When you are the father of three boys Halloween night becomes a clear picture of what being on mission is all about. No grand speeches, no manipulation, no arm twisting. These guys are ready to boldly march out into the darkness and get it done. Now I know it’s been a while since I was a kid but banging on strangers doors looking for enough candy to get me by till Jesus returned was not just a goal, it was proper stewardship in my day. Another must was that I had to go with my family and friends. All this was to culminate at the end of the night in the living room floor with piles of delicious loot being sorted and periodically sampled. We would barter with one another for favorites, and of course parent tax would have to be paid for them braving the weather, ( usually about 10% plus whatever looked suspicious ). There’s just something about being on mission. The excitement, the wonder, and mystery of just not knowing what’s behind the next door, as I think about it our kingdom mission is a lot like this except there’s a lot more at stake. The world is full of people walking around in the dark looking for a treat while being tricked. The sweet promises of sin and the seduction of an independent and separate existence outside of Christ lure many to wander aimlessly into destructive and painful circumstances. Prisons of addiction and patterns of poisonous thinking trap the multitudes and we are left with a generation further from God than ever before. What if the next time I went out with friends and family, (a.k.a. community groups), we had the same excitement and wonder as we did for Halloween? What if the doors we knocked on were the hearts of the lost all around us and instead of wanting something from them we gave hope? What if instead of handing out candy we offered a portrait of Christ by how we live our lives? Sometimes the name of the game IS how much you can get!
Don’t get me wrong I am well aware that i/we don’t save anyone, but rather through the power of the Holy Spirit lives are transformed. However, we all have an important part to play and unlike the view that some hold to a boring waiting around, I believe that God is fully engaged in His continuing mission to reach the lost. He is thrilled to enter the dark situations of people’s lives and offer hope and healing, and what’s more exciting than watching God work is the fact that he wants to do it through us, his children. Think about it we brave the weather every October 31st. for what? It’s the joy our kids get out of trick or treating. For most of us it’s not about the amount of candy they get (remember I said most of us ), but rather the smile on their faces and the excitement in their hearts. I think this is a wonderful picture of being on mission with our Father and it helps me remember it’s about relationships, not a task to be completed.