Living With A Mission

by Vera Christian

Mission statements: they’re everywhere. Some businesses post theirs prominently for all to see. Some require their employees to commit it to memory. I wonder how many are just there in theory, with little impact on those who are to live and operate by it.

Did you know that we also have a mission statement? In Matthew 28:18-20, commonly known as the “Great Commission,” Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. I remember thinking in my younger years that it  was limited to overseas missions, and since I wasn’t “called” to go, I excused myself from obeying it.

Wrong.

Thankfully, God corrected me on that point. I have since learned this command is something for all of us as believers. In our ACE study of You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan, we were exhorted as married couples to consider how we might carry out this commission in our lives today. My husband and I were blessed to spend a weekend with ten couples from our church in March, seeking God specifically on this question. We are excited to see what God is doing as each couple weaves their individual strengths together to accomplish something for His kingdom.

Just think about it. When each one of us, single or married, are committed to carrying out the commission of Christ, making disciples where we have been planted, God is glorified and His kingdom is expanded. While we may not make a huge difference as an individual, collectively we can make a huge impact for the cause of Christ, with each of us touching different people, including our own children, for Him and His sake.

In a country where God has not been welcome and counted as dead, we need to take this command seriously. I have been personally challenged to lift my eyes out of my own comfort zone and consider how I might use my days to equip others to grow in Christ, starting with my own children, so that His name may be magnified again in America. Our land sorely needs it.

Jesus lived, taught, healed and died with a mission. At His death, He could say with confidence, “It is finished!” Dear friends, the battle for the hearts of all humans continues today. It is a battle worth investing our lives in, for it yields eternal fruit.

Are you living out His mission?