So I've been thinking...

Even though the semester is coming to a close everything is far from slowing down. I still have 2 more trips to make to my volunteer placement along with 2 book reports, 2 final papers, 1 final project, 2 assignments, 1 take home exam, and 2 written exams. That’s it. That is all that stands between me and the ends of the semester/Christmas break.

So I just finished taking a class on evangelism. It was a three weekend intensive course. It started on Friday at 2; we would go until 5, stop for supper, start back at 6, and the go until 9pm. The next morning – Saturday – we would start at 9am, go until 12, stop for lunch, start back at 1, and then go until 4. Three weekends I did this. One in September, one in October, and one in November.

Oh how I had a love-hate relationship with this class. I loved it because it was super cool. The prof was great and the topic was even better. I mean evangelism, who doesn’t want to take a class in evangelism? Please note that I’m being 100% serious, I know it may sound like I’m being sarcastic but trust me, I’m not. I hated it because; since it was only 3 weekends the class time was sooooo loooooong. However, in the end it was pretty sweet to just do 3 weekends of class time and then be done. Although I do have a final paper to write for the class…

Anywho, at the beginning of the class we had an online discussion going and someone brought up The Great Commission. This past week, after the class had finished up, I had been thinking a lot about those famous final words of Jesus:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20 ESV

Jesus tells his disciples to GO. Now in our class discussion, another student brought up this question: do we put too much of an emphasis on the go and not enough on the make disciples? This made me think, do we focus more on the action and not the reason? 

I think I have fallen guilty of this. The past few weeks I have been focusing on the doing and not on the why.

This is the struggle of my volunteer hours being for school. I go and volunteer, but I do not see it as an opportunity to make disciples. Instead I see it as something I have to go and do.

I should be rejoices and praising God for the opportunity to meet new people and see new faces.

My prayer this coming week is that I will go to volunteer with a new mindset. I will be praying that I will see the blessing God has given me through my volunteer time and I will see it not as an act I have to do, but a time where I can share my story and make disciples.

Thanks for reading,

Em