If you approached me two years ago and asked me what living for Jesus looked like, I would have told you that a life with Jesus is a life of prayer. It is an extravagant lifestyle spent in intimacy with God, ministering before His throne, and worshiping Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I still believe in every one of these words, but I believe that there is more than a life spent on your knees.
Living Missional
This semester, a few friends and I started a missional community within our major, UTeach Natural Science. Many people, including myself at first, are reluctant to be part of a missional community, because they do not want to limit themselves to a specific people group. They want to be missional wherever they are.
While this is true, identifying a people group to reach out to really helps you to focus and be intentional in a dynamic way. Every week, as I go to class, I remember the reason why I’m here, in this very (boring) class, sitting next to the same (boring) people, just kidding. There’s just one reason I’m here: I’m living for Jesus alone.
The Missionary Within
I have spent hours in the prayer room and out. I have been hit with the kindness of God, and I have encountered His love in a way that has changed my life forever. And there is no way that I can sit there and not be moved (figuratively and literally). The revelation of the Father, the knowledge of who He is, and the understanding of Salvation are all catalysts in bringing out the missionary within us.
Every single believer is called to this; I personally believe there are no exceptions. If we proclaim that we love God, then we will love His people. We can’t do it, unless we first know how much more He loves us, and that is the revelation of the Father’s love that can only be drawn from intimacy with God. See, mission and intimacy must be joined. One cannot exist without the other.
Intercessory Missionary
This is why I love the title: intercessory missionary. This is what I want to do here on earth, I want to pray and partner with Jesus, I want to activate the powers of intercession that Jesus promised, and I want to live a life that proclaims the greatness of Jesus to others. I want Him to be known above all other names, I want every tribe, nation, and tongue to speak the name of Jesus. I want all of the above, because of one reason and that alone. I love Jesus with my all, and this is the only rationally way to respond. This is just the only way my life can utter its quiet praise to the King.
Lastly, you do not need to be 20 or 30 years old, or walking with the Lord for many years to do this. It starts now. We often think that we can love Jesus so much more when we get out of school, when we’re overseas, when we’re done getting over this sin,…etc. But it really starts right now. You can love Jesus just as much as you can love Him in the future. Trust me, He likes you where you are now, so you can get over yourself. Start living for Him, fully.
“Miracles are normal, revival is possible, and being sold out to Jesus is the only acceptable way to live.” – Bill Johnson