Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19–20 (NKJV))
Everyone Should Be on Mission with Jesus
As a born-again believer, you are part of what’s been called, “The Great Commission.” Jesus wants all of us to tell others about Him and to teach them His commands. He wants us to be His hands and feet.
To do that, you don’t have to be a pastor or transition into full-time ministry. You don’t have to travel to a foreign country. And you don’t need to get a degree in theology. Of course, Jesus may call you to do those things. But not having them doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook.
In any event, the mission starts right where you are – right where Jesus already has you. It’s no coincidence that certain people are in your life. Your coworkers, acquaintances, and family are your mission field.
Yet, although you don’t have to be anything special, you do need Jesus. Jesus will guide you and equip you to do whatever He asks you to do when you go on mission with Him.
A Successful Mission Requires Abiding
We can’t do God’s work on our own. Jesus said that we can’t do anything without Him; we need to abide in Him to bear much fruit (John 15:5).
Abiding in Jesus is not a difficult concept. Like many Bible principles, it’s pretty easy to understand. The Greek word for abide is meno, which means to stay put or remain. So, abiding in Jesus means to stay put in Jesus, to remain in Him.
As a born-again believer, His Spirit lives inside you (1 Corinthians 3:16). Jesus is with you all the time. But you still have free will. Your focus can be on Jesus. Or it can be on other things. Even though Jesus is with you, you can be a million miles away in your mind, thinking about something else.
Abiding in Jesus is a conscious decision on your part to be present with Him: to keep your mind focused on Him and remember that He’s right there with you every step of the way. When you make that decision, it’s an act of abiding. It may be a choice to spend time with Jesus by
- reading or listening to His Word;
- asking Him for advice or direction;
- thanking Him for something good that happened;
- singing to Him;
- obeying when His Spirit prompts you to do something; or
- choosing not to do something because you know He doesn’t want you to do it.
Unfortunately, if we’re honest with ourselves, these abiding acts may only last a few seconds or minutes before we return to our own thoughts – to whatever we want to do.
When another person is with you, it’s easy to remember that he’s there. And everything is different because of his presence. You alter the way you talk, what you say, what you do, and how you do it. You pay attention to him.
For example, when I go downstairs in the morning and my husband is there, I don’t ignore him. I say good morning, hug him, and make conversation. My behavior and actions change because he’s there.
When he’s not there, I don’t talk to him. Instead, I get a glass of water, eat breakfast, and go about my day. But when he’s present, I slow down and spend time with him.
Like I already said, Jesus is with us all the time. Yet, how often do we acknowledge His presence in our lives? We often go about our day like He’s not there – without talking to Him or spending time with Him.
Going on Mission with Jesus
You can’t go on mission with Jesus unless you’re abiding in Him. Without paying attention to Him, you won’t know what He wants you to do or how He wants you to do it. And you won’t have the strength to do it. Abiding in Jesus is mandatory.
So, I decided to do an experiment. I’m going to set aside a day to be super intentional about abiding in Jesus to see how my life is different and to record what happens along the way.
Stay tuned for the next blog post to find out how it goes. In the meantime, I challenge you to abide in Jesus. Find out what happens when you intentionally walk by faith with Him.
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