Read: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Go home to your friends, and
tell them what great things
the Lord has done for you.
-Mark 5:19

“Find your own Calcutta.” That was the response
Mother Teresa sent to a woman who wanted to join her in
ministering to one of India’s most crowded cities.

Was there a touch of romanticism in the woman’s desire
to leave all her past behind and serve in a distant,
exotic land? Whatever her motives, the terse advice she
received is a discerning word we all should heed. It
captures the essence of Paul’s message to the church at
Corinth. Serve the Lord in whatever situation He has
placed you (1 Cor. 7:17-24).

I recall the illusion-puncturing challenge John
Alexander, one-time president of InterVarsity, gave to
a group of students: “What have you done this past year
to make a helpful difference within a mile of your
home?” The hungry, the suffering, the unevangelized at
our doorstep lack the more appealing aura of the needy
souls elsewhere on the planet. But the ones closest to
us are those whose needs we are best equipped to meet.

Let’s take personally what Jesus said to a man He had
set free from demons: “Go home to your friends, and
tell them what great things the lord has done for you”
(Mk. 5:19).

If we look around us through the eyes of Jesus, we’re
sure to find a Calcutta close by.
Vernon C. Grounds

Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the Bright and Morning Star,
Even from your humble hand the bread of life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are. -Ogdon

THE MISSION FIELD IS CLOSER TO HOME
THAN YOU MAY THINK.

OUR DAILY BREAD, Copyright 1999 by Radio Bible Class,
Grand Rapids,Michigan. Used by permission.