Reflection Paper: My Mission Redefined

My Mission Redefined

Introduction

The past 2 months (Sep to Dec 2024), I participated in a short course of the University of the Nations (UofN). The title of the course was Transforming Mission and it’s being conducted by those from Asian Leaders Learning Community (ALLC) under Youth With A Mission (YWAM). After 8 weeks of reading and discussing together 8 topics, we were tasked to write a final paper on one of the 8 topics discussed to allow us to dig deeper on it.

I will focus my paper to the first topic on the first week where my world view was immediately shaken. The first topic was a was about the “Mission of God” and to explain why my worldview was shaken I will have to discuss what was my worldview on missions before taking the Transforming Mission Course.

Previous Understanding of Mission

The word “mission” means “to send”. Its origin is from the Latin word “mittere” and was first used by Jesuits when they made their vow of obedience to the Pope to gather those outside the church fellowship (Roman Catholic church) and bring them in to the mother church. During those times, Protestants are included as those of outside the church. (Goheen, 2014, p. 16)

The first mention of people being sent in the New Testament was in the gospel of Matthew (chapter 10) where Jesus sent his disciples to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven (kingdom of God) is at hand to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and not to the Gentiles or Samaritans (for it was not yet time). He also instructed them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons (Matthew 10:8). They were also instructed to fully depend on God for financial provision and were warned that there would be rejection (Matthew 10:9-13). Before He sent them, He gave them power and authority to cast out demons and heal the sick (Matthew 10:1). The disciples then went on to proclaim the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of God and heal the sick (Luke 9:6).

            Finally, when Jesus was about to ascend to heaven, He gave the command to go and make disciples of all nations (Mat 28:19a), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19b), and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded (Mat 18:20a). He also commanded that the repentance and the forgiveness of sins shall be preached to all nations (Luke 24:47). This is what we presently know as the “Great Commission”.

Jesus also made a promise that once the gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world, the end will come (Mat 24:14). Once the end comes, there will no more death and pain, no more wickedness and sin/sinners, and the presence of the LORD will be forever visible and unending (Rev 21:4-11). The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory God (as the waters cover the sea) (Habakkuk 2:14). Everyone will no longer have to be taught about knowing God for everyone will now fully know God (Jer 31:33-34).

Given all these biblical truths, my understanding was that Mission is a present command by the LORD to us but eventually Mission will have to end. At the end of age, everyone will already know God and there’s no longer need to preach, teach, or proclaim who God is for the knowledge of Him will be covering all of creation. One of the early teachings I have received was a quote from John Piper that says, “Mission exists because worship doesn’t” (Piper, 1993). This means that at the end of the age, when worship exists in everyone as it is in heaven, there’s no more need for Mission. So, I concluded that at the end of age, Mission will end.

Mission Redefined

Imagine my shock when the first truth statement presented in the first topic of the course was: “Mission is an attribute of God”. God is eternal therefore His attributes are also eternal. This truth claim implies that Mission is eternal, an opposite to what I initially believed.

Mission, as an attribute of God, is a statement made by David Bosch in his book Transforming Mission. He used the doctrine of Trinity as a basis of this statement. He wrote that the first one who did the “sending” (i.e. Mission) was God Himself when God the Father sent His Son (Gal 4:45; 1 John 4:14; John 16:28). After the God the Son ascended, God the Father and God the Son sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, Luke 24:49). Followed by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sending the church (Acts 1:8). David Bosch then redefined mission as the movement of God’s love toward people. Which has a very strong merit since God’s Love is the primary motivation of God the Son being sent here on earth (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9). David Bosch also wrote that participating in Mission is to participate in the movement of God’s Love towards people.

Implication of the Mission Redefined

This understanding about mission is a really new perspective to me. If this is true, which I believe is quite biblically sound, then it means a lot of change in the way I live my life and how I view things.

First is the eternal implication of it. If Mission is an attribute of God, then Mission is eternal. It means there’s no end to it. The Movement or expression of God’s Love towards people (i.e. Mission) will never end.  This also means that we, as God’s children, are eternally affected by it since we ourselves are being conformed into the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29). The attributes of Jesus are also now our attribute as God’s children. If Mission is God’s attribute, then Mission is now also our attribute as believers of Jesus. If Mission is the movement of God’s Love to people, then we are meant to participate in the movement of God’s Love towards people. If Mission is eternal, then we are eternally meant to participate in the movement of God’s Love towards people. Going on further, our actions and in everything, for all eternity, should be an expression of God’s Love towards people. We, as God’s children, are eternally called for Mission (instrument of God’s Love). We are also called to do it (express God’s Love) at all times.

You can see this biblical principle in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 to 10. There’s was an argument within the Corinthian church about eating food offered to idols. Paul concluded the debate with the statement: “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31). I believe Paul was saying that whether you eat or drink or do anything, is it an expression of God’s Love to your neighbor? (1 Cor 8:9:13; 1 Cor 9:19-23; 1 Cor 10:23-33)

Testimony on God teaching me this Principle Long Before Understanding It

            Last 2019, while we’re in Discipleship Training School (DTS) outreach in YWAM Balut, Tondo, Manila, we were tasked to distribute food and clothes to the slums nearby. While the kids were being taught a bible story, one of the little ones started crying in anger and was punching and kicking the kids around him. The Holy Spirit prompted me to immediately carry the boy. I was resisting the prompt since most likely the boy will go wild even more and I don’t want to be the center of a scene. Eventually, I obeyed and as I lifted the crying and very angry boy, the peace of God immediately surrounded both of us. The boy immediately calmed down, stopped crying, and was very peaceful. The presence of the LORD was so strong even I had to fight back the tears as the love of God was embracing both of us. One Chinese DTS student saw this and nodded at me. We couldn’t communicate previously due to language barrier but the Language of God’s Love is universal and is understood by every soul. He immediately understood it and the moment he’s seen it, just like that angry boy from the slums.

            This display movement of God’s Love was again repeated in one of our ministry locations here in YWAM Baguio. There was this boy who was severely neglected by his parents and was always angry. He keeps on trying to fight in anger and you can see and smell the neglect he was in. Again, the LORD prompted me to carry him and he immediately calmed down. He was not alone. There was a girl, neglected by him, who immediately calmed down and slept when I obeyed the prompt from the Holy Spirit to simply carry her. She immediately slept on my shoulders. All the kids looked at me and immediately understood the Love of God in action. Of course, we also had to teach them the truth from the Scriptures about the Love of God for them but the Love of God in action is what made the gospel complete and true for them, as young as they are. Both neglected kids have grown to be happy and lovely kids despite their situation barely improving. God’s Love and His Truth transformed and healed them.

Conclusion

Jesus not only used words in expressing the love of God. He also showed it through healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and many more. He also commanded us to do the same: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18). This is our eternal calling. This will never end. We can all do this because our God loved us first and His Love is now in us and that is now who we are. (1 John 4:7-21)

Love is the opposite of Selfishness. Love drives you to even give away your very own existence for the sake of another (John 15:13). Love is honoring the other and not our own selves (Philippians 2:3). Love is no longer looking for our own self-interest (2 Cor 5:15; Phi 2:4).

I choose to eternally participate in the movement of God’s amazing Love. I am not there yet but will eventually get there. I believe in the promise of being conformed in the likeness of Jesus, God the Son sent here on earth to express the love of God to mankind.

References:

Goheen, M. W. (2014). Introducing Christian Mission today: Scripture, History and Issues. InterVarsity Press.

Piper, J. (1993). Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions. https://antikvariat11.cz/kniha/piper-john-let-the-nations-be-glad-the-supremacy-of-god-in-missions-1993

David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991, 390.

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