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Forty days after Easter Sunday, comes Ascension Thursday. It celebrates the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. It is also the day that we receive what is known as the Great Commission. He tells us in Mt 28:19, “Go make disciples of all nations”.

Notice, he doesn’t say, go make followers. He doesn’t say go make good people. He doesn’t say go make believers. He doesn’t say go make people who sit in the pew on Sunday and then live their lives like everyone else on Monday. He says “Go make disciples.”

Each and every one of us needs to be asking ourselves, am I doing my part to make disciples?

But he also gives a shorter, often overlooked, command. He tells the Apostles to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. You see we don’t have the power to make disciples. But what we do have is the ability to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to touch another person.

The mission to make disciples is actually a command to cooperate with God. We are to be his hands, his feet, his voice to others. The time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost is a great time to reflect and ask, “Am I willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work through me in order to reach other people.”

Am I waiting because of disinterest or am I waiting in preparation and anticipation to complete my mission?