I hesitate to say this as a missions pastor, but I’m a pretty locally minded guy. I’m naturally inclined to pay attention to the people, places, and tasks at the tip of my nose. Faraway friends and places become far too easily out of sight, out of mind. I’m often more interested in the happenings of the city council meeting than the breaking world news on BBC.
Perhaps you resonate. Perhaps, like me, you are a nearsighted Christian trying to keep your eyes on what seems like a distant mission. You know God has called the church to make disciples of all nations, yet you have trouble connecting your daily life with this remote work. A host of important and immediate concerns push the peoples of the world to the periphery of your prayers and attention.
The church, by the very nature of her mission, is to be attentive to global gospel advancement (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8). But how can we stay excited about God’s work among all peoples? How might we keep the needs of the nations before our churches, our families, and our own souls?
Reflect on the Glory of God
First things first: we won’t be concerned with God’s globe if we aren’t concerned with God’s glory. Right thinking about the nations begins with right thinking about God. Believers don’t ultimately become world Christians by watching more news and spending more time in the ethnic food market. We become world Christians when we encounter the God who deserves and demands worldwide worship.
The psalmist summons the people of God to “declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples” (Psalm 96:3). Why? “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” (Psalm 96:4). The logic of these two verses is simple: God’s people are to proclaim his glory all over the planet because his greatness compels it.
God is so glorious — so deserving of worship — that the praise of one people group is simply not sufficient. Our God is not like the petty pagan gods of the nations who supposedly rule over limited parts of creation (like the rain god or the god of fertility). Rather, he reigns as King over all creation and all nations (Psalm 47:7–8). Therefore, it is fitting for the infinite depth of God’s greatness and beauty to be magnified by a diversity of worshipers. We appreciate the voice of a gifted solo singer, but there is something especially magnificent when a multitude of voices comes together in glorious harmony. Similarly, God shows off his supremacy by patchworking together a multiethnic quilt of people who are joyfully committed to his praise.
And when we see God as he truly is, it will grieve us to watch the nations run after worthless idols (Psalm 96:5). We will long to see a multitude of idolaters from every place on the planet exchange their images in order to join the everlasting song of the one true God.
Read with Global Glasses
The theme of God’s glory among the nations permeates the pages of Scripture. As you work through your Bible-reading plan, take note of how many passages relate to God’s promises for the nations. When we read with global glasses, we discover that Christ’s commission in Matthew 28 is not the start of God’s heart for the nations but the extension of his ancient redemptive plan.
We see in the first pages of Scripture that God intended to fill the earth with people who image him rightly (Genesis 1:26–28). Even after the fall, God remained committed to blessing all the families of the earth through his promised offspring (Genesis 12:3). Throughout Israel’s history, God revealed that this particular ethnic group would be the means by which he saves all nations (1 Kings 8:43, 60; Psalm 67:2; 72:8–11; 96:1–13). And when Israel failed, the prophets left us with the hope of a coming Davidic King who would bring salvation to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).
At the end of the Gospels, this messianic King spilled his blood to purchase a people from every tribe and tongue. Then he recommissioned his new people (the church) to fill the earth with disciples of Jesus, which begins to unfold in the remaining books of the New Testament.
As you regularly open the Scriptures with your family, small group, or church, draw attention to the global references along the way. Don’t let your kids miss the fact that Romans is a missionary-support letter. Remind your small group that Philippians is a missionary thank-you note. Draw your church into the eschatological excitement of Revelation 7, when we will worship the slain but risen Lamb alongside brothers and sisters from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Personalize the Needs of the Nations
How do we move from scriptural awareness to real-life application? Many believers have begun to pray for the nations using resources like Operation World, Joshua Project, or (the more recent) Stratus Index. As valuable and informative as these are, the content they provide may feel theoretical and impersonal to some of us. If you are anything like me, the data can paralyze you. Should I pray for the Kanura tribes of Nigeria or the Kahar of India? Do I focus on the unreached, the unengaged, or the persecuted?
If the overwhelming amount of information discourages you, I’d encourage you to shift your attention to peoples and places to whom you have a natural and specific connection. In other words, personalize the global needs. Instead of trying to blanket the whole globe in prayer, familiarize yourself with one region of the world that you, your family, or your church have some personal ties to or interest in.
Consider rekindling friendships with foreign believers whom you crossed paths with at some point. Did your family ever host an exchange student? Has your church cared for a particular immigrant population? Leverage these connections and capitalize on modern technology to revive relationships, and see how this might lead to more inspired involvement in the missionary cause.
Another way to make global missions personal is to simply reflect on the cultures or places that interest you. Were you fascinated by the people group you read about in a recent missionary biography? Do you frequently eat a particular ethnic food? Do you enjoy entertainment or art from someplace where the gospel has never gone? If you are already interested in these people and places, let Great Commission objectives infuse that fascination.
And remember, the nations are at your doorstep. You may not be able to travel much overseas, but in our globalized age you likely have many nationalities represented in your neighborhood. Look for opportunities to interact with and learn about them. Expose your family to different foods, languages, cultures, and worldviews. Taking these steps will give you a more practical understanding of the difficulty of missions and will fuel your prayers for God to open “a door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). But be warned: this may be the pathway God uses to draw you overseas. I have friends whose relationships with Somalis in their neighborhood eventually compelled them to engage in full-time ministry in the Horn of Africa.
Commit to Gospel Partnerships
When all is said and done, however, the most practical way I’ve found to make missions feel like “a small world after all” is to partner with brothers and sisters doing gospel work among the nations. The more specific and personal the subject, the more excited I am to pray and be involved. I regularly intercede for a little church in Higuito, Costa Rica, because a dear mentor and friend is a pastor there. I stay tuned into gospel work in the Arabian Gulf because God has stitched my heart to a brother and his family who labor there.
I would have to forget these friends in order to lose sight of the nations and churches they serve. My commitment to these partners keeps me tethered to God’s mission in the world. So, consider the dear ones you know serving overseas, and devote yourself to their ministry. Contribute financially. Encourage them regularly.
If you aren’t acquainted with any missionaries or national ministers, ask your church leaders whom they would recommend getting to know. Though it can feel costly to invest in someone who may soon move halfway around the world, strive to build lasting relationships with members of your church who are considering long-term work overseas. Committing to these people will make remote missions feel local, and these partnerships will keep gospel ministry in distant lands at the forefront of your mind and near to your heart.
Desiring God