Our Father is hard at work in the world. He’s not sitting around hoping things work out okay. He’s actively engaged in a war for the lives of every person in this world, for the world itself, the world He created. He is meeting with us in the time we spend with Him, but He’s also doing work in and through people, orchestrating events and decisions, in the White House of the United States, in the Kremlin of Russia, in the Great Hall of the People of China, in the jungles of South America, in the deserts of Africa, in the Palace of Westminister of England, and in every other nation of the world. He’s making sure His plan for this world and for His sons and daughters happens. He’s directly involved in the lives of people in the physical realm we can see: in governments, churches, huts, houses, hospitals, fields, and mountains. He’s also in the spiritual realm we cannot see laying seige to the forces of hell as they do their best to see God’s sons and daughters die in a state of disconnection, dislocation, distraction, and dysfunction.
We are sons and daughters of God, both created for and adopted back into His Family. We are not just His subjects or employees or servants. We are God’s family. We understand what family is from our own instincts and patterns with our earthly families:
- We stand with and for family.
- We work to make family work.
- We invest time in family.
- We clean up messes for and with family.
- We create opportunities for family.
- We celebrate with family.
- We share grief with family.
- We protect family from threats.
- We pursue disconnected family.
- We rescue lost or injured family.
- We prioritize family over self.
- We fight for our family.
This is why being a follower of Jesus is more than just hanging out with Him, learning about Him and asking Him to provide for us. Being a son or a daughter of God also means getting to work. It’s not about appeasing a deity (we’ve got to get out of that mindset). What it’s really about is learning from our Savior and Big Brother, who has Family life figured out, and following His example.
There’s a whole world full of other sons and daughters of God, most of whom don’t know who their Father or Big Brother are and are lost and desperate. Those lost sons and daughters, whether they’re in the Middle East, in the back alleys of our town or living next door to us, are OUR brothers and sisters just as much as the people in church with us, just as much as our own blood siblings. So, no matter who or where our brothers and sisters are, we stand with them. We work to make family work with them. We invest time with them. We get into messy situations with them to help get those situations cleaned up. We create opportunities for them to succeed or to feel wanted and loved. We celebrate victories and blessing with them. We share heartache and grief with them. We protect them from things that threaten their lives and wellbeing. We pursue and rescue them when they are lost, disconnected or injured. We prioritize them over ourselves. We FIGHT for them because we fight for FAMILY, whether that means taking up a weapon against an outside enemy or going to any length to bring a brother or sister back home.
THIS is being about our Father’s business. THIS was and is the mission of Jesus.
Jesus said He is The Way, The Truth and The Life (John 14:6). He also said He came to give us life and to give us life to the full, in abundance (John 10:10). Instead of seeing this as Him offering to give us the life of the American Dream, maybe we should see this as Him offering to give us Himself (The Life) to the full…just like a brother would, determined to bring us back home to our FAMILY. He’s a brother on a rescue mission to bring lost, disconnected, and injured brothers and sisters back home. His commitment to His mission is the only reason you and I are home in our Father’s family right now. Let that sink in for a moment… Once you’ve given that a moment to settle in, realize that as brothers and sisters of Jesus, as sons and daughters of God, His mission is our mission, too.
Sometimes you choose the mission. Sometimes the mission chooses you. You’ve been chosen.