Luke Chapter 3 – How to Lead a Mission-Centric Life
John the Baptist is a great role model for us in serving the Lord. God chose John to be His servant before he was born. And unlike Samson, who was likewise chosen before his birth but squandered this privilege on delighting his flesh, John the Baptist led a singular, mission-centred life that helped him fulfill his ministry. How did he do so?
1. Spend quiet, distraction-free time with the Lord
John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, which meant he was away from the distractions of society. In fact, John was in the wilderness when the word of God came to him (Lk 3:2).
Often, when our minds are filled with the noise of work, family, or entertainment, this buzz filters out the word of God and weakens our will to seek Him. Carving out a fixed time every day to nurture our faith, even beginning with a prayer to quieten our hearts, is a good way to be with God.
The role of such a “wilderness” is more pivotal than we think. It was here that God’s word came to John first, before he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching and baptising.
2. Be brave to speak God’s truth
John’s conversation with those who sought him is pointed and honest. Instead of sugarcoating the message, John reprimands them for their truth spiritual states (“Brood of vipers!”) and warns them of God’s judgment to come.
Gentleness in restoration is important, but so is knowing the right time for rebuke. After all, the word of God is useful for reproof and correction (2 Tim 3:16).
3. Submit to the will of the Lord, however difficult the work
We are creatures of ease, and the more laborious a task is, the less inclined we would be to do it. John was called to prepare the way of the Lord, such that even “the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth.” (Lk 3:5)
Working to change the hearts of people is challenging, just as reworking a meandering road into a straight one is. John persevered, surrendering himself to God.
4. Think lowly of myself and what I do for the Almighty God
In the Book of Isaiah, John was prophesied to merely be an identity-less, faceless “voice” crying in the wilderness (Lk 3:6).
Are we prepared to not receive any recognition at all for our service to God, however immense our efforts may be?
5. Humbly recognise my unworthiness before the Lord
John the Baptist never got carried away by the importance or hugeness of his mission. He remained consistently down to earth and humble. He describes himself in relation to Jesus as such: “One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” (Lk 3:16)
Understanding the power of Christ would have fuelled his mission-centric life. He served not of his own strength, but of the power of God.
6. Realise that I am replaceable in God’s work
John’s words to the multitudes who came to be baptised by him is piercingly honest: “do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” (Lk 3:8)
John was specially called out by God, but he never allowed this to stroke his ego. The feeling that God’s work is exclusively for me is one we should quickly flush away before we are destroyed by pride.
God may not have called us into a physical wilderness to serve Him, but He certainly has placed us in the pre-appointed boundaries of our dwelling so that others may find Him (Acts 17:26-27).
Should we choose to learn from John the Baptist and lead a more mission-centred life, then like John the Baptist, no matter the challenges, we too shall labour meaningfully in the harvest fields of the Lord, bringing souls to Him.
