Google the term one job, and you will find examples of people’s failures to accomplish the simplest tasks: signs installed upside down; common items mislabeled; doors installed in places that prevent them from opening. The Internet teems with examples of failures to get that one job done.
We, too, have been given one primary job. As Jesus turned over His earthly ministry to His followers, He commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19, 20, ESV).
In a nutshell, our one job is to share the good news of what God is doing through Jesus Christ, and then to teach those who believe how to live as Christ’s followers. That’s pretty much it.
I am excited to witness a renewed interest in evangelism and discipleship throughout the General Conference. Before COVID-caused restrictions on travel and gatherings, momentum was growing. Elders Mike Vlad and Larry Zaragoza taught seminars on personal evangelism during our 2019 convention in Albuquerque. Elders Bryan Cleeton, Ramon Ruiz, Daniel Flores, and others led weekend training events in our Southwest District.
Now as we look forward to when we can freely travel and gather again, momentum is building. The Central District has already embarked on an evangelistic effort using our book This We Believe. Elders Vlad and Zaragoza are ready to travel and teach as soon as possible. Dates for their classes are under consideration in our Southeast District. And during its March meeting, the General Conference board of directors mandated the creation of General Conference evangelism/discipleship training materials before the end of this year.
These are exciting indications. However, training is not doing. How sad if we train and practice, but never actually enter the game. Let’s also do, focusing on Jesus. When we meet Jesus, we don’t want Him to say, “You had one job. . . .”
