Mission Impossible?

Sojourn: A temporary rest or stay in the midst of a journey.

At various points in the Bible, believers are referred to as sojourners, or foreigners in a strange land, staying for a brief amount of time.

For example, Abraham and Sarah were sojourners in Egypt (Genesis 12:10) as they followed God's calling for their lives. God told Abraham to leave his family and his home in order to find the land that God would show him (Genesis 12:1-5).

Abraham, then called Abram, didn't even know where he was going. However, God promised to bless him and make his name great.

And Abraham went.

That doesn't mean his decision was easy or enjoyable. Sometimes, you will walk through deep valleys, and you don't know how you will ever make it out the other side.

Even while in Egypt, Abraham defied God and gave his wife Sarah to Pharaoh, saying she was his sister. This brought plagues onto the Egyptians until Pharaoh gave Sarah back to Abraham, sending them both out of the country.

Later, Abraham waited years for God to fulfill his promise and provide him with a child. And even then, Abraham still doubted and tried to bring it about on his own. Yet God was faithful.

Even after Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (which is an extremely difficult concept to wrestle with, even for us just reading the story and not living it). But God was faithful still, providing an animal sacrifice.

Difficult journeys and tasks are not an excuse to be disobedient.

What is God calling you to do?

Where is He calling you to go?

The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20, tells us, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age."

This word "go" in this verse really means, "as you are going." You cannot sojourn if you are not traveling.

Life is a journey, and in the scheme of it, college is just a brief residency. Most people spend three to seven years studying for various degrees, and then you enter the real world. The freedoms and opportunities you have will shift.

You will not always have this kind of access to so many people, especially a community so diverse in culture, viewpoints, and beliefs. The nations literally come to you, and you have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with people who may otherwise never hear the gospel.

How are you using this time?

I ask myself this same question, am I using it to glorify and please myself? Or am I using it to bring attention to the One who has radically changed my life?

Sometimes I think it's easy to hide Jesus and the way our story crossed paths with his, because we don't fully understand Grace.

Grace means forgiveness freely given, undeserved and completely sufficient. God offers us his love, no strings attached.

If someone saves your life, how would you respond? Do you continue on as if nothing happened or do you tell anyone and everyone you see?

As a challenge, pray this week for opportunities for God to use you, that God would open your eyes to those around you and teach you to make the most of your sojourn.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to share the good news. As one of my mentors says, "Our purpose is to take the gospel where the Good News is still good news."