Simplifying the Mission

I don’t know about you, but I get very excited about Jesus. That’s a pretty cliché thing for a pastor to say, but long before I started working for my church, I bought into what Jesus came to do on Earth. If I could use one word to simplify Jesus’ mission, it would be Reconciliation. Jesus came to reconcile all things. He came to put all things back to how they are supposed to be - how God intended them to be. This is an earth-shattering idea!

For millennia, God has partnered with humanity in order to care for the flourishing and shalom (wholistic peace) of all creation. But over and over again, humans decided to walk away from God and search out new sources of life - sources that would prove to be insufficient and cause the disintegration of the relationship between God, humanity, and creation.

Although this kind of brokenness has been a constant since the third chapter of Genesis, God never gave up on us. God always sought to reconcile broken relationships so that creation would experience flourishing and shalom once again. Jesus is the climax of that plan. Not only did He show humanity what it meant to be truly human, but He provided the way for reconciliation to happen. Jesus, by conquering death, became the true source of life!

Therein lies the mission of the Church as the people of God. Those who have been reconciled are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation (1 Corinthians 5)! The practical application of that calling will depend on our context, but this is what the Church is appointed to be at all times. We are called to join in the life-changing ministry of Jesus, which seeks the flourishing of all of creation. 

While I know this mission is simple in theory, I’ve found it more overwhelming the older I get. Being a Christian is no longer just about going to church or youth group. It’s no longer about being part of a music team or going downtown to volunteer in homeless shelters. Instead, the mission of Jesus invades every part of my life. It affects how I manage my money, how I act politically, how I participate in my neighbourhood, how I use my voice and platform, and how I spend my time when I’m alone.

Participating in God’s mission has led me into some amazing places and allowed me to work with such gifted people. I’ve learned two things through my experiences. Firstly, no Christian should ever feel like there’s no opportunity for them to serve God. And secondly, God’s mission is so big that we may end up taking on a weight that we’re unable to bear alone. As good as our intentions may be, if we take on too much, we will eventually push up against our human limitations.

This really hit home for me at the beginning of 2021, as I returned to full-time work in my church after taking a 3-month sabbatical. Unlike before, I now have a baby waiting for me when I get home from work. The growth of our family has changed everything for me and my wife, Jessica. It has made me re-think the way I’m called to participate in God’s mission. When Jessica and I were married, my boundaries were more flexible because our lives were more flexible. I was always reachable and I almost always said “Yes” when people asked for help or fellowship. I didn’t put limits on my time because I didn’t think that I could or should. After all, God’s mission never stops.

I’ve come to realize that when I say “Yes” to everything in the church, I’m also saying “No” to my responsibilities as a husband and father. Always being reachable also means never truly being present. It’s possible that in trying so hard to fulfill God’s mission for the world, one can neglect the mission God has for them in their own home. 

“God’s mission of reconciliation invades every part of our lives, including our families. ”

I’m rediscovering that God’s mission of reconciliation invades every part of our lives, including our families. I want to be a good husband who’s present, open, and able to prioritize. I want to live up to my role to raise our daughter so she knows that she is loved by us and by God, and that God has a place for her in the world and the Church. I want to seek the flourishing of my family by growing, encouraging, and equipping each other to be who God created us to be.

Participating in God’s mission has forced me to reconcile my need to be busy and productive for the sake of the church with the priority of my familial responsibilities. Our families should be where God’s mission begins for us. The last thing I want is for my family to wonder why I am so busy sharing God’s love with other people that I never have enough time to share it with them. As we learn from Jesus, we must start by being faithful with the little things God has given us so that we will be ready to take on more (Luke 16:10).

I’ll admit this feels counter-intuitive and even counter-productive at times. We’re conditioned to have the biggest impact possible - to always be busy and to be talented at everything. But simplifying the mission to begin with family means participating in God’s mission in the only place where we’re indispensable. If we can’t live out our faith and share the love of Jesus with them, then we won’t be equipped to do that anywhere else. The mission doesn’t stop there; it reaches out and extends to our wider family, friends, church, neighbourhood, and world. 

This is a work in progress for me and I still have a lot more learning to do. I’m not comfortable saying “No'“ or leaving things unfinished. I’m not good at putting all devices away and being unplugged. I’m not used to using my time to play for the sake of playing. It’s likely that I’ll always work more than I’m supposed to, and I know the pastoral role will always require flexibility. But by simplifying the mission and prioritizing my family, I’m opening myself up to be used by God in the place where I’m needed most.

In what areas of your life might God be calling you to simplify the mission - to stop, rest, or say “No,” so that you can prioritize the ministry that God has entrusted you with? What are the small things with which you are called to be faithful? Or perhaps the opposite is true for you. Maybe you have been faithful in the small things, and now you feel nudged to participate in God’s mission in a bigger way. How is God calling you and your family to be ambassadors of God’s reconciling love?