Living Faith in Your Mission (Participating in the Divine Life of Jesus)

A living faith is an adventure. At least it should be if we’re truly engaged. Think about the lives of the biblical disciples of Jesus – the 12 apostles and the numbers of other people who followed Him. These people didn’t sit around talking about how great Jesus is. They didn’t attend committee meetings and worry about renovations. They went out and spread the Good News! They traveled the known world.They shared the love of God and the salvation that Jesus won for us. They exercised the gifts of grace and their unique charisms. They bravely faced persecution and even martyrdom. And they were lit on fire by the Holy Spirit. The disciples of Jesus lived the adventure of faith. And an important part of that adventure was their mission (this is what the book of Acts is all about).
You do want your faith to be an adventure, don’t you? Then start living your mission!

What is our mission?

Your mission is your part in the mission of Jesus. Participating in this mission is not optional for Christians. In fact, it has always been a central part of the covenantal relationship between God and his people.

Mission in the Old Testament

God called the Hebrew people to be “a kingdom of priests” and to bring people into the covenant. They struggled to live this mission, and it was separated into three parts. Individuals were given specific parts of the covenant to lead the Hebrew people to participate in. The levites were designated to be priests, called to lead God’s people in prayer and sacrifice to keep their relationship focused on God. God called prophets to be his mouthpiece in the world – to teach, preach, console and bring people back into the covenant when they stray. God “reluctantly” gave the Hebrew people kings to lead them, but they struggled to learn that true leadership and true power mean serving others and leading them toward what is truly good for them.

Jesus Lives the Mission Perfectly

Jesus lived these three parts of the covenantal mission perfectly. He did not just offer sacrifices as a priest – he offered Himself in the Holy Eucharist and on the Cross. He did not just teach God’s will, he was the very Word of God who came among us to teach us intimately about God. And Jesus was the perfect king – the king of kings – accepting the crown of thorns and the throne of the cross to lead us out of sin and into an eternal relationship with God – the ultimate good.

How Do We Participate in Jesus’ Mission?

And the relationship that Jesus forges with us through Baptism unites us to him so closely that we actually participate in his mission. Our participation in the mission of Christ isn’t just a partnership. It’s much more intimate than that. Jesus actually fulfills his mission by empowering us to do our part in it.

How Do You Know What Your Mission Is?

Your part in Jesus’ mission will fall along one (or maybe two) of the roles we just discussed. You will be called to serve in the world as priest, prophet or king. Your mission will align with your vocation – sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly. It may align with your career, or it may be completely different. But your mission will almost always align with
1. Your natural gifts
2. Your supernatural gifts (charisms and Gifts of the Holy Spirit)
3. What you are passionate about – when your passion is first attached to Jesus
And that’s exactly how you discern what your mission may be. Think about these three things. Then choose some way to serve and to share God’s love and goodness with the world. Try it. If it’s your mission, you’ll sense the spirit urging you on. If you don’t feel called to it, start over again and try something else.
My mission is clearly participation in Jesus’ prophetic mission. I have always loved teaching. My natural gifts as a student helped a lot. But when I teach the faith, I know that Jesus teaches through my charisms. The setting for my mission has changed. I started out teaching small faith groups. I taught for 10 years in a Catholic high school. Now I teach adults (mostly) online and live. But throughout those changes, my passion for sharing the truths of our faith in ways that transform lives has grown. Teaching is an integral part of really living faith for me.

Your Living Faith Challenge

What about you? What is your mission? Are you living it right now? IF you are, I want to challenge to you live it more radically. Take it to the next level. See what Jesus is calling you to next.
Or are you ready to discern it and to try it out? I challenge you to go through this thought process, then to try something for 30 days. Make plans and start to put those plans in motion. Take it all to prayer and listen for the Holy Spirit’s response. Gauge your internal reactions – spiritual and emotional – and see if your passion and dedication is growing.

Your Next Step

If you’re ready to start truly living your mission and the adventure of the faith, here’s what you’re going to want to do next. The course “The Adventure of Faith” from the Keys to Spiritual Growth series offers you practical strategies for clarifying and living more intensely your office, your vocation, and your mission.
You can get started really easily with the free “Keys to Spiritual Growth” course. This course will introduce you to all five of the most important areas of spirituality that we need to nurture if we want to deepen our relationship with God. Click here to get free instant access to this course, then consider enrolling in the full course “The Adventure of Faith.”

Your Action Steps

1. Let us know where you are in the process of living out your mission in the comments below.
2. Explore the opportunity below to deepen your involvement with From the Abbey.
3. Consider investing in the full “Adventure of Faith” course
4. Actively look for ways to participate in the living faith!

Brought to you by Jeffrey S. Arrowood at From the Abbey, dedicated to helping you rediscover the JOY of learning and living your faith so you can grow in intimacy with God.