Giving yourself to God’s mission is simply the wisest use of your one and only life. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and those who win souls are wise.” Soul-winning makes you wise because it exerts your greatest impact on eternity. It’s one of the few things that survives from earth to eternity, and when you share Christ, it changes people’s eternal trajectory.

William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, said all we need for knowing God’s will is “an open Bible and an open map.” The will of God is missions — the exaltation of God’s glory in all the earth.

Missiologist Ralph Winter said, “The Bible is not the basis of missions; missions is the basis of the Bible.” That means missions must be the core business of every church, including yours, and every Christian, including you! And giving yourself to God’s mission is simply the wisest use of your one and only life. Proverbs 11:30 says,

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and those who wins souls are wise.”

So, let me unpack that proverb by using two key phrases in it: “tree of life” and “wins souls.”

“Tree of life” is used only in Genesis and Revelation, the beginning and end of the Bible.

• Genesis says God created the tree of life for sinless humanity but sin cursed it into perpetual dormancy.
• Revelation says God restores the tree for redeemed man with perpetual access to its healing properties.

Between Eden and Eternity, Proverbs says the righteous are that “tree of life” through the life-giving power of their words. And nothing’s more life-giving than leading a soul to Christ through the witness of your words!

The second phrase, “win souls,” not used other than here, doesn’t refer to traditional evangelism. Here it means influencing another to righteousness — again, that’s missions!

So how do you do that? Three ways:

One, through persuasion — the compelling guidance of a reasoned opinion.

God gives insights for influence, so share your insights respectfully to attract others to Jesus.

Two, influence also happens through your example — an attractive lifestyle.

Titus 2:10 says that by your godly example you actually “make the Gospel of God more attractive.” Henry David Thoreau said, “People will believe what they see. Let them see.” So use your example to win souls to righteousness.

Three, influence happens through investment: the generous use of money.

Listen to Jesus in Luke 16:9,

“Use your wealth to gain friends so they’ll welcome you into your eternal home.” (Lk. 16:9)

Without apology, Jesus says to use your money for what’s eternal — winning souls. As you invest in missions, God easily turns your earthly money into helping people find eternal life.

Jesus turned water into wine; he has no problem turning worldly wealth into saved souls. Think of it this way: a missional investment plunders hell to populates heaven! Want an unbeatable ROI? Your missions’ investment yields a never-ending return. So give to missions—if not through Petros, then somewhere!

Final word on this verse: it not only assigns obvious benefits to a soul saved, but also to a soul-winner.

Soul-winning makes you wise because it exerts your greatest impact on eternity. It’s one of the few things that survives from earth to eternity, and when you share Christ, it changes people’s eternal trajectory.

But soul-winning also makes you wise because it bends the trajectory of your future. Daniel 12:3 says,

“Those who are wise will shine like heaven’s brightness and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

The soul-winner is wise, and apparently pretty bright, too! I want my place among the stars of heaven; I want that for you, too!

God wants you to be an agent of Redemptive Lift in your village: your home, school, workplace, neighborhood, social network, or wherever you do life. He desires wherever you live to be exalted by your righteousness. This is not just God’s plan for Africa; it is his plan for you!

Proverbs 11:11 tells us,

“By the blessings of the upright the city is exalted”

Not only are souls saved, but Redemptive Lift follows wherever the gospel is proclaimed. By Redemptive Lift, I mean that wherever people respond to the gospel not only are souls saved for eternity, but life for all the villagers gets better immediately.

In other words, when the Good News takes root in a place, the city is exalted.

This is exactly what has happened throughout history. Over the centuries, most of humanity’s great advancements and social reforms were inspired by believers carrying God’s message to their corner of the world.

At Petros Network, our goals aren’t just to plant a certain number of churches or get a certain number of converts but to train our church planters to be the voice of reform, education, and vision casting for all that comes from the domain of God’s goodness within their communities.

The gospel demands of people a better way of living — and it shows them how: better hygiene, clean water, environmental stewardship, human rights, women’s empowerment, protection of vulnerable children, food security, and government that serves the best interest of the people, better family relationships, ethnic harmony, and even taken proper care of animals.

“By the blessings of the upright, the city will be exalted.”

This is our goal, that in place after place, we will see impoverished villages transform into shining lights for all of Africa to see. A pretty lofty goal, I know, but we’ll prevail because the gospel will prevail. Jesus promised it would.

Which brings me to you: God wants you to be an agent of Redemptive Lift in your village: your home, school, workplace, neighborhood, social network, or wherever you do life. He desires wherever you live to be exalted by your righteousness. This is not just God’s plan for Africa; it is his plan for you!

So, is life in your “village” better simply because you’re there? It should be! After all, the gospel is meant to overflow from your life, making you an agent of Redemptive Lift.

Would you join me in asking God where and how he wants to use our righteousness to exalt the little corner of the world in which we live? Seriously, life in your “village” ought to get better simply by virtue of you being there — and with God’s help, it will! 

This is how we change the world! So let’s do it!

Consider partnering with us to create Redemptive Lift around the world as we share, show and spread the Good News of Jesus among the unreached. Learn more at petrosnetwork.org.