Living for Jesus can be exciting in unexpected ways. The members of the church have diverse backgrounds and experiences. Church members need to be open to the opportunities that the world provides to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have to prepare ourselves for the unexpected and the dangerous if we are going to fulfill the Great Commission given to the disciples. Some people will knock on the doors of the church and say ’Let us in, but they will not be many. Disciplined missionaries are needed to reach all the rest.

Four-wheelers spend long hours preparing their vehicles and themselves for off-road trips. As Christians and disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to prepare as well. We need financial resources and reserves to sustain us while we are in the field. Four-wheelers often carry extra gas and repair parts when they undertake a difficult trip. As Christians, we need to gain a firm understanding of where we are going and what we should expect to happen. Four-wheel enthusiasts pour-over road and trail maps before they depart on a trip. They want to gain an understanding of the terrain they will encounter. Christians need to acknowledge that when we are missionaries; everything may not work out as we have planned. We need to be prepared for the unexpected. Four wheelers are notorious for being overly prepared. A rainstorm or a late season snowstorm can turn a pleasant drive in the mountains into a nightmare of danger.

Missionaries often encounter unexpected opportunities in their designated field of responsibility. They have to be wise enough and talented enough to recognize and take advantage of those things they encounter. Plans can change on the fly. Opportunities arise at inconvenient times. Are our eyes open to see all that Jesus has made available? Four-wheelers can encounter roads and trails not marked on maps. Short cuts around dangerous obstacles present themselves to those who have their eyes open. If a group of four-wheelers goes on a long multiday trip the journey requires them to find places of rest to restore themselves and repair their vehicles. Missionaries and church leaders need time off to recharge themselves as well. No one should expect a missionary to go on and on and on without rest and recuperation.

When four-wheelers finish a trip into the mountains they are quick to recount their adventures and the beautiful things they saw along the way. As Christians, we need to be prepared to testify about our personal experiences as well. Relevant and truthful information is needed to encourage other Christians to join in the struggle. Many hands make the work of a missionary easier. Personal motivation does not appear like magic. Individuals all want to find fulfillment in their work. Individuals who have been in the field need to inspire and encourage those who seek to serve.  Missionaries are the shock troops of the church. They go where no one has gone before; often into very dangerous places. The Christian experience is unknown and unwanted in large sectors of the world. Missionaries are people called by God to serve as the spear point of the church.

Four wheelers and four-wheel clubs exert power far beyond their numbers. They know what the uncharted regions of the world are like. They have been there and done that many times over.  They have conquered the dangers the rest of us are afraid to face. All Christians need to remember from where they came and where they are going. Personal experiences in the field can help shape and train those who are new to the struggle. Jesus wants all of us to help in the quest to fulfill the Great Commission. Are you prepared to do your part?