by Catherine McDaugale | Feb 5, 2024 | Christian Living, Life, Ministry
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))
In my last post, we talked about being on mission with Jesus. We learned that
- every born-again believer is called to be on mission with Jesus (Matthew 28:19–20), and
- to bear much fruit on that mission, we must abide in Jesus (John 15:5).
If you missed it, here’s a link: On Mission with Jesus (Part 1).
I then challenged us to pick a day to be intentional about our mission. So, how did mine go? Here are some highlights from my day.
6:15 a.m.: My human alarm clock (a/k/a my husband) wakes me up. Although he didn’t do so that morning, he often wakes me up while singing:
This is the day. This is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Because he’s done it so many times before, the song immediately came to mind.
6:30 a.m.: I get up after praying about the day, giving my mind, heart, body, and everything I have to the Lord. This is something I do regularly. It helps me to focus my day on God. So far, the day is going well.
6:45 a.m.: In the shower, I sing to the Lord along with Pat Barrett’s God Is So Good (You Are Worthy).
7:10 a.m.: Time to commute to work. I listen to The Word of Promise Bible app on my phone, starting in the Book of 3 John. It’s a really interesting way to listen to the Bible because different actors do the voices of the people in the text. By the time it’s gone through Revelation 4, I’m in a traffic jam. Getting frustrated, I press stop, switch to music, and pray for God to help me stay focused on Him.
8:00 a.m.: After a long commute, I’ve barely made it to work on time. I say a quick prayer, asking God to help me keep my mind focused on Him and be a godly example.
4:00 p.m.: Leaving work, I realize that I hadn’t even thought about God since mid-day when I ate my lunch. Feeling like a failure, I get in my car, put on some worship music, and pray. I ask God for patience and strength as I go to minister to someone on my way home. As always, He helps me to be patient and compassionate during the visit.
6:30 p.m.: My husband and I meet on the couch for our devos, reading the Bible together and praying.
Well, that was basically my day. And the takeaways? Through it all the Lord showed me:
- This shouldn’t have been an “experiment.” I should intentionally be on mission with Jesus every day. Life is short. And I only have a limited time here on Earth to be on mission with Him.
- Even though I was intentional, there were still large gaps of time when I wasn’t focused on Jesus. I started and ended my day well, but I need to use reminders to refocus my mind on Him.
- Jesus knew I wouldn’t be focused on Him at work. But He still graciously used me to be His hands and feet on my way home.
So, how about you? Did you intentionally go on mission with Jesus? If so, how did it go? Take time to reflect on what the Lord showed you.
And let’s commit to being on mission with Jesus every day. You won’t ever do it perfectly. But if you purpose in your heart to abide in Jesus, you will bear much fruit because Jesus will do the work in and through you. Abide in Jesus day by day, minute by minute, as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo courtesy of Google Maps
by Catherine McDaugale | Jan 22, 2024 | Christian Living, Life, Ministry
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.
Photo by NASA on Unsplash
