4 ways to unleash your inner amy carmichael

Written by Jo Ruth, a Beloved writer.

I grew up as a preacher’s kid. Missions and ministry and serving were always prominent features in my life, and there wasn’t a mealtime that went by where we didn’t pray for so-and-so here and there around the world. 

And if I’m honest, I was a little daunted by that. 

Faith has always been important to me—it still is. But there came a point in time when I was so scared that if I didn’t immediately bring people to church and lead them through the steps of salvation, that my own salvation would be counted nothing and I’d be a “bad” Christian. I was extra-determined to be the good Sunday-school girl, the one always telling her friends about Jesus, the one who volunteered, the one who stuck out, the faithful person always attending every Bible class. I’d make faith my personal brand and was frustrated when none of my attempts to minister worked the way I thought it would. 

And… yeah, no. That’s not how missions works at all. 

In summary, missions is key to being an effective Christian. 

Yeah. 

That’s really all there is to it.

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all nations,” Christ said right before He left. That’s a command He gives to all Christians, everywhere, any time. 

But we seem to get the picture wrong in our heads. We see ourselves the next Amy Carmichaels and Mary Slessors, the next Jim Elliots and William Careys, going into unknown lands, braving unknown struggles, and undergoing great difficulties. All to share the love of Christ and spread hope. 

All of which are things we can do . . . right where we are. 

People in other countries need Christ’s love, yes. So do people right in your home country. People need help, someone to give them a hand. That’s a constant you can find no matter where you go. People are struggling with depression and loneliness, from total strangers, to your own friends. There is a need for Christ everywhere, and we don’t have to go abroad to do what Jesus told us to: be good Christians. 

Being a good Christian is surprisingly simple. Not easy, but simple. 

Some ways to start?

Here. 

1. Take time to reach out. 

This can look like so many different things. Maybe you can volunteer in a church or an organization. Maybe it’s visiting people at a nursing home. Maybe it’s befriending a buddy that you didn’t know needed a friend. Maybe it’s taking the time to do research on a friend’s mental health issue so you know how to respond in love to her.

Maybe it’s doing the hard, right thing. 

2. Pray.

And when you pray, remember that you’re talking to a God who listens. Who is there. He’s the King, He’s the Maker of the universe, He controls everything . . . and He’s your friend.

Think about that for a sec. Your friend. 

What a powerful God we serve. 

Pray for your life—pray for yourself. Pray for your family, pray for your friends, pray for your annoying neighbor down the street who keeps making fun of your makeshift hut but you can’t really tell her to leave you alone. Pray for missionaries serving across the world and across the lawn. Pray for our world. Pray that we can show the world what it is and what it was meant to be. Pray for anything God sends in your life. Pray when you’re depressed, when you’re tired, when you want to give up. Pray for others. Pray. 

3. Open your eyes. 

One of the first ways to know something is to know about it—something many of us fail to do. I think a lot about Ray Comfort’s book Out of the Comfort Zone, where he described serving in ways that average Christian can’t imagine. We’re really good at living in a safe cove of complacency that we don’t realize that the world is on fire—and we need to do more than just sit back in awe and wonder at what the world is coming to.

Get out of your comfort zone. Read books about modern missionaries, about the struggles a 2020’s Christian will face—not just in the US, or in Canada, but everywhere. Read blogs written by missionary kids. Read articles about how pastoral families are struggling with their own problems as well as shepherding a church. Let yourself be uncomfortable with the hard reality that something must be done. 

4. Give.

Yeah, yeah, we’re all broke—and I know this from present circumstances.

We all are carefully budgeting, trying to save money, and there is nothing wrong with that. But so are fellow Christians, fellow missionaries everywhere, and in much more pressing situations. Even charities, organizations, ministries, churches, and so much more depend on people used by God to support them with prayer, with encouragement, and yep, with money.

I’m not saying God will reward you materially for choosing to give back to Him, because that’s not what’s been said, and that’s not the point. But what I am saying is that giving does give back—in the best way that counts. 

~

Missions isn’t perfect. Ministry isn’t perfect. Ministry is stressful and in the hands of people with the wrong hearts, it does backfire. (which, as you may guess, hurts.) But with the ultimate Minister on our side, urging us to live our lives, live it to the fullest, and to spread His love?

Anything can be a mission. And anybody can be a missionary.

(P.S. If you have finished reading this, wondering how you can take an extra step and serve God by supporting a missionary/mission effort, there is a lovely opportunity that needs your support and prayers: a small (but growing!) ministry in Boracay, Philippines run by my uncle, Joven Antolin, and his family, where they have been serving for ten years. 

My uncle is in need of someone to help him lighten the load by doing the mundane, smaller responsibilities, which is where I come in. Yup, you read that right: next week I’ll be flying to the Philippines to do whatever God wants me to do and see what comes next!

The only catch, is again, not nearly enough funds to cover the costs of a ticket, visas, and other matters needed to be able to go, and with the upcoming deadline of October 28, Monday, the stress is getting real. *ahhh*

I ask you, if this has spoken to your heart, if you could pray that God will work a way to make this possible, and that if He places it on your heart, to be able to donate to this sudden, a wee bit risky, but taken-in-faith-and-prayer filled cause? Even just the smallest donation can add to a big impact, and everything counts!

To find out more, look up tiny.cc/pananaw for details, the full story, and a way to give. (Gah, I realize that sounds clickbaity. My apologies.)

Prayerfully, 

Jo)