It’s all about the heart
Being ‘on mission’ means being actively aware, responsive and discerning to those around you who are searching for God. However, people rarely say they are searching for God. It’s more likely will describe it as a lack of satisfaction in life, a desire for deeper meaning or something more to life. Pay attention to these clues.
How can we be on mission? What do we do? The most important thing is this: become more aware of those around you! Do you discern someone searching? What is the condition of their heart – soft, hard, fragile, proud? Some people’s hearts are not searching to know God and, therefore, they are not ready to hear what you have to say. In this case, you are wasting your words if you overtly start sharing your faith in Jesus. Pushing your words onto people who aren’t open is likely to harden their hearts further and lead to unnecessary hostility directed towards you (Matt 7:6). Indeed, when Jesus sends his disciples out on mission, he tells them when they or their words are not welcome, “shake the dust off your feet” and leave (Matt 10:14, Luke 10:11). In my experience, this is good advice, both regarding bringing the message of the Gospel to non-Christians and also the message of discipleship to Christians. Regardless of how ‘receivable’ you attempt to make yourself, some people have closed hearts towards you and your message. If this is the situation, move on and find those who have an open heart towards you and your message.
Here is an important key: have a sincere care for other people. If you see other people as objects to be converted the objects will discern your lack of sincerity. If you genuinely convinced that Jesus is good news, you genuinely care for others and are aware and responsive to those around you, God will lead you to others who are open and searching. In Acts 16:14 (CSB), it says of Lydia, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.” Do you discern an open heart? The challenge is our level of awareness to notice someone’s open heart. Usually, because of our personal judgments or not recognising the language of an open heart. Listen closely to what others say. Are they searching for deeper meaning in life? Are they interested in what you have to say? Pray that the Lord will open their heart more. Pray the Lord will give you the right words to help them make the connection between their desire for more meaning and their need for a spiritual connection with God. Once people start to see it’s God they are really searching for, you can start to be specific—Jesus is God. Jesus is the one who became a man to bring moral order and rule to this broken and disordered world and rescue humanity from its bondage. Share your own journey of desiring more from life, your discovery of faith in Jesus, or your story of how God has changed you. There is no right or wrong way to be on mission. If you desire to be a witness to Jesus’ life and bring the Good News of Jesus Kingdom to others (Matt 28:19-20, Acts 1:8) the Holy Spirit will lead you and help you do it.
Next: The deeper life in the Spirit.
