5 Important Lessons I Learned from an Inspiring Missionary Couple I Met During the Viral Series

Viral. The most recent series in Victory is entitled as such. It spoke about the special role that we play as Christians in light of the Great Commission. As a social media marketer, this series held a special spot in my heart for it also spoke about using social media to spread the good news of salvation.

During the last installment of the series, I was blessed to have met a couple who shall be sent for a mission overseas. As they sat down, I saw them smiled at me. Then I smiled back. Little did I know that they will be introduced to the whole congregation later on by Pastor Noel Landicho. And that also later on, I will also be approaching them and will be listening to their amazing stories from their mission trips.

My desire is to honor God through this post and also to inspire those people who have the heart for the missions to pursue what God has called them on earth for.

1. A prophet is without honor in his own town.

There is one burning question that I asked to the couple. “Why are missionaries being sent to Israel? Aren’t they supposed to know more about Jesus than us?”

The wife’s response surprised me. She said, “The Jews who believe in Jesus are the ones who are actually telling the missionaries to reach out to their fellow Jews.” Then I was reminded of what Jesus said in Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

If no one believed in Jesus in his own town, how can we also expect the Jews to believe their fellowmen?

When I realized this, I actually was amazed at how God uses people from other nations to preach to His own people. I was reminded of what was said in Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

2. We are living epistles.

We don’t need to preach the gospel in order to preach the Gospel. By simply living our lives as true Christians we become “living epistles” and in God’s perfect time, people will notice us and will be the ones to ask us about our lives.

This is what exactly happened to the couple I have met. The husband loved her wife so much as instructed by God in the Bible for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved His church. And what kind of love is that? We know that Jesus offered no less than His very own life for His church - for us.

His love for his wife reverberated and was seen by their friends in those countries they have visited. Soon enough, people began to ask. That’s when the couple grabbed the chance to share their faith.

As living epistles, we must always remember that those who do not read the Scriptures, read our lives. In 2 Corinthians 3:2, Paul said, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.”

3. “I want to have what you have!”

I won’t forget my Foundation for Victory classes. One of the pastors told us about the story of the early Christians, especially the ones in Rome. There was a time when the Christians in Rome were fed to the lions in the arena, for everyone to see. When the non-Christian Romans expected to see fellow Romans running and screaming for their lives, what they saw astonished them that they shouted to the ones below, “I want to have what you have!”

The Christians remained steadfast in their faith in God while being devoured by the carnivores.

Surprisingly, the couple also received this kind of plea from the non-Christians they have met. They said to them, “I want to have what you have!” When they shared this to me, I was immediately reminded of what I have learned in my Foundation for Victory classes. Truly, the life of a Christian shines through everywhere he goes.

4. Even the apostles are believed to have been called during their teenage years.

The apostles, except for Peter, are believed to be young men when they were called by Christ. Some said only Peter was mentioned to pay tax with Jesus, a duty for all Jews over 20 years of age during those times. Also, only Peter was only mentioned to be married, as Jesus healed his mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14-15.

Whether this is true or not, when I heard this from the couple, I began to realize how important it is to reach out to the young people all the more. The youth are the future leaders of the country. If we win them for Jesus, we are winning the majority. I am very thankful that God placed me in a church that has the passion for the youth.

5. To be a part of the missions is a privilege, not a task.

Whether we like it or not, the world will end. Whether we believe it or not, the Gospel shall be preached in the whole world.

As a believer I know that I will be saved because of my faith in the Son. And yes, I know that even if I decided not to participate in any way in the missions, I will still be saved.

But do Christians really just stop there?

In Matthew 18:19, Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” As we are already saved, we are also called to be instruments of God’s reconciliation with other people.

But the truth is, actually, God doesn’t need us. Even if we decided not to participate, I’m sure He has other ways to preach the Gospel in the whole world to fulfill what was written. But that’s not the point. The point is that we have a great God, the God who has invited us to share with His passion of letting the world know of His love for all of us.

Knowing that the Great Commission is a privilege and not a task, an invitation and not an obligation, isn’t it more awesome if we decided to say “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”?

May you say yes to Jesus today.