International Missions... Why?

A Blog Post by Liz Meyers. 

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the story of Jesus walking on the water. Matthew 14:22-36 says this:​

    “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went on the mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
    Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear.
    But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’
    ‘Lord, if it’s you’, Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’
    ‘Come,’ he said.
    Then Peter got down from the boat, walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he saw the wind he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord save me!’
    Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’
    And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘truly you are the Son of God.’
    When they crossed over, they landed in Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”


Through this story I am reminded again and again that God is good. I am humbled by what little faith I have. I am reminded that I am Peter. I am the one that calls on God to put me on the water, to do the impossible through me, to bring me beyond the waves. God says COME. God calls on me to look at Him, to fix my eyes on Him, come to Him, follow Him, TRUST IN HIM. I am Peter. I begin to step on the water but am swayed by the winds. Reality hits and I panic. The waves grow bigger and I lose faith and I begin to sink. Yet I am Peter. I am grabbed by the hands of Jesus and pulled back into the arms of Christ. It is also then that I am humbled and in awe of my little faith. I am Peter. I am called. Although I may have little faith, God still calls me to do extraordinary things. I am Peter, and this is amazing grace.

Have you ever felt God moving in you, stirring your soul, and calling you out beyond your comfort zone? Yea, it is a scary yet exciting feeling. It is terrifying to step into the unknown and take the call that is being presented to you but find hope and peace in the fact that our God is alive, he is here, he is moving. In John 16 Jesus is speaking to his disciples and is preparing them for a time of unknown in a world that will reject the message they are preaching yet assures them with these words: “I have told you these things, so in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Whether your call is to international missions and serving people all over the world, sponsoring a child through financial resources and prayer, volunteering locally, or simply showing love to those around you, know that God has placed that call on your life for a reason. There will be times when you beg God to bring you closer to him, to strengthen your faith in him, to do the impossible through you. For those times I encourage you to trust. In those moments, you are Peter and God is calling you to come. Will you take the initial call? Trust. When you are on the water will you be swayed by the inevitable waves? Trust. Spirit lead where trust is without boarders, let us walk upon the water, wherever you call.

The gospel message is a message that causes radical life change. It is transforming and redemptive. To know that Jesus came, chose to die for the sins of those that followed him just the same as the ones who hated him, and through great love endured a cross to ultimately conquer death once and for all, is that work of only the one that is able to save a sinners heart and redeem the most broken.

I challenge you to accept the call the Lord is placing on your life and run into the unknown whole heatedly. For it is in this place that you experience the greatness of a God who loves and a God who saves.