Sep 20, 2018 What are you risking if you don’t serve?

If you’re a Christian, chances are you’ve heard the gospel commission many times. We’ve all been told, Go out and share the gospel with the world! But how seriously do we take this call to action?

I think we all agree with the importance of itÑthe gospel needs to go to the whole world. Maybe we support it in spirit or we support it financially, a lot of us may actually go do mission service once or twice.

But sometimes I think we forget what we’re risking, those times when we decide not to serve.

If you’ve never accepted the gospel commission for yourself, maybe you’ve said, I know other people are working hard at it and I support them. Or if you have served, maybe now you say, I’ve already done my duty.

But here’s the questionÑhow will the gospel commission be completed without your action now and in the future? If you’ve served and the work is not done, are you done?

What you are risking by not answering the call is twofold: first, you’re risking the eternal salvation of those you might have reached if you had acted. And second, you’re risking no one answering the callÑbecause God doesn’t force us into service.

Just as God didn’t force you to accept Him, He won’t force anyone else to accept Him. And once you have accepted salvation and been brought into unconditional love, God still will not force you to reach other people. You have to volunteer.

This means that, if Jesus pleads with his followers to share what they know about Him, but no one doesÑthere’s nothing He can do about it.

God needs every single one of us to be a connection from Him to those who don’t know Him. And there are a lot more people who don’t know Him in the world than there are who do.

The book Patriarch and Prophets page 34 says, God desires from all His creatures the service of loveÑservice that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a forced obedience; and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service.

If you know Christ and understand His incredible love, don’t you want to volunteer your service? Does your love for God move you to action? Are you willing to accept God’s gift of freedom but unwilling to use it in His service?

If no one else in the world was willing, would you be? Don’t risk itÑanswer the call!

Emily Weber
QHM Marketing