What does missions have to do with it?

We all do it – drive by the man walking down the road or highway and not offer a ride, pass by the woman with her hand out for money without giving a second glance (as if we’ll melt if we do look, and even change the channel as quickly as possible when we come across Angela Lansbury holding some small, malnourished baby from a country in Africa while channel surfing at night.  We all do it.  And we all feel guilty from it.  Every time.

Question…

Has that guilt increased your participation in helping these people?

If you’re honest…

No, it hasn’t

So we have a dilemma – we’re clearly commanded to reach out to the poor and broken situations in this world (Matthew 25:31-46, Galatians 2:10, James 1:27) yet we find it increasing difficult to follow through with helping that person or situation when it crosses the thick lines of our personal lives.

That means us telling ourselves “I should be a better Christian and give, help, serve,” etc. will never be enough.  Paul said in Romans 7, “what I do I don’t want to do and what I don’t do I want to do….”   That’s us!  So again, how do we change?  How do we get to a place where we live a life of mission regardless of the moment, always ready to love, serve and go?

It all comes back to how “messed up” do you see yourself?  How much of a sinner, a person spiritually bankrupt do you see yourself?  If you see yourself as someone so poor spiritually, a person with nothing to offer, then you’ll realize that Christ is so beautiful and everything you truly need.  That reality then frees you to love others and be in mission for the sake of others not because you’re supposed to and it’s your duty, but because Christ has done this for you when there was nothing you ever did to deserve (remember, you are spiritually bankrupt!)

But if you see your relationship with God as duty (instead of delight) you’ll always feel the burden of “have to” do missions.  You’ll always take calculated risks hoping God pays you back for doing the right thing.  When we live, or better said “believe” this way we always are looking over our shoulder as if God’s going to get us if we don’t help someone, or we’ll do everything we can to avoid the moments of helping others simply because we don’t want to deal with the circumstances of God not blessing us if we don’t help.

It’s only from a joy of belief in the Gospel that we can truly live in mission.  With a firm reality that we have nothing to offer and could never do enough for God to love us, yet with a firm reality that God loves us so much and has truly satisfied every need we’ll ever have, can we truly be in mission for the sake of others and not for God to love me more or make myself feel better about myself.

So, which one are you?  Are you the person who always feels guilty for not helping somone in need?  Are you the person who helps, but always does it with calculation thinking God will bless you (and he better!)? Or, are you the person who sees that Christ has come to you and became the ultimately, loving and sacrificing missionary, thus filling every void and need you’ll ever have – the person who now can live a life of mission for others because of the life of mission Christ lived for us?