Have any of you ever asked that question?  Think back to your childhood.  For some, this may seem like ages ago.  For others, it was yesterday.  Do you ever remember a dialogue like this...

"But mom(or dad), do I have to?" 

Ring a bell yet?  When I was a child, I often spawned this question to my parents when I was asked to do something or go somewhere that I really didn't want to.  Yesterday at church, our pastor used the story of a U.S. Coast Guard team.  Below is roughly the story...

Somewhere near the Aleutian Islands off of Alaska, a U.S. Coast Guard station received a distress call from a ship that was taking on water during a terrible winter storm.  As the Captain of this Coast Guard station prepped his crew for the rescue one of the team members asked,

P.F.C. "But sir, the storm is too bad.  What if we don't come back?"

The Captain responded, "Son, we don't have to come back, but we DO have to go!"

God never promises us that we will return.  He does, however, command us to go knowing that we may or may not return.  God's blessing does not come with our return.  God's blessing comes with our going!  God blesses those who are obedient to His call.  God blesses those He sends(which is all of us) with his power, truth, love, wisdom, and plan. 

God calls us all to "go" with the Word of God planted inside of us and the love of Christ coming out of us.  He has given us each a "bubble" also known as our spheres of influence to introduce the love of Christ to.  Now, it's very likely that we may not return.  Our reps may be tarnished.  Our jobs might be lost.  Our friends might disown us, but Christ will reign supreme.  We don't have to return, but WE MUST GO!

 

 

Matt