How often do we get bogged down and overwhelmed by the things this world throws at us, instead of focusing on what we’re here to do? Jesus gave us a job before He left: to take the Gospel to the entire planet. We need to live in the mindset that He can use us to take the world for the Gospel’s sake, and when we trust Him to accomplish that goal through us, there’s nothing that we can’t do.

If you’ve ever played Monopoly, you know about the coveted “get out of jail free” card. But too often, we coast through this life as Christians, knowing we’ve got our “bonus card” of salvation tucked in our back pocket. That’s why Scripture encourages us to wake up and take our obedience to Christ seriously; there will come a day when our time here ends, so it’s up to us to make the most of every moment pointing others to Jesus.

If we’re not careful, the sheer wonder of our salvation can fade from the forefront of our minds. But the fact remains: Jesus was willing to take on hell itself for our sake. That’s why we’ve got to be passionate about sharing the Gospel with others, to the point that we’re willing to do whatever it takes and sacrifice whatever is required for them to be saved, too.

Scripture tells the story of a man who invited many people to a party, but they all made excuses why they couldn’t come. So instead, he had his servant go out into the streets and the alleys and invite the poor, the blind, the crippled and the lame. God invites everyone to His party in Heaven — and He uses us to hand out the invitations, even to people we may not like.

God calls us to preach the Good News and make disciples of all nations — whether we journey to another country for a mission trip, or we walk down to the end of our block to love on our neighbor. The world is hungry to know the one true God, and it’s our job to tell them about Him. He’s given us the Gospel to share that every person we meet might have the opportunity to become part of His family.

It’s our job to share the Gospel with those we meet — but it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict them on what they hear. No one will be convinced of the truth of the Gospel without the work of the Holy Spirit in his or her own heart and life. We’ve got to trust that God will work in His time according to His purpose to convict them of their need for redemption through Jesus Christ.

We all have a decision to make when it comes to hearing the truth of the Gospel — but not everyone who hears it will choose to accept it. Our responsibility as believers is to share the Good News and trust God to open eyes, minds, and hearts.

As followers of Christ, we’re called to be witnesses and to testify about what God’s done in our lives. Scripture tells us that if we’re not reaching out to other people with the Gospel, we’re not walking as closely with Jesus as we could be — or should be. We need to not only be attentive, but also willing to listen for and obey the Lord’s promptings.

The Lord’s forgiveness doesn’t happen in a vacuum — nor does it leave us the same way that we were before. Salvation changes us, cleanses us, and makes us worthy of a relationship with the living God. When we experience the depths of His mercy and grace, we can’t help but tell other people that it’s available for them, too.

The Bible tells us that when we choose to follow Jesus, that decision isn’t meant to be kept private. Our first act of obedience as followers of Christ is to declare our faith through baptism, and our second step is to begin sharing the Gospel with the people around us through both our words and our actions. God’s saving work in our lives isn’t a secret to be withheld, but Good News to be proclaimed so other people may see and believe!

We spend so much of this life trying to figure out who, what, and where we’re supposed to be, that we often forget to rest in this important truth: God has a plan and a purpose for each of us. When we choose to follow Jesus, we’re also choosing to align our will with us. How different might our lives look if we woke up every day looking for why He placed us where He did, and who He placed us there to reach with the saving truth of the Gospel?

Being a Christ-follower includes submitting to His calling for us to fish for others. We’re His “bait” in the world, used for the purpose of attracting more people to Him, and we’re the best kind of bait when our lives reflect the change that Jesus has made in us and lure those around us to His transformative love.