In Acts 26, Paul recounts when Jesus called him into mission. It is direct, clear, and leaves no room for negotiation. “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness…” (Acts 26:16). This was not Paul’s idea, and it was not a good opportunity he discovered. This was Jesus assigning him a task. Missions does not originate with us—it originates with Christ. Before Jesus even tells him where he is going, He tells him what will happen: opposition. From his own people and from the Gentiles. This is important. True missions has never been defined by comfort or ease, but by obedience. God does not remove resistance—He sustains us through it.
Then comes the assignment itself. Paul is sent to the very people who will reject him. This cuts against how we naturally operate. We tend to stay where we are understood, where we are received, where things are effective and predictable. But Jesus sends us toward those still in darkness, not just those already in the light. Because the issue is not behavior—it is blindness. “To open their eyes… to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (v.18). This is not about improving lives; it is about rescuing them. People are not just uninformed—they are in darkness, and the mission of God is to bring them into the light. And when that happens, everything changes. Forgiveness of sins. A place among God’s people. A new life begins. This is where discipleship starts—not before.
The mission is clear. It belongs to Jesus. He defines it, He sends us, and He sustains us.
The question is not whether the mission is difficult. The question is: will we go?
Jonathan Haward, President & Founder
Global Infusion
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