Go and Make Disciples of All Nations

By Nancy Lindgren

My husband and I recently returned from a tour of Israel. It was a trip of a lifetime and truly amazing to walk where Jesus walked and see what Jesus saw. The Bible is coming to life for me in deeper and more meaningful ways since I can now picture the places and the scenery in vivid color.

There were two specific moments on this tour of the Holy Land that touched my heart in a deep way. One of those took place beside the Sea of Galilee. We were invited by our tour guide to go off on our own to spend some time with the Lord and let Him speak to our hearts.

I sat down on a rock I had chosen and took a deep breath, letting the beauty of the setting sun over the sea calm my heart. Our days had been packed and there was an abundance of information coming at us. This was really the first time in several days to slow down and listen to God’s voice. I whispered, “God, speak to me. What do you want to say to me?”

A few minutes into this sacred space, a couple walked past me and stood on a rock right at the water’s edge. The woman was attempting to get a picture when suddenly her foot slipped and down she went. Her arms flailed as she tried to keep her phone above the water. She was laughing loudly in embarrassment and in shock from what had just happened. And then she got out of the water and came and stood immediately in front of me…like totally in my personal space. 

To be honest, my first thought wasn’t overly compassionate as I thought to myself, “Really, Lord? I finally have these quiet, few minutes to spend with You and now there is all of this ruckus going on around me.”

My next thought was a little more Christ-like, as I’m sure it came from Him. “There are people all around you just like her. They are helpless and needy and some are even drowning under the weight of their burdens. Do you see them? Do you really see them? Do you care? Or are they a distraction and a disruption in your life?” Wowzers! I was convicted.

These verses from Matthew 9:35-38 came to my mind:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’

The workers are few. Whew! My heart was certainly stirred. Who is willing to step into the messiness of someone’s life and see them and love them and get to know them for who they really are? Am I willing? Are we willing?

The second moment of impact on our trip happened while I sat at the top of Mt. Arbel. This was supposedly the place where Jesus delivered The Great Commission from Matthew 28:19a: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations. Again, we were told to go off on our own and have some time with the Lord, so I went as far away from the group as I could without falling over the edge of the cliff. I sat there taking a deep breath, once again looking forward to some solitude with Jesus. 

Wouldn’t you know it, a man came wandering by and plopped down on a rock right near me. He was a different nationality than me and was speaking a language I couldn’t comprehend. Just as he was disrupting my sweet time with my Savior, a truth hit me right between the eyes! This was quite possibly the very place where Jesus commissioned His followers to go and make disciples of all nations–and the Lord was commissioning my own heart. 

Am I willing to go and to love people of all nations? Some of those nations are right where I live and some are in distant lands. All are valuable to God and they should be valuable to me. My heart was softened and my prayer became, “Lord, here I am. Use me. Whoever you want to take me to, I’m willing to go. Help me love people like you love people. Help me value people like you value people. Send me. I’m all in.”

I believe the Lord is also preparing the ministry of MORE Mentoring to go and make disciples of all nations. Will you join us? Do you know people in other nations who need the resources we have to offer to help them step into mentoring relationships with confidence? Let’s start spreading the word and see how God might want to bring in the harvest through our obedience and faithfulness to His call and commissioning. 

Nancy Lindgren is an author, speaker and the Founder of MORE Mentoring, whose mission is to inspire women to love and encourage others through prayer-focused mentoring. She and her husband, Mark, have midwestern roots, but now call Fairplay, Colorado home. They have four grown children and a well-worn welcome mat at their front door.