Finding Joy In the Mission

In pastoral ministry I've occasionally had the experience of a person coming to me with the message that they are feeling burned-out from doing too much. They generally describe how much pressure they are under through "over involvement" in church, on the job, and in the community. These precious ones usually state that they "just need to cut back."

I generally feel I am being cued to say to them, "I'm so sorry. Please feel free to drop your commitments at the church. We'll find someone else." And this is often the approach I've taken.

It's beginning to dawn on me that there might be a different approach that could sometimes be preferable. This would be a response that tells the person it might be a great mistake to keep quitting things. Such a response would not be because we desperately need the person to continue in their ministry role; quite frankly, that is not usually the case. Rather, it would be a recognition that quitting might simply add to the person's burden of guilt. They feel like an exhausted runner. They are fretting over dropping the messianic baton they have never actually been asked to carry.

Why is it that so many of us who claim to be disciples of Jesus are always tired, while others, who are still getting so much good work done, seem energized and are experiencing tremendous joy? Some Christian workers live in a cycle of perceived failure. They fail again and again in a game they should not be playing in the first place. This is the "playing Jesus" game.

Most of the mistakes we make in our commitments to compassionate service and mission-related work are rooted in a far more serious mistake we make about Jesus, namely, thinking of him in the past tense. The Gospels clearly tell us Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of his Father, where he continues to intercede on our behalf. Jesus is no longer dead! He is still the Savior--and we are not.

Could it be that the followers of Jesus who find joy in the mission recognize that they aren't the ones getting it done? We are simply beholding and wondering at the salvation of Jesus, whom we see at work in every part of their lives.

We are never anything more than his witnesses. Any courtroom judge will clarify it is not the role of a witness to make things happen. Christ is alive and at work in this world! It is his mission and work to bring in a whole new kingdom. We are invited to actively participate, not through trying harder or learning more right answers or passing better legislation, only through prayer. Prayer places us where we can see and recognize Christ's activity in the world. We begin to see all the quiet miracles Jesus is creating. When the church prays, it puts the world back into the hands of our risen Savior.

St. John introduces us to Jesus by stating: "All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being" (John 1:3). St. Paul describes Jesus in similar terms: "In him all things in heaven and on earth were created....In him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus started all the work, and it is still being done by him. "The one who began a good work among you," Paul reminds us, "will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

The challenge in the Christian life is not to do less, but to see the risen Jesus at work in every aspect of our living and serving!

Prayerfully finding joy in the mission!

Duff Gorle