Called To A Courageous Mission
I remember the day I threw a dish into the sink so hard that it broke. Through tears of frustration, I said out loud to God, “Is this really what you want me to be doing?”
I was yearning to feel a sense that what I was doing each day made a bigger impact than something I’d just have to wake up and do all over again tomorrow. Even though (in my calmer moments) I would have said I loved most of the pieces of my life, they didn’t seem to add up to any sense of a bigger purpose. I wanted a mission: I just didn’t know it yet. And that day was the beginning.
I believe you are called to live a life of courageous mission! God has designed you to experience purpose, strength, beauty, depth and meaning in your days.
Do you know what are you really here to do? What direction should you go? What will matter most in the end? Most of us spend our lives trying to do what we think is good, but not really knowing these answers! Having a “mission” is what leads to a life of impact. But what does ‘mission’ really mean?
What Does “Mission” Mean?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines the term as “any work that someone believes it is their duty to do.” That’s a good start. But Godly mission has to go further. It needs to be personal - to you and to God.
I define mission, in the context of Christian life, as “an assignment to further God’s purpose in the world.” A mission is first and most fundamentally about God. He is the one with the ever-unfolding plan for all of his creation, but you were designed with a unique and indispensable role in it! Your mission is an outward-facing commission that aligns your daily activities with God’s will for your life.
Okay. That helps. But you can’t stop there. Here are four additional aspects of a missional mindset to help you refine and clarify your own mission in the season you’re in right this very moment. The great news is that you’re invited into mission no matter what history, qualifications or season of life.
Mission Is Personal
My definition of mission (above) started with “an assignment,” but really, it should say “your assignment.” Mission is first about the collective “we” in the Church (as Christ’s Body here on earth), but it’s also about you. The Body of Christ requires so many different parts and functions in order to move and accomplish God’s plans. Just as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:17-19:
“If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
Who are YOU? Your personality, your gifts, your interests and skills, your opportunities – these are all clues to the part of the Body you are. This unique and personal aspect of mission is important to me. For so long, I was unsure what move to make next to follow God because I thought there was a script, a “right way” to do things. This idea held me up from being confident in who I was made to be and really making my mission personal. Only you have the unique opportunities that are in your life right now.
Sometimes I was also haunted by my past, distracted by current responsibilities or derailed if I thought I lacked qualifications. But none of that will stop God! He can work through anyone in any set of life circumstances. You do not need to have a squeaky clean past, tons of free time or another degree to begin living a life of greater mission in the Kingdom of God. God invites you – not the more cleaned-up and qualified version of you. You can take one step in God’s direction from wherever you are right here, right now.
Without the certainty that you’re invited into mission as yourself, right now, I’ll never be able to convince you of the next point:
Mission Requires Agency
It’s easy to look around at others doing their God-appointed “thing” and feel inadequate. “God, if you can help someone impact those around them like that, how can I do anything meaningful to build your Kingdom?”
Most of us struggle with this kind of inner dialogue at some point. Some people call it “imposter syndrome.” Even if we have an idea of who we are, we don’t feel approved, authenticated, or acceptable to represent God.
Am I right?
This is not what Genesis 1:26-28 says about you. This is the passage where God makes human beings “in his image.” He commissions us, male and female, to be stewards over the Earth - to rule over and bring order to all that he had made. And to increase it with the blessing of fruitfulness. To live a life of mission you have to eventually accept that you have agency directly from God to do his work on his behalf here on earth.
I hope that makes you stand up taller and take your life seriously! Because you were made to bear God’s image and represent him to all of his creation. That’s quite literally what you were made to do. So you are his uniquely authenticated, approved representative, and no past regrets or current disqualifications can change that. Use that knowledge to reclaim your own agency in God’s plan and mission for your life.
Mission Is a Process
Have you ever heard the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day”? It’s true. The Roman Empire took centuries to create, and throughout that time, different people came and went, each contributing to the larger picture over time.
God is building something much bigger than the Roman Empire, and it isn’t an instant process. That means mission isn’t an event or moment in time. It’s more of an unfolding journey, one that gets clearer and brighter as we step forward in confidence and maintain a brave mindset, no matter what comes along.
If you feel confused, exhausted, or unsure of your mission, remember Provers 4:18, which says
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Even God’s pathway of mission for the sun is a work in motion. As the sun keeps moving forward, it becomes obvious it’s on a course that the Lord knew of ahead of time. Even if you can’t see where you’re going, I bet there’s a step forward on your path. Take it. It’s usually only then that the course you’re running on becomes a bit clearer.
We’d all love to have the big picture of the mission of our lives, but it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, you just need to focus on the season right in front of you and not obsess over understanding the big picture.
Mission Can Be Seasonal
Mission doesn’t have to look the same all of the time. It can have a seasonal focus, too. I’ve found this is especially true for women. Our lives are lived in distinct seasons, so our work often changes by season as well. The day I threw the dish in the sin, I was staying at home with four very young children. I knew I loved to teach and write, but had no idea what that meant for the season I was in – so my frustration grew due to all the constraints of that season.
Courageous mission can look different in so many seasons and areas of life. Now as I look back on that season, I realize I learned how to seek and spend time with just the Lord (even though I would have liked to be less alone!). I learned how to manage my home in important and efficient ways. I also wrote in many journals that I’ve gone back to later to consult and write from. I grew deeply in my desire and conviction that I needed to return to school, starting slowly with just one class during that season at home. Even though I felt like nothing was happening, that was not true! God was doing so much under the surface.
A “season” is defined by you! So what season would you say you are in now? A season where you have lots of time on your hands? A season of having your first baby or working full time out of college? Each season God can do a new thing. Spiritually, God has put me in seasons of repentance, leading, building, and forgiveness (just to name a few). Practically, he has had me operate in full-time corporate work and other times in a faith-based setting. At other times, he’s had me stay at home (and have more babies than I ever imagined!). I’ve worked a variety of part-time roles and also had a season to go back to grad school, too.
Each of these involved different aspects of my God-given mission. Don’t be afraid to shift, acknowledging the unique limitations and opportunities in any season. Nothing will stop God from continuing to work in your life. The key is staying connected to God in every season, not giving up because your circumstances change. That’s because of the last thing:
Mission Requires Relationship
Mission always requires connection to a living God whose plans are unfolding in real time. Every agent has a relationship with the one they represent. Do you know God’s character and heart? Do you understand his vision and goals, both Biblically and in your life? Are you representing him as an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven? Like a foreign diplomat or emissary, are you living as if you’re in a foreign place, working on behalf of your King? Mission demands an ongoing connection to the one who sent you!
God wants to work and walk with you, just like Jesus said: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30.
A yoke is to work! It’s a tool for two animals to plow together. Jesus meant for us to work on mission with him but to experience the rest in our souls of doing it together. Jesus is with you as you seek a life of courageous mission.
Biblical mission also requires life-giving horizontal relationships. One of the best of these is God’s original combo of women and men — not with one working at the expense of the other but with both working alongside each other in pursuit of a God-given mission. God gives us people to partner with and learn from in every season that will further our understanding of mission in our life – teaching us, encouraging us and helping us as we grow. If you want to know where God might be pointing you next, watch for who He might be bringing into your life. God often uses relationships with others to invite us into the next step he has for us.
The Beginning of Mission
Mission is not a cold-hearted checklist that God gives you to accomplish as he walks away. If you’re imagining yourself working furiously only to have God peer over your shoulder and tell you you’re not doing it well enough, think again! (I used to imagine God a little bit like this!) He is your help, rescue, and rest as you pursue Kingdom mission. He is the author of your life and the best place to begin to understand the purpose he has for it. And that purpose can start right now!
If you want to know God’s mission for you, start with a simple prayer, just asking him to reveal the next step towards it. No mission will matter if you go it alone. God is waiting for you to ask! And he’s anxious to reveal it.
If you want to hear more about God’s mission, calling, and purpose for your life, sign up for my newsletter. Let’s explore Biblical wisdom and strength together!
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