Take a moment to read Acts 14:21-28 before reading the devotional below.
Our mission is about far more than winning souls. In some Christian circles, there is an emphasis placed on numbers of converts (people who pray a prayer to ask Jesus to forgive their sins and save them). While this is a critical piece of the spiritual journey, our work does not end there. Developing and training followers of Jesus is essential to the very definition of disciple-making.
Here at the end of Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas back track and re-visit many of the places where they had first preached the message of Jesus as Messiah. It says in verse 22 that they strengthen the believers through encouragement and reminders to risk it all for the cause. They solidify the leadership of the church through the careful appointing of elders during another time of prayer and fasting. And they settle back down at Antioch where they had previously served the church for over a year.
Becoming a disciple of Christ never ends no matter how long you have been a Christian — you are always able to grow into a more exact look-alike of Jesus. Allow me to be the one to encourage you today: keep going on your journey. Continue in your faith. Don’t give up. Press deeper into what it means to suffer on earth in order to bring about God’s kingdom. Tell the stories of God’s work in your life and stay on mission no matter the cost. We’re all in this together, one day of freedom at a time.