I was coming to the end of the first half of Youth With A Mission’s (YWAM) Discipleship Training School (DTS) experience. The Lecture Phase consisted of three months of diving deep in community, learning about who God is, and preparing for our 10-week outreach trip. I can remember anxiously sitting in my DTS classroom about three weeks before heading out wrestling with some fears.

It would by my first time both traveling outside of the United States and participating in a mission trip. Four weeks in Berlin and six weeks in Greece were ahead and all I wanted to do was stay on YWAM’s beautiful campus in Kona, Hawaii. So many questions were swirling around in my head. What if I don’t have the right words to say? What if I don’t like the food? What if I’m perpetually awkward?

I was quite concerned over the conversations that were to be had. Namely, sharing the Gospel and how to do it “right.” Breakthrough finally came one morning in class. I had a sense from the Lord that He said, “Zach, the only thing I’m asking you to do is be kind to people.”

I sat with that for a moment. I was reminded of Jesus’ words regarding the greatest commandment of loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He then says, “and the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Suddenly, the weight I’d been carrying and all the uncertainty and anxiety around this trip simply fell away. Treat people well – I could do that.

The simplicity of it was a breath of fresh air. I remember wrestling around the question of what to do if God doesn’t heal someone when I pray for them. This concern fell by the wayside as well. Where I landed was on what I’ve come to call – “Jesus Doors.”

Day-by-day my goal was to open doors that God could walk through if that be His will. So, I made it my bent to pray for people, knowing that whether they got healed or not, it wasn’t up to me or in my power, but I was going to create an opportunity for God to heal. And with resolve, that person wasn’t going to not be healed due to my inaction. I was going to open the door for Jesus to work. Whether He walked in with His power or in some other way, that was up to Him.

God hasn’t called us to go win arguments and change the world through our polished intellect – though He may use those along the way. No, He’s called us to love. I made that my goal.

I committed to myself and to the Lord to be kind to people, to share my testimony, to tell people about Jesus. That was something, regardless of whether I liked the food or if the situation was weird, that I could always do. It’s like your coach when you were younger: the two things you can always control are your attitude and effort. Well, I was going to focus my efforts on simple kindness.

This took all the pressure off for me. This truth isn’t just for oversees 10-week mission trips. This is for you and me today friend. If you know Jesus, I want to encourage you to practice walking this way. Practice relentlessly pursuing kindness and look for ways to open Jesus doors. If you don’t know Jesus yet, oh friend, when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this: “Jesus, I want to open the door of my heart to You. If You are real, I pray that You would come in and reveal Yourself to me.” And whatever side of the coin you’re on, see what happens, because Jesus is willing and ready to move, and many times He’s just waiting for the door to be opened.