Why You Are Where You Are

Last year I visited Downtown Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. To be honest, what attracted me to the church wasn’t its sanctuary (although it’s lovely) or the upcoming sermon topic (the Apostles’ Creed). It was the sign that stood like a sentinel near the entrance to the church’s parking lot. Church Parking Only, it said. Violators will be baptized. 

When I mentioned the sign to my daughter, who lives nearby, she said, “Oh yeah. We’ve visited there before. It’s a good church.” So that’s where I went for Sunday worship. 

I appreciated the church’s tongue-in-cheek, somewhat snarky humor. The church was laughing at itself, and that’s a good thing. We’d all be happier if we'd laugh more. 

The pastor, Phil Faig, said something more profound than the church's clever parking lot sign. His words continued to resonate with me long after I drove my legally-parked, non-baptized car from their parking lot: 

“Our jobs are our platforms to do missions in the world around us.” 

Consider this for a minute. 

Our jobs (think beyond what we do to earn money, although this is part of it. Think about the circumstances and situations in which we find ourselves in our everyday lives) are our platforms to do missions in the world around us. 

Many of us assume our jobs are our first priority. Then, once our work is done, if we have time (energy, money, desire) left over, we squeeze in a little Jesus. Like the butter beans we forgot in the microwave until dinner was almost over. 

But Pastor Phil’s sermon makes me think perhaps we’ve got it backwards. 

That maybe we need to look at life like this instead: 

I work at __________(fill in the blank) because this is the best platform to help others around me see Jesus. 

I’m in the ____________ (doctor’s office, grocery store, class room, drive through) because this is the best platform to help someone here know God better. 

I am where I am because this is the best platform to fulfill God’s command to share Christ with those I encounter. 

This perspective could revolutionize our daily living. 

What if I live in my neighborhood/apartment/dorm because it best positions me to do missions? 

What if I’m eating in this particular restaurant being served by this particular waitress because it best positions me to do missions? 

What if I’m in this traffic jam because it best positions me to do missions to the drivers around me? 

What if I’m on this plane/bus/train/sidewalk because it best positions me to do missions to the people I encounter? 

When I adopt this perspective, I find myself seeing – really seeing – the people around me. Not as inconveniences, hindrances, distractions, or (worse) invisible, but as people with eternal souls that God wants to minister to – through me. 

That kind woman who noticed my backpack was unzipped in the boarding line at the airport? Maybe God had positioned me in front of her (and across the aisle on the plane) so I could do missions in her life. So instead of plugging in my ear buds and zoning out, I smiled and asked her where she was going. 

“To Hartford. To visit my family and interview for a graduate program,” she said. We didn’t talk long, but as we gathered our luggage and prepared to part, I handed her my ministry card. 

“I’ll say a special prayer for your interview,” I said, and I did. 

The aesthetician who coached me through my first ever head and foot massage (a birthday gift from my daughter and son-in-law)? Perhaps the purpose of this special treat wasn’t just to bless me. Maybe God was positioning me to do missions in this woman’s life. 

“Sometimes when I’m quiet and relaxed,” I told her. “I pray. Is there anything I can pray for you about?” Her answer told me volumes (and gave me lots to pray about while she rubbed my feet with orange-scented oil). 

That challenging child/adult/parent/customer/patient? Maybe God has positioned me in their life to do the mission he’s called me to do as a disciple of Christ. 

How often do we see our work, our circumstances, our responsibilities, and our recreation as separate from our spiritual callings? What if, instead, we realized one enables the other? 

Imagine the possibilities. 

Now it’s your turn. How has your work, circumstances, or responsibilities positioned you to do God’s mission in the lives of those around you? Leave a comment below and share your story. IF you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online and join the conversation.

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