There are mornings when I sit before the Lord, praying for those who have never heard the name of Christ.
As I pray, my mind does not drift toward the easy places. It is drawn again and again to the hard ones.
Deserts where the wind scrapes across endless sand. Mountain valleys where brutal winters keep villages hidden for months. Dense urban neighborhoods where the wrong conversation overheard can bring imprisonment or worse. Regions where following Christ means losing family, work, safety, or even life itself.
As those places rise before me, I find myself asking : Where are the committed men?
Where are the sturdy men (and strong women, too) God has forged with unusual endurance, who do not flinch at hardship, who will not retreat when opposition comes, and who can endure loneliness, danger, and long seasons without visible fruit?
I see glimpses of them everywhere. They are running ultramarathons and pushing their bodies through Ironman competitions and Spartan races. They train to endure pain and difficulty. They welcome the challenge.
Every time I see them, I pray: “Lord, draw them to the nations. Draw the climbers to the mountains where Christ is still unknown. Draw the runners to the long roads between unreached villages. Draw the disciplined and resilient to places where persecution is real and faith must be lived with courage.”
Paul told Timothy to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. That call has not been withdrawn. The gospel has always advanced through those willing to endure hardship so that others might hear.
This issue of Message focuses on the ABWE missionaries courageously laboring to flood Africa with the gospel. Many of them endure harsh climates, limited infrastructure, and political instability to bring the gospel to unreached cities and villages—and God is working through their dedication. Men and women across the continent are turning to Christ from the darkness of animism and Islam and, with training and discipleship, are leading local churches and shining his light to others.
As you read these articles, consider if God is leading you to join them.
The endurance in your body and the resilience God has forged in your spirit may not have been given for competition alone. They may have been given to equip you to serve where the gospel must be carried with courage.
The King who sends us is worthy of every hardship and risk.
