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Have you ever gone on a short-term mission trip? When I lived in the United States, I went on lots of trips to places all over the world. My first international trip took me to Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Little did I know at the time that the Lord was laying the groundwork for me to have great compassion and sadness for the spiritual state of Europe, as years later, He would send me here to Germany to live and serve. These trips can be an amazing way to come alongside long-term missionaries and local ministers and aid them in the work they do. These trips can also be incredibly impactful on the lives of those who go, exposing them to the spiritual and physical needs of other places and helping them see the global body of Christ at work! Did you know that Jesus sent out some of his followers on a "short-term mission trip"? In Luke 10, He sent out the 72 for a period of time to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Let's walk through this story together this week.
"After this, the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"
(Luke 10:1-2)
Jesus begins by calling them to pray. There is a problem that faces them, and it is not that the harvest is too small; the problem is that there are not enough laborers! There are many people who need Jesus and need someone to tell them about Him, but there are far too few going to tell them. I find it so interesting that Jesus instructs them to pray for laborers, and then in the following verses, He sends them out to be laborers in the harvest. He is teaching them to pray and then literally sends them out as answers to their own prayers. When you pray for the Lord to send people out to spread the good news, don't be surprised when He sends you!
I also love the fact that Jesus sends them out two by two. Jesus doesn't set them up to be Lone Ranger evangelists; in His great wisdom, He sends them in pairs. There are many benefits to this. For starters, they were not lonely. The Christian life is a communal one, enjoyed in fellowship with other believers, and therefore, so is the work of a Christian. Furthermore, going with another helps to keep you accountable, motivated, and honest. So surround yourself with other faithful believers, and let's do this together!
Maybe you, however, find yourself in a season of loneliness, longing for a Christian brother or sister to walk with and do the work of ministry with you. Let me encourage you: my husband and I recently walked through a season like this. We felt like we were on an island, longing for some other Christian friends to live life with and do ministry with. We prayed and prayed and prayed, and the Lord has been so faithful to bring new young couples to our church with a passion for reaching others and pouring into the next generation like we have. Be encouraged, the Lord is faithful to provide that which He has told us to pray for. He hasn't called us to pray for laborers in vain. Be patient and trust Him in the waiting. He is faithful to provide.
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