Romans 15:22: Motivated by Mission

Romans 15:20, 22.. "...and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. . . .This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you."

In these short verses, we find that Paul sacrificed his own desires in order that he might be a missionary to God's people. Though he had a great longing to visit Rome (15:24), he decided to remain evangelizing wherever God had put him before he returned to Rome. Paul's priority was not his own desires, but rather fulfilling God's plan for him. How can this be so? How did Paul put aside what he wanted in order to do what God had for him? He did so by being motivated by his mission.

Paul knew that God had called him to bring the Gospel to places where it had never been brought before (15:20). That was God's mission for Paul. Knowing this, Paul took hold of his mission as it motivated him to do whatever God had called him to do--even if it meant giving up his desire to go to Rome.

But what is your mission? Perhaps God's mission for you is not being a missionary to unreached people like it was for Paul. Perhaps your mission is to work 40+ hours a week in a work environment where you can have an Gospel influence on your coworkers. Perhaps your mission is to serve fulltime in a church equipping God's saints for the work of the ministry. Perhaps your mission is to serve regularly in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Perhaps your mission is to adopt orphans that they might have a family. Or perhaps your mission is none of these, but rather something totally different. Whatever your mission may be, here's the question: are you motivated by it? Paul was so motivated by his mission that he gave up his own desires in order to fulfill that mission. Are you that bold? Are you that faithful? Are you that motivated?

So, here's the challenge for today: do you know what your mission is? In other words, do you know what God's specific calling upon your life is to fulfill the Great Commission? If you don't know what that is, try to find it, and pray to God that you might. However, if you do know what that is, be motivated by it. Don't sit around moping that life is hard--be motivated by the fact that God has given you a mission...a mission that ONLY YOU have the ability to fulfill. Remember: "only YOU can be YOU fully surrendered to Christ."1 So, be motivated today by your mission.

1. My pastor in Louisville, Pastor Jeff Robinson, said this.