I stared down at my growing to-do list wondering, "How will this all be accomplished this week?"
I reviewed the tasks, both big and small, that filled the lined paper on the counter before me. Maybe you can relate to strategizing when you will run errands, get the groceries, arrive at the events, practices, or meetings, pay the bills, and more.
Conveniently for us, there are some things that enable us to spend less time engaging in some of these activities. We can do things like setting up recurring payments for bills, opting for store pickup for our groceries, choosing autoship and door deliveries, mobile ordering our coffee for pickup and more. This allows us to make pit stops rather than full blown excursions before turning to the next thing on our list.
Before you think to yourself, "I know what's about to come next; "but... "that precedes the condemnation of our modern conveniences and full schedules." Allow me to share a few points of clarification before we proceed:
1. Modern convenience isn't inherently evil (I'm thankful for the convenience of sharing this blog on the internet where you can opt to read it at any time on your laptop or smartphone)
2. Having a full schedule for God-glorifying reasons - in obedience and response to the opportunities and responsibilities that God has given us - isn't bad (I think of Paul's day and night labor and in toil in 1 Thessalonians 2:9)
With this clarification in mind, I do not aim to critique avenues - which can be a great aid in efficiency - rather to healthily inspect our greatest aim. It is worth examining what our chief aim is, which informs our every other aim and action.
What is our chief aim as Christ-followers while we are yet in the land of the living? What has God Himself commissioned us to do while we go about our everyday living?
As a part of our purpose to worship and glorify God, we have been commissioned to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19 ESV)
Read with me Matthew 28:16-20 in which Matthew records Jesus' instruction to the disciples that extend to us today, "Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Our aim as we glorify God and prepare to worship Him forever is to help others do the same as we go and make disciples. This requires sharing our faith as ambassadors (evangelism) and contending for the faith.
Similarly, in Acts chapter 1 Jesus tells the disciples before His ascension of how they will be witnesses to the world, "So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea an Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing in to heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven'" (Acts 1:6-11).
Praise God that the Holy Spirit will aid His disciples, including us today, in doing what He has commanded: witnessing to the world of the Gospel, until the day of Christ's return. As I think about how - by the power of the Spirit - I might prayerfully accomplish this, I find myself first asking this honest question:
Is my life conducive to achieving the great commission or my greatest convenience?
Making the best use of my time as it relates to my calendar can be a good and wise thing, but not if it comes at the expense of making the best use of my time in these evil days pertaining to the great commission.
Are there times where I have opted out of personal interaction with someone in line at a store because I didn't "feel like it"?
Are there times when I have put my comfort and convenience as a priority over the gospel mission of making disciples?
Have I sought opportunities to get involved in the lives of others I might encounter, or have I limited easy opportunities to interact with others for the sake of convenience?
Do I ask God in prayer for opportunities for His plan, or to optimize mine?
I pray that you'll join me in asking God to open our eyes to those around us, to engage in the opportunities He has already given us, and to rightly see people around us as souls with eternal destinations before worrying about how quickly we can get to our next one.
What a privilege it is to be a part of God's plan of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18)! Consider reaching out to a friend or care group member for encouragement and accountability and for ways that you can actively engage in this ministry this week. Here are some ideas:
Go into the grocery store or coffee shop to order if you might normally order online
Strike up a conversation with the person next to you at your child's sporting event
Bake a treat to deliver to your neighbor and ask how you might be praying for them
Stop into a local store that you've never visited and begin forming a relationship with the person behind the counter
Say "hi" when you see someone on your next walk around your neighborhood
Get creative and see how many interactions you can have in a week with individuals and continue from there!
I hope you will join me in prayerfully putting this question before us and adjusting accordingly:
Is my life conducive to achieve the great commission or my greatest convenience?
- Lizzy Blanchard
