workers.
Do you know anyone who is in another country working for the kingdom? Are you praying for them? You should. All people involved in cross-cultural work need prayer. One thing to ask God to provide for them is the ability to “translate” the gospel into words and deeds that get the message across where they live. While you’re at it, pray for your local church pastor too!
4. Engage the world in your neighborhood.
More immigrants come to the US than any other country. The world is literally present here, around us. If you want to change the world and see global kingdom growth, you need go no further than your own community, in most cases. How do you get started? Begin by saying, “hi” and beginning a relationship with someone of another culture. You may have to do a little looking but my guess is that you will find one or more in your daily routine. For a great story about how someone else did it check out Bob Rasmussen’s blog post here.
5. Pray for people of other cultures.
Create a regular routine of praying for people of another culture. There are many tools available to help you do this, like Operation World. OW comes in book form but if a mobile device is your choice of interaction, the OW people will send you someone to pray for every day. If that isn’t your thing, pray for the people you see in your newsfeed, newscast or newspaper. Pray for the people in the country your coffee was grown in. Pray for China every time you buy something. Chances are it was made there!
Kingdom growth is a team sport. Get involved now using your gifts and passions in your community!