John Stott once said, “The church doesn’t have a missions program, it is a missions program.” Or as Jesus said in Acts 1:8, we are His witnesses, we don’t merely go witnessing. I think Christians today all too often think of faithfulness as boxes to check: evangelism… check… discipleship… check… worship… check… But this is a failure to understand that all of life is a part of our faithfulness, just as all of life is a part of our witness.
No doubt, some people are called to be an evangelist. And as 1 Peter 3:15 makes clear, we should all be ready and willing to explain what we believe and why when called upon or given opportunity. But whether you are an evangelist or not, and whether or not you are ever called upon or given opportunity to share the gospel with an unbeliever, your whole life is a part of the mission of God. Every act of faithfulness, and thus every act done in faithful worship—for the glory of God—is pushing back the darkness and advancing the light of Christ and His Kingdom.
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) that Christ gave us certainly involves evangelism, but it involves a whole lot more as well… namely, all of life. Christ commanded us to teach the nations—all peoples in all areas of life—to obey all that Christ has commanded. Therefore, we are to obey, and to teach others to obey all of God’s Word in all of life (All of Christ for all of life). Church, family, society, government, the arts, every lawful vocation, and every lawful endeavor is to be brought rightly under the Lordship of Christ. And as you seek to do this first and foremost with yourself, and every area of your life, and then work out from there (family, church, work, etc…), you are faithfully participating in the Great Commission, and thus being a faithful part of God’s missionary program.
The husband who works hard to provide for his family, and leads his family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, all while seeking to tether his heart to Christ, making war on sin and pursuing holiness, is being a faithful witness, even if he never goes witnessing. The wife who manages the home and cares for her children, partnering with her husband in cultivating a Christian culture in their home where children are raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and bread is broken and joy is a plenty, is likewise being a faithful witness, even if she never goes witnessing.
We are called to do everything we do as doing it for the Lord and for His glory (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17). Whether staying home and changing diapers, or going to a nine to five day in and day out, everything we do is to be done faithfully, and thus in line with God’s Word—the commands of Christ—as an act of worship. And this is a witness to the world. This is in part how we teach others to obey all that Christ has commanded—by demonstrating obedience with our own lives. To be sure, the evangelist calls people to bow the knee to King Jesus, but every faithful Christian life demonstrates that Christ is King, and that He and His ways are better than the world and its ways… And therefore our faithfulness acts as a call to Christ as well. And even the things that go unseen by the world are seen by God, and according to Ephesians are seen by angels and demons. And so even the faithfulness of our hearts and minds, even quiet faithfulness in our homes is advancing the light of Christ and therefore pushing back the darkness (Shout on, pray on, we’re gaining ground! Glory Hallelujah!). It’s all a part of taking all things captive for Christ.
So know what you believe and why. Be ready to share it with others if called upon or given opportunity. And if you’re called to be an evangelist, get out there and make opportunities. But even if that isn’t your calling, and even if you never have an opportunity, know that your life is still a witness. Everything matters. Nothing is meaningless. Every single one of our lives, and every part of lives are to be brought under Christ. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). And know that all of it matters. God sees and God cares. And even the demons see, and they shake and they tremble as our lives proclaim, “Christ is LORD!”