Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you have probably heard of the new gaming sensation, Pokémon GO. In this game, Pokémon, little Japanese cartoon characters, are spread all over the world, from museums to grocery stores to your very own home. You, the player, are put to the task of capturing these creatures and training them for battle. The key part of this game that has caused it to take off and become such a sensation is that it requires users to actually leave their house and become active in moving around and searching for these creatures. Although this is an excellent way to get people to be active, people have taken the obsession to an entirely new level.

People are going out every day to all kinds of places in a never-ending hunt for these elusive creatures. In extreme cases, some people are quitting their jobs, trespassing, or even being hit by cars, all because of their intense need to “catch em all.” It’s safe to say that in the short time since its inception, Pokémon GO has become a cultural phenomenon.

This craze over catching Pokémon has made me wonder, what would our culture be like if people had this same fervor for winning souls for Christ as they did for finding Pokémon? People would be coming to know Christ in droves.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”

Many years ago, Jesus gave us a pretty straightforward commandment to go into all the world and share His Word with everyone. Although this commandment was made a long time ago, it is just as applicable today as it was back then. How many of us though can honestly say we have been making an effort to spread God’s word with the world? I am just as guilty as anyone else at seriously failing to follow this important command. We make excuses that we don’t have the time or it's too difficult, while millions of people still have not heard the Gospel.

How is it that we can’t seem to find the time to go out and share Jesus with people, but we have plenty of time to run around capturing Pokémon? Lost people destined for Hell die every day because people like you and me did not take the time to share God’s love with them. Maybe witnessing to strangers is not as enjoyable as finding and battling mythical creatures, but in the grand scheme of things, sharing the Gospel will have a much greater impact than capturing even the rarest of Pokémon.

All you Christian Pokémon GO players, don’t get me wrong. I am in no way saying you should not be playing this game. What I am suggesting, however, is that the next time you run into someone while hunting Pokémon, why not share with them how Jesus is the only one we should ever truly be concerned about finding.

Your own town is part of the mission field, you don’t have to go halfway across the world to find someone lost and in need of Jesus. Use this game as a means of outreach. While Pokémon GO has gotten people to leave their house and interact with one another, use it also to follow the Great Commission.