Matthew 10:7

“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Preaching the gospel must not be reserved for a specific time or place. Preaching the gospel should be an activity that happens on-the-go. It’s not when you find a pulpit or a ready audience. Preaching is an activity that should be interwoven with the daily activities of life. Jesus said to the disciples, “as you go.” This means, Jesus intends for us to be involved in this ministry of sharing the gospel, even as we go through the natural push and shove of life. It shouldn’t be left to when we feel like it or when we feel spiritual. It’s to be done as we do other things in life.

The second thing we need to do is focus on the urgency of the need to preach. Our message is urgent because time is limited. The person we fail to preach to today may never get another opportunity to hear the gospel of the Kingdom tomorrow. The kingdom of heaven is at hand; it is near, it is here. With this understanding, we need to fight procrastination in preaching the gospel. Today is the day of salvation. As we go through life, may we remember that tomorrow may be too late for the people and for us.

“Father, fill my heart with compassion for the lost. When my heart is enlarged, then preaching becomes normal. When they are constrained, then I am tempted to preach only in limited circumstances and when it is convenient. Open my heart to compassion O Lord, and make me reach out to the needy in my community. Amen.”