Go?

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20

Brennan Manning asks the question, “Is the gospel alive and real to you right now? Or has it grown stale and predictable?” As I consider Manning’s question in light of the words of Jesus, I grapple with more questions. How does it happen? How could I allow the gospel to become stale? The gospel flows to me and through me from the heart of God. Therefore, it is His great love that captures me and motivates me to extend His love toward others. The “Great Commission” seems most daunting when we forget about God’s accompanying presence. Manning addresses our fears.

“It’s natural to feel fear and insecurity when confronted with the radical demands of the Christian commitment. But enveloped in the lived truth of God’s furious love, insecurity is swallowed up in the solidity of agape, and anguish and fear give way to hope and desire. The Christian becomes aware that God’s appeal for unlimited generosity from His people has been preceded from His side by a limitless love, a love so intent upon a response that He has empowered us to respond through the gift of His own Spirit.”

How soon we forget the provision of God. When it comes to obedience, God has not left me to fend for myself. Radical commitment to God is accompanied by the extravagant gift of His abiding presence. More than a Comforter, the Holy Spirit enables, empowers and encourages.