…to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers (and sisters) but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you. (Joshua 22:3)
The word mission can be defined as ‘a specific task’. It answers the question ‘what’.
A purpose is an inward reaction to God’s direction in one’s life. A mission is an outward response to that direction. As we come to understand the Lord’s purpose, we also come to understand the mission that he has invited us to. As followers of Christ, our mission is always Christ-centered.
o He Conceives it
o He Commences it
o He Completes it
When the Lord gives someone a clear purpose, He also begins to open the hearts of those who will follow. A mission is a concise explanation of the purpose that someone has been called to. (A mission statement is a brief explanation of that purpose.) The mission is used to ‘send forth the call’ so that those who are ‘tender in Spirit’ will ‘heed the call’.
"A candle loses nothing of its light by lighting another candle."
For four months Nehemiah agonized about what to do. The Lord had given him the passion and the desire, the purpose, but not the means to carry out the task. Though he was a trusted servant to the king, he was a servant nonetheless. How could he ever think about asking the king to release him to go rebuild the city when he knew that to do so could put the king’s life in jeopardy? Nehemiah had this burning desire in his heart to assist the Israelite people, but it seemed hopeless that he would ever be able to leave his current position to achieve his purpose.
Yet he was resolved. His mind was made up. Why would Nehemiah stick his neck out in fear, perhaps incurring the king’s wrath, when he knew that the king had the absolute power of life and death? It was because he was a man with a mission.
In chapter 2, we see how Nehemiah shared the mission, not only to the king with a miraculous result, but to the Israelites and to his enemies as well.
1) To the king: “…3bthe city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire…5blet (the king) send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild it (the city)”.
2) To the people: “17bJerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”
3) To the naysayers: “20aThe God of heaven will give us success. We will start rebuilding.”
A mission takes a purpose and makes it reality. When a mission is shared, it means that we are taking a leap of faith, believing that others will believe.
As runners, we can understand what mission is all about. When we began, our goal was to get out the door and 'just run'. As we got better and had more success, our purpose was to attain a certain goal or reach a certain time. My purpose was to be able to run a marathon, then to qualify for Boston, and so on. Running became my mission when I began to share my passion about running and got others involved. Today, both of my sons and one of my daughters share my same passion for running. Others are running the Chicago Marathon this fall because I encouraged them to do so. I am now a man on a mission.
Has your purpose become your mission? When will you share God's purpose in your life with those around you?
Scripture Memory of the Day: 'For a long time now-to this very day-you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you.' (Joshua 22:3)
2009©Kent Robson
Soles of Faith #8
Soles of Faith #8
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