Worship: Always the Key to Mission
Tonight I sat with mom in the living room, trying to put in words all that is in my heart regarding my simple desire to see more of Christ in this world. To phrase my desire in this way is true, but so simplistic, too simplistic... carrying it out is so much more complicated - especially when considering where God is directing my life. With my longing and yearning to see Christ reign in Central Asia, at times I love it, and at other times I hate it. I love it because I know it is evidence of God's work in me and a result of Him molding the dreams and desires of His heart to become mine as well. I hate it because of the unavoidable struggle, sacrifice, and constant battle to remain confident in hope, believing that He is able and that He WILL transform this nation's people, community by community.
I ask, Jesus, what have you gotten me in to? Does hope deferred REALLY make the heart sick? What about when the darkness I see is so vast and pervasive that hope seems too weak to overcome it? The sickness I feel now just might be easier to assuage if I accept things as they are and stop feeling like a fool to think it can and WILL change. Deep down I know this is no answer. Despite how I feel, what I see and how I perceive it, Your truth and persistence shake me out of my disillusionment - so that I can see through eyes of faith.
Father God, in that moment, even then, I will turn my heart toward you and believe in your ability, your desire, your promise.
N.T. Wright says:
'The key to mission is always worship. You can only be reflecting the love of God into the world if you are worshipping the true God who creates the world out of overflowing self-giving love. The more you look at that God and celebrate that love, the more you have to be reflecting that overflowing self-giving love into the world.'
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jenna marie de yong
About Me
- jenna deyong
- “Twenty years from now you are more likely to regret the things that you have not done rather than the things you have. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Live.” – Mark Twain
2 comments:
I love you friend - your heart warms my heart :)
Very cool - thanks for posting that. It made me think of a quote that is both challenging, and yet I believe sets our minds in the correct place regarding worship and missions in a similar way to your post. I thought you might enjoy it too...
"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God (Ps 97:1; Ps 67:3-4)." - John Piper
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