As one commenter on my last post said about being on mission pointed out, mission should be qualified by the ideas of being both Spirit-led and Cross-centered. Amen.

I might add that these qualifiers both narrow and broaden our missional endeavors.

It narrows them because we want to make sure that everything we do has leading people to the Cross and the Gospel as its ultimate goal. To feed people is great and we should do that. But what about the Bread of Life Jesus spoke of in John 6?(1)

It broadens our missional efforts in that being Spirit-led can mean anything. Not anything in the sense of being extra-biblical, but anything in the sense that the Spirit is far more creative, resourceful, and insightful than we are. Duh! So truly being led of the Holy Spirit will broaden our missionary efforts beyond what me may ever think to do.

To be clear, when I say that we should be “on mission” I do not mean that we should go on “missions trips” necessarily. Mission trips and long term missions are awesome and a necessary part of mission.(2) But they are only part of mission. We cannot merely “go on mission” we have to “be on mission”. Meaning, we don’t necessarily have to go anywhere, but we do need to do something where we are. And what we do should be Cross-centered and Spirit-led. And all of it is for the furtherance of Christ’s Kingdom and the glory of His name.

Footnotes:

(1) “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh” (Jn 6:51)

(2) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Mt 28:19)

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.” (Mt 24:14)