3 John 1:6 “Who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well”
3 John is a letter from the Apostle John to a man by the name of Gaius. Gaius has been living out the Christian life by walking in truth and by helping missionaries who are on their way to share the gospel with Gentiles. John wants Gaius to know how proud he is of him. In hearing that he walks in truth, he tells him that he has “no greater joy than to hear his children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4). In hearing how he faithfully supported missionaries, he lets him know that what he is doing is, in essence, to be commended. Furthermore, John will reinforce with Gaius that he is doing well when he does send them on their journey in a manner that is worthy of God and concludes in verse 8 with “Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”
With our summary of the first few verses of 3 John, I would like to now ask what would fellow servants of the Lord, missionaries, say of you if they passed through your town and visited your church? John heard from missionaries about the love shown to them by Gaius. Do you show love to those who are serving as missionaries? Would you be commended for contributing to their journey?
In considering the subject of missions, I believe every believer is to be involved in missions. I believe you are either sent or you are sending. For the vast majority of us, we fall into the category of sending.
What, then, does sending look like? May I share a few thoughts that hopefully will stir your heart?
The long and the short is you should first and foremost know some missionaries. In knowing them you get on their e-mail list to get their newsletter. This allows you to know how to pray for them. It allows you to also know how to give to them. This giving can be a financial gift that comes to them monthly and/or it could also be providing some type of equipment they need. Knowing missionaries allows you to know how to encourage them. Sending a card and/or a text message or sending a care package speaks volumes to the missionary on the field. There may be a need for you to go visit them and by that, I mean just go visit them. There may be a need where you go to see them and sever with them on a special project. There may be the need that when they are at “home” you open your home for them to stay in and/or you provide a meal for them.
At this point, I pause for the list can go on and on. There are numerous ways to be a sender and I am sure you are thinking of quite a few I did not mention. The bottom line is John commended, challenged, and confirmed to Gaius that supporting missionaries is the right thing to do.
If you are not sent, then you need to be sending. How will you be known for sending?
Continue Strong as a Sender of the one’s God has Sent,
And remember to DATE the Word.