The Call of Discipleship: To Be a Blessing
“Missional” is such a buzzword in Christianity right now; thus it’s impossible to use it without defining it. For many, it’s the new word that means “evangelism.” For others, it means downplaying or ignoring so-called “offensive” aspects of the Bible so Christianity is more sensitive to our culture’s extreme value of tolerance. Regardless, the Bible describes the mission of Christians as being a blessing.
To show this, I’m going back to the “founding father” of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity: Abraham:
“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” –Genesis 12:1-3
God told Abraham to leave the comfort and privilege of his father’s well-established household and travel to a completely foreign land on a pure act of faith. God also tells Abraham that he won’t even see for himself the fruits of the work God is calling him to: “…To your offspring I will give this land…” (Gen. 12:7). But there are two major problems: His wife is way too old to bear children, and the land God wants to give Abram already has people living there.
Why does God do all this? Why does He call Abraham to such a huge task and act of faith? All the evidence pointed Abraham to the impossibility of this promise. Why go through all that trouble?
The answer is found in the second half of verse two: “… so that you will be a blessing.” Jesus echoes this language in Matthew 28:19-20, when He gives what we refer to as the “Great Commission”:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (italics mine)
Some Christians might equate being a “disciple” with merely believing in Christ. While clearly part of it, Jesus is alluding to the His entire teaching and ministry. Jesus said that to inherit eternal life (and thus be His disciple), one must “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:26-28). When asked “who is my neighbor” Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37).
Loving your neighbor is to “be a blessing,” or to “live missionally.” Does it include sharing your faith and encouraging others towards faith in Christ? Absolutely. After all, loving your neighbor is only half of Jesus’ description of discipleship. The other half is loving God, thus both must be a part of “being a blessing.”
Christians must not shy away from communicating the absolute truth of Christianity. Avoiding those aspects that some consider “offensive” is compromising that truth. Yet how we communicate the truth must be considered in light of how the culture around us might be receptive to hear it.
The Bible gives no warrant to abuse, nor to neglect. The point of Christianity is not to create a safe-haven to which we retreat from a world of pain and suffering, but to be willing to leave comfort and safety behind and enter into conflict and strife for the sake of others. God blesses His people, but the entire purpose of that blessing is “so that [we] may be a blessing [to others]” (Gen. 12:3). It’s blessing as He defines it, not as we define it. He calls us to be a blessing by “making disciples,” recognizing this looks different culture to culture, generation to generation, and person to person.
Christianity is absolutely unique in that our motive is not rooted in mere personal selflessness, but the selflessness and faithfulness of God. If it were not for a God who demonstrated this to the ultimate degree, who shouldered the burden of our sins, who dwells within justified sinners, our efforts would be in vain.
Suggested Reading
Resurgence Articles on Evangelism
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Christianity Today Articles on Lifestyle Evangelism
