Mission Basics

Today's Reading: Psalm 93; Jeremiah 18:1-10; & John 17

Scripture:

"I have glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." John 17:4

Observation:

Jesus lived His life on purpose and on His mission. I often here of giving God the glory or glorifying God, but so often it is being defined as giving God verbal acknowledgement for something. In this verse, Jesus did not say I have done a lot of good things and given you verbal credit for them. He said He accomplished the work given to Him.

Application:

The same that applied to Jesus applies to me. I am to be about the work of my Father. Out of this morning's reading I am reminded of the three basic parts of my mission. The specifics can vary, but the basics stay the same.

The first comes out of Jeremiah 10. God's desire for me is that I allow myself to be molded into what He wants me to be. For this to happen I have to be surrendered and submitted to Him shaping my life. I have to allow Him to mold me as a potter would mold clay. This requires that I be in close relationship with Him and daily experience Him shaping my life.

The second comes out of John 17:6. I am to pay close attention to the people God puts in my path and manifest the name of God to them. This requires that I pay close attention to my surroundings, keep my focus on God's heart, and move on every impulse He gives me towards another person. Sometimes this is as simple as giving a smile to a person that looks rough and can be as hard as sharing a word with a stranger. The important thing is to be focused on acting.

The third comes out of John 17:8-26. I am to stay engaged with people, keep them in the Word, and pray on their behalf. These verses offer a beautiful picture of Jesus praying to His Father over the disciples God had given to Him. Jesus did not sell them fire insurance and then move on to the next thing. He stayed engaged with their lives and took personal ownership in their maturity, protection, and blessing.

Prayer:

As I sit this morning I am convicted of the self-centered nature of most of my prayers and desires. There have been so many nights that I have cried out to You, but so many of those nights have been completely about my place in life and my desire to have something better. I am convicted of this and confess it to You as sin on my part.

I need for You to move in my life, not for my personal gain, but so that I am have something of worth to offer those You have given to me. Father I ask this morning that You glorify Yourself in my life. I ask that You move in my life in miraculous ways. Fill my days with miracles, my heart with peace, my mind with wisdom and my words with life. I pray that my every breath reflect something strong, holy, pure, and attractive about You.