Have you ever been on a mission? I'm reminded of the Mission Impossible movies with Tom Cruise (what is it about that guy anyway that women like so much). In the movies he is presented with a mission. It usually sounds something like this, "Your mission, if you choose to accept it..." and the message device always explodes in a matter of seconds. 

As a disciple of Christ we have all been given a mission to proclaim the gospel of Christ and make disciples (Mt 28:19). Unlike Cruise we are commanded by our Lord to make disciples. But like Cruise, because of God's mercy and our free will we have a choice to accept the mission. We have been entrusted with the most precious treasure there is. The gospel of Jesus Christ! There are many philosophies of how to best communicate and share this gift with the world, but there is one unifying truth which is that we are to share it. In the words of the great missionary Paul, "... woe to me if I do not preach the gospel" (1 Cor 9:16)! 

I just returned from my first cross cultural mission trip. With a team I had the privilege of going to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The most obvious and popular response is the emotional reflection on the physical need that the Haitian people have. In our American culture we know no poverty like the average Haitian. But I found a unity with these beautiful people. A spiritual depravity which left untreated leads to certain death. Romans 3:23 says, "We have all fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." 

I pray our hearts are consumed and heavy with weight of the world's spiritual depravity! Also, I pray that we would not sin against God by failing to accept the mission he commands of us! 

Blessings.