Commissioned

By Brenda Jank

You have been commissioned to participate in the Great Commission. So have I.

It’s the commission (“…go and make disciples of all nations… Matthew 28:19) we are all aware of it, but few take it seriously.

Our fruit is meager.

Our guilt is real.

My daughter, Anna, at the ripe ol’ age of 6 nailed it on the head:

“Mommy, is the most important thing about being a Christian telling other people about Jesus?”

“Yes!” I announced. My internal dialogue kicked in. “She gets it! I’m doing a good job.”

My self-affirmation was short lived.

“Well then, (long pause) why don’t you do it very often?”

She called a spade a spade.

Anna had heard me “preach to the choir” a hundred times in her short life. But she was right, she had never once heard me share my faith with someone who did not know Jesus.

Go

It was one of Jesus’ last words and it’s a word, a commission, that needs to be taken to heart.

It’s not about distance, however. Going overseas is not better than going across your backyard. 

It’s all about love.

But love takes time and most of us live in the red. We “have no time.”

Programmed church activities are a great use of gifts and a part of our calling, but left unchecked they require enormous amounts of our “free time” – leaving little margin to commit to the time-consuming work of getting to know and loving another human being or family.

Programs don’t bring people to Christ. People bring people to Christ.

Programs are predictable (be there from 6-8 pm). People are messy and unpredictable.

Nine times out of ten, being a part of the Great Commission is about developing intentional friendships. It’s about taking the time to get to know someone. It’s about sharing life over the long haul, on the soccer field, at work, in your neighbor’s garage. It’s about earning the right and the opportunity to share your heart and ask life-changing questions. It happens quite naturally when love is established and the time is right and ripe.

Operation Go

It’s a matter of love, not obligation.

It takes time. It takes margin. Embracing the rhythm “Run hard. Rest well.” is a great place to start.

Who’s on your radar? A cousin. A co-worker. A neighbor.

Make love, with no strings attached, your aim. Set your sights long. Stay on your knees.

Want a game plan?

  1. Who is God laying on your heart? Commit them to prayer. If appropriate, invite your kids to pray as well. Include them in on the commissioning.

     

  2. Rest well.

     

  3. Pick up the phone, send a text, walk across the street, get together. Regularly.

     

Would you like to dig in deeper and join Jesus on an adventure of a lifetime?

  1. Purchase the book Joining Jesus on His Mission by Greg Finke. I buy this book by the case! Case after case! Don’t miss out. It is eye-opening, heart pounding, and transformative. Spirit-infused, God is using it to equip thousands of people to live on mission  You can purchase the book and learn more here.
  2. If you are a pastor and want to be equipped to live missionally and stir the work of God in the lives of your people,  be sure to check this out.
  3. Final two “takeaways” by Gary Cobb.

Understand that your own life is a great part of your witness. If my relationship with Christ isn’t vital, then I really don’t have a lot to share. People not only listen to your words, they look at your life. We still fail and aren’t always a good example, so our only hope is to come to God and surrender to Him. It’s nothing that we can do. It’s God’s work.

Realize that we earn the right to be heard by sincerely listening to others. Everyone has a story. You can’t just blunder into a situation and callously share without listening. The Bible says that Jesus was a friend of sinners. That’s our example—to be a friend, to listen to people, see where they are, and then play a role as the Holy Spirit takes them where they need to go.  

 

Note: This post is part of our original series on rest. We are re-posting some of our favorite articles because we believe they are just as important today as ever. We hope to encourage and inspire you and those you love and lead to REST WELL through this time of COVID-19 crisis, comeback, and recovery. Onward!

  • Would you like to start at the beginning and read this whole series? Click here.
  • Would you like to read the post that preceded this one? Click here.
  • Would you like to read the next post in this series? Click here.
  • Feel free to pass these on to others via email or through Facebook.

First time here?

3 thoughts on “Commissioned”

  1. This post is excellent, Brenda. Well, they’re all great, but this one even more so. You hit the nail on the head… love and time are required. There is a place for programs and training, but far too often that’s all churches do. And like everything else, having margin makes a huge difference! I really appreciated the practical steps. Blessings, Kip > P.S. I passed this one on to one of our TSMS partner churches that wants to focus more on local outreach.

    Reply
    • Kip – Your faithful, family-in-this-together focused, Holy Spirit infused work in neighborhoods, where the soil is hard-pressed, is a daily testimony that speaks volumes and changes lives.
      We are ALL sent. Love and Time. Father, remove the blinders. Give us eyes to see. Ears to hear. Hands that reach. Feet that begin (today) the guilt-free, joy-infused adventure of a lifetime. Pick up the phone. Walk next door. Mission #1, Love and listen. the Lord will lead the way. The ROI – Return on Investment of reading the book, Joining Jesus on His Mission is out of this world!
      https://www.amazon.com/Joining-Jesus-His-Mission-Missionary/dp/193884002X Onward. We are in this together!

      Eyes on Jesus. Hearts on Fire.
      Brenda

      *Brenda Jank* Executive Director 260-239-1297 http://www.runhardrestwell.org

      Champion Rest. Equip Leaders. Change Culture.

      Sign up for *A Rest that Works* seminar or retreat in 2020!

      Reply
    • Hi Kip –

      I just pulled out a short piece I shared with a denominational leader. Feel free to pass this along …

      “Don’t just DO things right, DO the right things.”

      In a nutshell …

      Run Hard. Rest Well. believes that churches are complacent and paralyzed for 3 reasons

      – We are tired

      – We are distracted

      – We are un-discipled

      Remedy

      #1. We need to learn to rest by God’s design so we can live in a power not our own.

      #2. We need to recognize our sin and be committed to personal inventory and accountability. This leads to a thrilling, life-ling adventure with God.

      #3. We need to be discipled – to live on mission, following Jesus’ lead as we love, connect, serve, and neighbor

      Run Hard. Rest Well. specializes in Point 1.

      Programs don’t bring people to Jesus. People bring people to Jesus, but most are too tired to take the time to invest in the lives of neighbors, coworkers, and family who don’t know Jesus.

      The 10 Commandments rock, but so do the 5 Commands

      God our Creator says

      – Rest Well

      – Work Hard

      God our Redeemer says

      – Love God

      – Love Others

      God our Equipper says

      – Go. Go into nations and neighborhoods.

      Each of these tie to the 4 rhythms of Restorative Wellness that are the foundation of what we teach.

      REST WELL

      – Sleep …. empowers our best work

      – Sabbath … empowers our best love of others as we 1) reconnect with those in our inner circle and 2) are replenished for the pouring out into the lives of others in the week to come

      – Stillness … empowers God’s best work in us (personal prayer) Love God

      – Solitude … empowers us to listen well – and strategically GO as God is uniquely calling us to GO (personal retreat)

      That’s what Run Hard. Rest Well. is all about.

      We target mission minded groups who are running hard. Together, we can rally the troops. Our world needs Jesus!

      Visit: https://runhardrestwell.org/

      Check out our short promo video – https://runhardrestwell.org/ministries/

      A great place to begin – Purchase the video series A Rest That Works.

      https://runhardrestwell.org/resource/video-series/

      Want to learn more, contact Brenda Jank or any RHRW team member!

      brenda@RunHardRestWell.org

      Read Commissioned

      https://runhardrestwell.org/comissioned/#more-11305

      *Brenda Jank* Executive Director 260-239-1297 http://www.runhardrestwell.org

      Champion Rest. Equip Leaders. Change Culture.

      Sign up for *A Rest that Works* seminar or retreat in 2020!

      Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.