And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 NKJV

Tag you’re it!!

How many of us played tag as children? I know I did. Many times, I heard the dreaded words – Tag You’re It. Being a chunky child, those were some of my least favorite words.  Why, you ask? Because they meant I had to run.

I had to chase someone who was usually faster than me so I ended up being “It” for a long time. So how did I avoid those dreaded words, well I stayed on homebase of course.

The big oak tree right in the middle of my parent’s front yard was “homebase” to many games of tag over the years, so many in fact, that we kept the grass worn thin around the tree.

Homebase was a place of security, it meant I wasn’t going to have to run or be chased. I could just stand right there and be just fine while everyone else was running around and chasing each other.

But on the other hand, there was a certain thrill that came with being chased, could I be faster than the one chasing me this time, could I beat them back to homebase? The thrill of the unknown was, at times, more exciting than the security of home base.

I used this analogy last week in Sunday School. Just like when we played tag and used the oak tree as homebase, sometimes we as Christians use our church as home base.

What am I talking about? When was the last time you ventured outside the walls of your church to spread God’s word?  

Yes, our church is our home base but it is not our resting place. God calls us to venture out of the four walls of our church to reach those who are not inside those four walls. Luke 19:10 tells us that Jesus came to seek to and save the lost.

Corinthians 12:27 tells us “All of you together are Christ’s body; and each of you is a part of it.” What does that mean – we each have a job and that job is to spread the gospel to those who have not heard the word. We are to venture off of homebase.

So, this week, I challenge you. Go outside the four walls of your church, or your home, or your workplace. Interact with someone you usually would not and then let God do the rest.

You just have to step off homebase and enjoy the thrill that comes along with the unknown, but don’t worry, God will do the chasing for you.

Father, Thank You for homebase, thank You for the security that is found there. Thank You for the thrill of the unknown when we step off homebase, when we step out of our comfort zone. Give us courage to get off homebase and love people as You told us we should. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.