Theme of the Week: Making A Godly Impact
Bible Verse: “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2 ESV
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-9
South African missiologist David Bosch wrote, “Mission is more than and different from recruitment to our brand of religion; it is the alerting of people to the universal reign of God through Christ.”1 In other words, mission derives from the reign of God. In that respect, the ideas of our mission and God’s kingdom are irrevocably linked. Mission is both the announcement and the demonstration of the reign of God through Christ.
Mission is not primarily concerned with church growth. It is primarily concerned with the reign and rule of the Triune God. That is why those of us who are not gifted evangelists need to foster habits in our lives that draw us out into the lives of unbelievers and invite the kinds of questions that lead to evangelistic sharing. When our lives become questionable, our neighbors invite us to proclaim the reign of God. If the church grows as a result, so be it.
Missional habits aren’t just strategic, they’re consequential: Because of the universal reign of God through Christ, we bless, we open our tables, we listen for the Spirit, we learn Christ, and we are sent out on this evangelistic task. That being said, if our only habits as Christians are going to church and attending meetings, they’re not going to connect us with unbelievers nor invite their curiosity about our faith.
The first habit I want you to consider embracing is that of blessing others. In fact, I’d like you to bless three people each week—at least one of whom is a member of your church and at least one of whom is not. The third can be from either category.
I’ve heard that part of the etymology of the term “to bless” is “to add strength to another’s arm.” In this respect, to bless others is to build them up, to fill them with encouragement for them to increase in strength and prosperity. (Incidentally, I know Christians often talk about “blessing God,” and since it’s impossible for us to add strength to God’s arm, it seems an odd use of the term.
What does it mean to add strength to another’s arm? Anything that relieves their burden in life. Anything that helps them breathe more easily. Anything that lifts their spirit or alleviates their distress. It can be a small thing or large.
1 Bosch, David, Believing in the Future. Harrisburg, PA, Trinity Press International, 1995, p.33
Some content taken from Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People by Michael Frost. Copyright © 2016 by Michael Frost. Used by permission of NavPress, represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.
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