Passport Not Required

Having a global impact does not always mean having a passport. Sometimes it does, but other times it's being willing to invest in a much bigger plan. Do you wonder how you can have an impact on the globe?

First, we are all called by the great commission when we give our lives to follow Jesus Christ. We are ambassadors, missionaries in our everyday lives. It is not just a select  "few," but it's a call on all our lives. Our job as followers of Christ is to live a life like him to the best of our abilities(with the help of the Holy Spirit). If he has called you to be a teacher, police officer, cashier, stay at home mom, or doctor- do it for the Glory of His name. We also need to recognize that if you have a family and raising young kids, this is one of the biggest and important seasons of your life. Parent your children and be joined with your spouse for the glory of God. When we do this well, we are fulfilling his call on our lives and it pleases him. When we please him, it is a testimony to those around us. What we know to be true is that the biggest testimony we have is not our spoken words but the way we live our lives. 

When the Lord gives the seed of longing to love the world beyond your walls, it's because He loves the world and He is inviting and sharing that vision with us. This invitation is not always to pack your bags and head off to another country, but to say "yes Lord" and lean in to the work he is asking you to do. It doesn't always require a passport, in fact He may be asking you to walk right next door. Fulfill that call. Be brave to step out and say yes. Ask that neighbor over for coffee and hear here heart. Get involved with a local charity that seeks to take care of more than the physical need- to love people. Personally, I see it as a privilege to be to be able to "go" to other parts of the world to meet, build relationships, and share the good news of Christ, but I also know that right now my husband and my first responsibility is to raise our children here where he has called us. Someday He may say "go" and then we can step out as a family and embrace that opportunity. "May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. "May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. -Heb 13:21

So what can I do now? There are so many ways to serve the Lord globally here and now. We can do it individually or/and as a family. Here are some of the ways I know to connect and serve:

1. Dwell where you are, and serve the Lord by serving your family and your church body. If you don't have a church body, pray and ask the Lord to direct your steps to one. We all need this for growth and accountability. When we serve we exercise the love of Christ.

2. Pray. Pray for those around you, nations, cities, organizations(local and overseas) on the front lines, people groups, and missionaries you may know of or know personally.

3. Invest. Financially give to the Lord what is His. It is ALL His. Ask Him where He would like you to invest. When we invest, we become more connected to it. Invest wisely, but do it faithfully. "For the Lord loves a person who gives cheerfully." -2 Corinthians 9:7-9

4.Reach out. Reach out into the lives of missionaries. This is so important to me because I have seen just how much it is needed. Over the last 4 years I have gotten to know and love several families that are living throughout the world on the front lines. They come back for a few months every few years and even though they are returning to the states, this is not their home. They are invested in another culture, another people. They come back for connection and time with family and also to touch base with the people that are sponsoring them. It can be so lonely returning here when everyone seems to be so busy and you don't seem to fit anywhere. WE need to step up and step out. Ask that family over for dinner or a coffee date. Practice hospitality. My life has been forever changed by these special friendships and even though they return to the countries where they are serving, I can still email them and I am encouraged by their friendship. When we assume they don't need us, they are too spiritual, or they are too busy for an offer of friendship and when we do this, we will lose an opportunity for a richer life by knowing them and investing in them. We all need to be connected and loved. Love builds us all up.

The biggest question is- Will you say Yes? Will you ask the Lord what He has for you and how you can serve Him by serving others? Ask Him to give you a global perspective, whether it's local or overseas, to share His plan for you.