There is nothing I hate more after a fire than getting home, taking a nice warm shower, then hearing the pager go off to return to a fire that has rekindled. It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, a hot spot is missed and the result is a rekindling. Most the time, this never amounts to much further spread of wildfires, but it can certainly be a disastrous occurrence.
One of the speeches -- I am known for getting a soap box occasionally -- I often give rookies on their first grass fire is the importance of completing the job. Almost like a paraphrase of the Acts passage I quoted above, I can often be overheard telling newer firefighters "all the work we do today is worth nothing if we do not complete the job... we'll only be called out here again at 2am to finish it anyway." Our job as firefighters is worthless if we do not finish the job and fully extinguish the fire. Usually, once my explanation of being called back in the middle of the night sinks in, the firefighter agrees and works harder and smarter to complete the job before leaving the scene.A few weeks ago, I posted some thoughts about the Great Commission. At that time, I was focusing on filters and biases that we often unknowingly put on the concept of spreading the good news. When we removed the blinders, we not only see how tunnel visioned we have become, but also see the endless possibilities when we put no limits on God's desire for us to share the Jesus story. I want to return to the Great Commission now, but to ponder on a more broad concept. As I said, we are instructed in this Matthew 28 passage to make disciples of all nations. Later, in the Acts 20 passage above, we hear Paul declare to the elders of the church in Ephesus that his life is worth nothing unless he does not complete the command placed on his life... sharing the Jesus story. Of course this is only after he declares that the Spirit has warned him that jail time and suffering are in his future.
My life is worth nothing if I don't complete my work. Would I be able to make that declaration if I knew for certain that it would lead to jail time and suffering? As Christians, that is the expectation.
I often hear Christians share their desires to create financial stability, raise a loving family, then possibly do some short term mission work later in life. All of these are wonderful aspirations in and of themselves, but if I were offered my picture-perfect American lifestyle knowing that it might lead to me not completing the commands set out before me, I hope my choice would be to surrender those desires in order to share the Gospel. Anybody thinking that late in life is a great time to start mission work might consider renting the movie UP by Pixar. If you have a heart to share the gospel as, in fact, the Spirit dwelling in all of us yearns to do, then waiting until later is never the right time to start.
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What has God placed on your heart about sharing his story lately?
Digging a little deeper than I was able to go in a short blog post, what does it mean to count your life as nothing?
What might be the response if all Christians really did count their lives as nothing and instead rush to finish the work assigned to us?
