Whatever happened to just, “Go”?
The word ‘go’ has an enchantment to it. When Jesus said, “Go”, he fully meant that we must simply just GO. He didn’t say wait till you have the means. In Luke 10, when he asks the 72 to, “Go”, he didn’t give them a ministry name, get a few sponsors, tell them who to call so that they get to sleep eat well enough and get people to get the places of meeting ready and inform the people to attend the event. They simply went, of course replete with instructions.
This is in much contrast to nowadays where ministry is as less simply ‘Go’ as much as it is branded. It must have a name and must read X Ministries. I shall, of course, withhold my biased opinion of the different words that replace ‘X’ in quite many cases. If we can take the name of the elements of holiness that are used, we must surely be very sure that we are given the mandate to use those names and the grace, means and strength to live up to them.
One dimension of how we have ‘gone’ wrong is when we seek to ensure a comfortable way forward. We, for some reason, should know how things will fall in place well before we leave and must check up on the arrangements thereof till the moments arrived. While I agree that, when we have the option to do that we must, my main problem is that when we don’t just simply go, we lose out on, one, the romance of the affair.
The thing that Abraham felt when he just went must have been awesome. Of course, he had a lot with him and not so much to worry about, but he had no clue where he was going. He just went where he was told to go. I can imagine Abraham, if he was asked to do it today, letting the wind hit his face and feeling the sweet wind of the adventure the Lord would be bringing up on him. Not that it would be very easy in worldly terms, but I thought we leave those terms of reference behind when we choose to follow the Lord. The (truer) intrinsic blessings outdo any possible thing in the whole wide world.
Also, just simply going, paints a rather non-corporate picture of how we are reaching out to the world. It is not a pretty picture, one that is akin to buying tickets to a concert that you want to see or a play or a movie you want to go to. And, while it is nice to attract people with pretty pictures, we must consider what we are attracting them to. Are we telling them to come have a good time and not telling that we have a message implanted in the programme that will tell them about Jesus secretly? When ever did the actual first step to Christ become one that is desired, wanted or is found cool by a person who has not met Him yet? That moment of the encounter when the poverty of the spirit is brought to light and the degenerate heart is confronted, something that acn only be done by Christ himself? Is that moment something that is designed to be enjoyable, wonderful and nice? Does a corporate approach facilitate this entry into Christ?
For generations, the questions have not changed. The quest of the soul has remained the same always. The answer to it is not painted in pretty pictures that corporate ministry only allows. It is a difficult decision when the moment of confrontation comes and must not be ‘sold’ in any easier form. It should be either sold in completeness or not sold at all. The fact that the option must remain open, through the lives of God’s people around them, does not change.
Lastly, as people in ministry, we are not fully polished and round. We also are being worked in by God as He wants to work in other people through us. We cannot present a polished picture because we are not polished people. We cannot seem, in the least, self-righteous. A picture that is rough around the edges is the picture that is one that is only completely true to all of us.
So the question is now, have you just simply gone as yet?
This is in much contrast to nowadays where ministry is as less simply ‘Go’ as much as it is branded. It must have a name and must read X Ministries. I shall, of course, withhold my biased opinion of the different words that replace ‘X’ in quite many cases. If we can take the name of the elements of holiness that are used, we must surely be very sure that we are given the mandate to use those names and the grace, means and strength to live up to them.
One dimension of how we have ‘gone’ wrong is when we seek to ensure a comfortable way forward. We, for some reason, should know how things will fall in place well before we leave and must check up on the arrangements thereof till the moments arrived. While I agree that, when we have the option to do that we must, my main problem is that when we don’t just simply go, we lose out on, one, the romance of the affair.
The thing that Abraham felt when he just went must have been awesome. Of course, he had a lot with him and not so much to worry about, but he had no clue where he was going. He just went where he was told to go. I can imagine Abraham, if he was asked to do it today, letting the wind hit his face and feeling the sweet wind of the adventure the Lord would be bringing up on him. Not that it would be very easy in worldly terms, but I thought we leave those terms of reference behind when we choose to follow the Lord. The (truer) intrinsic blessings outdo any possible thing in the whole wide world.
Also, just simply going, paints a rather non-corporate picture of how we are reaching out to the world. It is not a pretty picture, one that is akin to buying tickets to a concert that you want to see or a play or a movie you want to go to. And, while it is nice to attract people with pretty pictures, we must consider what we are attracting them to. Are we telling them to come have a good time and not telling that we have a message implanted in the programme that will tell them about Jesus secretly? When ever did the actual first step to Christ become one that is desired, wanted or is found cool by a person who has not met Him yet? That moment of the encounter when the poverty of the spirit is brought to light and the degenerate heart is confronted, something that acn only be done by Christ himself? Is that moment something that is designed to be enjoyable, wonderful and nice? Does a corporate approach facilitate this entry into Christ?
For generations, the questions have not changed. The quest of the soul has remained the same always. The answer to it is not painted in pretty pictures that corporate ministry only allows. It is a difficult decision when the moment of confrontation comes and must not be ‘sold’ in any easier form. It should be either sold in completeness or not sold at all. The fact that the option must remain open, through the lives of God’s people around them, does not change.
Lastly, as people in ministry, we are not fully polished and round. We also are being worked in by God as He wants to work in other people through us. We cannot present a polished picture because we are not polished people. We cannot seem, in the least, self-righteous. A picture that is rough around the edges is the picture that is one that is only completely true to all of us.
So the question is now, have you just simply gone as yet?
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