A few weeks ago I tried something new here, and it seemed that you all liked it and benefitted from it, so today I thought I’d try it again and answer a couple more of your questions in another segment of “Ask Caesar”.
Let’s get started… our friend Terry asks, “How do you lead complacent Christians to actually want to live on mission and make disciples? I struggle with that!”
No kidding, right Terry?!
Stop Shoulding All Over People
Ok, first let me say that there is no supposed to or should in the gospel. We get to make disciples of Jesus and be a part of his mission, so stop “shoulding” all over people. No one likes to be should on! 🙂 [clickToTweet tweet=”Stop ‘shoulding’ all over people. No one likes to be should on! Because of the Gospel we GET to…” quote=”Stop ‘shoulding’ all over people. No one likes to be should on! Because of the Gospel we GET to…”]
The gospel is not “you should do this or you shouldn’t do that…the good news is that you need not do that and you get to do this…BUT, either way the love you have from the Father is exactly the same. You are free…the pressure is off.
So the first thing we need to do is lead others to believe that they have the full love of the Father, we are his dearly loved sons and daughters. We need not do ANYTHING to perform, earn or gain God’s love. It is ours as part of God’s family. Awesome, right?
Belief In Our True Identity Modifies our Priorities
Next, we lead people out of complacency by teaching them their true identity. If you follow me at all or have read Transformed or any of my other books you know that I am BIG on this true identity emphasis. What God says is true of us as Christians–as those who have trusted in Jesus for our lives and eternity–is paramount, it’s SUPER important to living a life on mission and being rightly motivated to do so.
When we believe that we are a part of God’s family of missionary servants, now sent as disciples of Jesus who GET to teach others to walk in the ways of Jesus AND have the best possible life ever…well that changes us. That changes the way we see everything about us and “our” schedule…and “our” stuff… and “our” time… See what I mean?
If we believe that we were actually created by God, in his image, to be like him and show the world what he is like and how to live in his amazing Kingdom, then all of this discipleship and mission “should” and “supposed to” changes. We can begin to live out of our identity instead of trying to tick off a list of spiritual or Christian chores we are to perform to be seen as “good Christians” and/or to earn God’s love.
Model the Life You Want to See Develop
One more key to all of this is you’ll want to live out and model this life of freedom and belief in our true identity to others. If we are not believing the gospel, and what God says about us now, and letting that lead us and motivate us in the very-day, then it will be hard to lead others in this. Makes sense, right?
The next best time to start modeling a lifestyle of discipleship and mission that flows from our true identity is now!
Ok, whoa, that’s all the time I have for this post of the newly minted “Ask Caesar”…but if this has been helpful would you share it with others, and let me know you’d like me to do more of these episodes where I answer your questions.
And be sure to leave me any questions you want me to answer in a future episode… Thanks!
