Let me explain it this way…have you ever been to the beach on a busy day?
Imagine…
You are a lifeguard on the shore of a busy beach. There are lots of vacationers at the beach: families playing volleyball, surfers catching waves, sunbathers, kids playing in the sand. It is hot and loud and busy with people. Even though there is a lot going on all around you, you have to be vigilant to keep scanning the water and making sure people are staying safe. You can’t get distracted by the music, the volleyball game, or drift off in the warmth of the sun. The tools you have at your disposal are binoculars, a megaphone, a first aid kit, and a life buoy. Your training includes years of swimming experience, water safety, and basic first aid.
It would be easy to be lulled into a sense of calm with the rhythmic pounding of the waves, the warmth coming down from the sun, and the overall enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere of all the vacationers and their families. But as you lift up the binoculars to your eyes to scan the horizon, just off in the distance in the deep ocean water, you see a dark plume of smoke rising from a large ship and realize that it is up in flames. As you continue looking through your binoculars, you can see that there are dozens upon dozens of people jumping off the boat into the water, life boats being lowered into the water, and people literally drowning in their fear as this large ship begins to sink and they frantically swim to get to the safety shore.
As the only lifeguard on the shore of this busy beach, you are probably the only one that noticed what is happening offshore. The vacationers are busy with their own fun and activities. What would you do? With the tools you have, what would be the most effective thing to do?
You could just swim out in the water yourself and help a few that you can get safely to shore with your single buoy. And you could save a few. Or you could use your megaphone to “rally” the vacationers on the shore to all join in and organize them to help.
Some of those surfers might be proficient swimmers and can swim out to help with their surf boards. Some of those sunbathers might be doctors or nurses with medical training to help the wounded as they get to shore. Some of those families have cell phones to call for more help.
By using that megaphone, you just multiplied yourself. You multiplied your singular effort. You multiplied your voice. You called out, encouraged, and asked others to join you to save more people than you could on your own. That is what a “mobilizer” does.
Mobilizing is the action of preparing, organizing people and resources for active service.
One person, acting alone, can only do so much. Dr. Ralph Winter said it this way: “Wouldn’t it be better to awaken one hundred sleeping firemen than to hopelessly throw your own little bucket of water on a huge fire yourself?”
In our churches, a mobilizer is a person who educates, inspires, and informs others to get involved with God. As parents, you can multiply yourself, too, especially in your greatest mission field: your children.
My passion in this space, as “MobilizerMom” is to empower you, as parents, to take seriously the charge to “go and make disciples of the whole world.” First, through the intentional discipleship and biblical instruction of your own children. And secondly, to inspire the next generation with what God has done, is doing, and will do for His glory in the whole world – in order to see Revelations 7:9 come to fruition on that promised day. Joining God in this work is our greatest joy!
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