Men . . . went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. (Acts 11:20)
Chariots of Fire is a movie based on Scottish athlete Eric Liddell’s decision not to run the 100-meter race in the 1924 Paris Olympics. As mentioned earlier this month, he chose not to run the race he trained for, but instead ran the 400-meter race—scheduled for a different day—and won. I often wish the movie went on to tell how Liddell fulfilled an early calling by going to China as a missionary, dying there in a Japanese civilian internment camp in 1945. Comfort did not motivate him.
After Stephen’s death, persecution pushed the early believers into new areas of ministry. Antioch—a city of at least 250,000 and the Roman Empire’s third largest—was one of them. Though some believers shared only with Jews, others went to the Greek-speaking gentiles. Perhaps the mission was uncomfortable, but new people groups turned to the Lord because of the church’s obedience.
Eric Liddell left the comfortable on behalf of Christ; early Christians did the same. We may not have to go very far to share with people who are different from us. Though it may be uncomfortable, God wants us to tell them the good news. Our obedience is the means God uses to bring about change in their lives. When we do the uncomfortable, it could result in their transformation.
Ask God to help you move from comfort to obedience.
Roland E. Cavanaugh is a former pastor and current chaplain of Providence Place Senior Health and Rehabilitation (NC). He enjoys reading, writing, and nature.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
