How many Christians have resisted the call of missions work because they couldn’t see past the cultural stereotypes of what a missionary is and does? Likewise, how many Christians have served as missionaries for years without even realizing that they were doing missionary work?
The stories of David Livingstone, Jim Elliot, and others like them loom large in Christian history. For better or worse, they have helped shape Christian thought about mission work. As a result, many people believe that missionaries necessarily live in a distant place and minister to people whose language and customs are foreign to them.
Certainly there are many missionaries who fit that description. However, the vast majority of mission work takes place much closer to home. Jesus Himself makes that clear. His final recorded words to His disciples, delivered just before He ascended to heaven, contain a strong local flavor.
Starting Locally
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). He starts the trajectory of the disciples’ future ministry in Jerusalem, a place they were very familiar with. Their ministry ultimately would reach the four corners of the earth, but it also would meet the needs of the people closest to them.
Love Your Neighbor
In Matthew 22:34–40, a lawyer tries to test Jesus by asking, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus replies, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
You can’t get much more local than your neighbors. Jesus elevates local ministry to a place of supreme importance. He suggests that it’s inextricably tied to loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind.
Faith in Action
The New Testament writers expand on His message. The apostle John writes, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Local ministry is the Christian faith in action. It’s been said that no one cares what you know until they know that you care. That’s the essence of John’s words—as well as the essence of local ministry. When we sacrifice our time, energy, and resources to minister to the people around us, we speak volumes about the Lord we serve.
The apostle Peter ties local ministry to our spiritual gifts. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). God didn’t create in us certain talents and abilities just to give us a spiritual identity. Instead, He has equipped us so that we can minister to others in service to Him. That ministry starts with the people nearest to us.
The apostle Paul points out that local ministry is exactly what we’re made for. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God created us as we are—and placed us where we are—for a reason. The good works that we do in our community, the ones God has prepared us for, make a difference.
The Impact of Local Ministry
The words of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah give us a sense of the impact our local ministry can have: “If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10). For people who are struggling in darkness, that light can be life-changing because it means that someone sees them, someone recognizes their need, and someone cares enough to help them.
Isaiah’s fellow Old Testament prophet Micah summarizes the responsibilities of God’s people this way: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). We “do justly” by carrying out God’s good, righteous justice in our communities and ensuring that no one is overlooked or cast aside. We “love mercy” by sharing the compassion Christ has shown to us with all people, especially those who can do nothing for us. We “walk humbly” by humbling our wills to that of Christ so that He may freely use us to minister to the needs of those around us.
We fulfill the mandate of Micah 6:8 when we commit to missions work—on another continent or in our own backyard. When we pull back the layers of cultural stereotypes, we find that missionaries look very much like local volunteers, valued community members, and helpful neighbors.
13 replies on “Faith in Action: Loving Your Neighbors”
Thanks.
God is still God can be trusted
This is very good! It is always important to show God love to others, I feel like this is a commandment that a lot forget but it is very important. God loves you despite your faults so remember to love your neighbor despite theirs.
Do much blessings and empowering spiritually. I must fulfil God’s command, to administer to those I know and those I do not, equally, from far and near.
A church I use to attend posted a sign as you were exiting, it read: “You are now entering the mission field.”
Excellent article on reaching out and helping others.
Very practical, down to earth and real. A useful guide to many Christians who are desirous of serving but who lack direction and boldness to take the first step.
Very inspiring indeed
Good messages and teaching
What a good message. It has brought clarity to issues on mission and missionary work..Thanks a great deal.
I would like to truly thank God for you and for sending me your sister in christ this message it spoke to not only me but my heart ❤ most of all and my soul which needed it most it gave me all the ideas and tools that I need to put together to get more on the right track with Jesus our friend I hope that he blesses you in a special way I really do and I know that he will I love you and thank you so much please continue to let God use you and whatever you do don’t give up and I’m here always remember only what you do for christ will last ❤❣Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, go into all the world and give the good news to everyone and my sister I’m right here with you Grace wins everytime by matthew west and another song Friend in me by the walls group God bless you ❤ Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you says the lord they are plans for ❣good❣ and not for harm to give you hope and a future.
Thank you for this, I truly love this it. It’s an eye-opener. We don’t necessarily have to board a plane to GO, we can GO right here at home, in our surrounding communities and be just as effective. Those immediately around us also need us, and are possibly even more easier to win because they constantly see us, how we live and what we are about; our lives before them is a living testimony and witness of Christ, now we just need to go and introduce ourselves and the man Christ Jesus to them.
The First Missions Mind must be started within us and the LORD will take to all over the country and world as well.
Let’s focus on reaching out unreached as Isaiah 61:1 says.
May the LORD help us out to focus in the Mission Exploring.
Thanks for this article. This is my express opinion as a community worker. I am a volunteer in many capacities, and I know I am doing God’s mission work. I was praying over this just last evening, praying for God to make me more effective in my outreach especially to children and youth. May more people realize this aspect of God’s mission work and field.