With everything going on in our country and the ways in which people are hurting right out our “front door” it’s easy to ask, “Should we put our focus locally or internationally?”
And it’s a fair question. Not just one we should be asking of Anchored Purpose Box, but one we should each ask ourselves.
Because we know of no better place to start, let’s explore what the Bible has to say.
The Great Commission and beyond
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”
Matthew 28:19
“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
When we examine Scripture and take to heart what Jesus told his followers, then and now, we see He calls them to minister everywhere. When we talk about making an impact we need to reframe the question. In the exhortation of Jesus it’s never a conversation of local vs international, but instead a conversation of how you can reach people across your street and across the world.
We as followers of Christ need to find ways to make our impact near and far from home. This could mean spending time at your local clothing closet while also financially supporting an international ministry.
It should never be a question of which is more important or appropriate. But instead of the question of where and how God is calling you.
The call God has placed on us
We each have different skills and abilities. We each have different resources God has blessed us with to help grow His Kingdom.
When I (Angie) visited Haiti in 2016 I experienced true generational poverty for the first time. The baby lying in the Port-au-Prince hospital, if it survived the malnourishment, would live a life of extreme deprivation. Lacking access to clean water, sufficient food, and limited medical care.
The realization that the baby’s parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents (and who knows how far back) lived the same life was heartbreaking. In addition to realizing should this baby have a child of their own one day, they very well could grow up in the exact same way.
It was this realization that spurred me on toward a purpose-driven mission of raising funds for vulnerable communities and underdeveloped countries the world over, while also raising awareness of their plight.
I knew what God had given me (my time, treasures and talents) could be used to further His Kingdom beyond my North Dakota comforts. And so, Anchored Purpose Box began.
How is God speaking to you?
In order to fulfill the great commission we need everyone to play their part, to be the body of Christ in its entirety. We need the eye to behave like an eye and an arm to behave like an arm. If you feel the call of God on your life to make a difference in your neighborhood, do it! If you feel him calling you to make an international difference, make it happen.
Only when we each use our time, treasures and talents where God has called us will we be able to make disciples in “Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.”