“No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.”
Luke 8:39 (NLT)
When Jesus arrived in Gerasenes, He was met by a man completely tormented and cast out by his community. Jesus delivered him, and the demons fled into a herd of pigs that rushed into the lake and drowned.
But instead of celebrating the miracle, the townspeople were terrified. A great wave of fear swept over them, and they begged Jesus to leave. One miracle—and He was done in that region.
And yet, His mission wasn’t.
The man who was healed wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to stay. He didn’t just heal the man from something—He healed him for something. That man became the first minister to his hometown. He went through the whole city proclaiming what Jesus had done—something Jesus Himself wasn’t even welcomed to do.
We often assume our calling lies in the next thing, the bigger thing, the shinier thing. But sometimes the greatest assignment is right where we are. Jesus prepares us for ministry not just in far-off places—but in familiar ones.
Don’t overlook your present place. You may be the only one ready to reach it. Serve here.