Signs You Are Giving Yourself Over to the Mission
I recently had the privilege of interviewing James Carrano, a leader within The Evangelical Catholic, about his life of prayer. Two things really stood out for me in our conversation:
He described himself as a “disciple, plain and simple”.
He talked about “giving oneself over to the mission”.
“Mere administration can no longer be enough. Throughout the world, let us be permanently in a state of mission.”
It’s been two weeks since that conversation and I can’t shake it- his clear self understanding of doing something for God. James isn’t just showing up for work. He’s reporting for duty. This duty-mission flows from an intense, joyful and passionate relationship with the Lord and empties itself out into a community (or, a place of service).
Pope Francis has been clear on this point, emphasizing mission over and over again. In Evangelii Gaudium (25), he states, “Mere administration can no longer be enough. Throughout the world, let us be permanently in a state of mission”.
There are likely two levels to this concept. First, one can intellectually grasp the idea of being a Christian in a sinful world. This is the “swim against the stream” mindset to which each of us is called. I think that most of us get this.
But what if there is something deeper? What if, like James Carrano, one might give him or herself over to this mission? And, if this is true, what are the signs that tell you that you are surrendering to this mission?
St. Francis de Sales once said, "To advance well we must apply ourselves to make good way in the road
nearest to us, and do the first day's journey." The road nearest to us is right in front of us. It’s our campus, our family and our network of friends. It’s the hard, simple task of making disciples over and over again.
Signs of Giving Yourself Over to the Mission
“To advance well we must apply ourselves to make good way in the roadnearest to us, and do the first day’s journey.”
How do you know when you’ve begun to fall in love (or give yourself over) with the mission? I suggest the following signs:
You’ve stopped looking for another job. Think about it- do you “window shop” for other jobs? How often does this occur? What are the sources of this wanderlust? When we give ourselves over to the mission, we gently, slowly realize that “my mission is right here in front of me”. The grass may be at times greener on the other side but it still needs to be mowed.
When you’ve been recruited for new positions, you’re quick to affirm your current role. In other words, it would take a lot for you to leave. You are aware of all that God is doing through you in your current mission. This isn’t to say that you’re irreplaceable (you are) but to appreciate the Holy Spirit at work in your current mission. I was once approached for a position and I set the bar as high as I possibly could. I told the recruiter the following, “I’ll consider this position if the Cardinal himself calls me to come in for an interview”. The call never came and I went on my way with a smile on my face.
You speak of those you serve with selfless affection. This isn’t about living vicariously through your people or feeding something that is lacking in your own personal life. Rather, it’s about loving the situations, gifts and perspectives of those whom God has entrusted to you. And, to take this further, it even means that you love those who disagree with you and have a different ecclesiology and approach to ministry.
Your family and staff are blessed through your work. A ministry that causes one to sacrifice an inordinate amount of time and energy (away from one’s family) isn’t of God. Sure, we have intense seasons of ministry and life but if your ministry is creating a rift between you and the ones you love, it’s a problem.
You recognize blessing in things that don’t make sense on paper. I work with all kinds of people who could, if they wanted to, climb the ladder of success. Instead, they’ve given themselves over to the mission and have found that they can be happy in whatever role they find themselves. They are ok being “small” and this in turn allows God to enlarge their work. The result is great fruitfulness for the Church and the Kingdom.
In full disclosure, I’ve learned these things the hard way. Thankfully, friends have called me out when I’ve been shortsighted and selfish.
As CCMA’s Online Ministry Summit concluded last week, I was reminded of the many, many holy individuals who are actively giving themselves over to the mission. This in turn makes it all the easier for me to do the same.