Tag Archives: fulfilling Jesus’ great commission

As advances in technology changes how businesses are run, on the job training isn’t what it use to be.  When I was younger, new employees would shadow someone for a day or possibly up to a week.  Afterward, you would be given time to ask questions, picking someone’s brain to absorb as much as possible.  Other fields offer an apprenticeship where individuals interested in pursuing a specific occupation are given a month, season or year to decide if they have what it takes to succeed.  Today, people are thrown into the fire with little training, given some sort of wiki page to fall back on if they don’t know what to do.  The end result of this age is high turnover rates as companies no longer invest in people like my father’s generation.

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”  “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you,” John 2:3-5.

In the first century, Jesus was instructed by God to select twelve disciples prior to beginning his three year earthly ministry.  However, during an emergency at a friend’s wedding, Mary, the mother of Jesus panics.  With only six disciples part of his team, Jesus wasn’t ready to introduce the world to God’s message of salvation.  Promising to obey his parents following his Bar mitzvah at age twelve, Jesus agrees to save his mother’s friend from social disgrace, running out of vine at a wedding.  This opportunity gave the six disciples present a chance to see Jesus at work.  When you see your own boss perform a miracle, these six individuals were sold, buying into a life of serving God.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:19-20.

Today, on the job spiritual training often conflicts with businesses, careers or jobs.  As progressive ideas become embraced by political leaders, a wave of political correctness is shaping future policies within companies across America.  While some of these changes are beneficial, others are in direct conflict with biblical principles.  Thus, followers of Christ are asked and encouraged to ignore the Bible so that other views aren’t offended.  While my generation was taught to agree to disagree on certain issues, fulfilling Jesus’ great commission today will rub people the wrong way.  Evangelism can be a thankless calling, experiencing rejection daily.  Yet, if you want to be true to Jesus’ plea in the passage above, on the job training must involve sharing your faith in the area or areas where you are gifted.

by Jay Mankus