“And he said to them, “Go unto all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” – Mark 16:15

A common phrase people have often said to me before leaving for the mission field has gone something like this: “It’s so amazing and crazy that God’s called you to be a missionary. I wish I would’ve done something like that when I was younger.”

I never know how to respond to this so I would usually just smile and say thank you. I, too, used to have this view that the mission field was “somewhere else” and that the only people who were being bold and following God were the missionaries. They were the people who actually took God seriously and who were on the front lines living the hard life for God.

But people often forget that if you’re a Christian, then you’re a missionary. You don’t have to fly to some far away land to be called a missionary.

Every single day, no matter where you are, no matter what you’re doing, you are a witness for Christ. Our lives as Christians are supposed to be a testament to Jesus’ love and be a light whether we’re working in a cubicle or tramping through knee high grass on your way to tell people about Jesus.

“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,” – Matthew 28:19

Notice that in all the Bible verses on the topic of the Christian life they never once say, “Go therefore those who have been called to mission work…” or “Proclaim the gospel only those who are called missionaries.” God never specifies because it’s automatically assumed that if you’re a follower of Jesus then you’re someone who is supposed to proclaim the gospel.

The word missionary shows up in the Bible this many times: zero. Let’s go back and count again. Yup, still zero. The word missionary wasn’t even first used until 1598 by the Jesuits.

To share the gospel, to love others, to go unto all nations is not some special gift given certain people by God, it is a gift that every Christian has. So many times throughout the Bible God promises blessings upon those who proclaim His name and do His will and He even calls the feet of those who share the gospel “beautiful.”

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” – Isaiah 52:7

I want to challenge you to rethink your view of who a missionary is: No matter where you are, or what you’re doing, you’re on this earth to do God’s will. 

Don’t wait to be labeled as a missionary before you go out and do something radical. Every day you wake up and get out of bed is God’s affirmation that you still have work to do for His Kingdom.

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” – Romans 10:13-15