Charis

For Easter, I received Mother Angelica’s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, and so far I am very much enjoying it. It’s organized into topical chapters, and each chapter is a collection of sayings from Mother Angelica. Some are several paragraphs, but most that I have read so far have been fairly short, only a few sentences. Take this one, from the second chapter, “Your Mission, Your Purpose”:

Like the apostles, we Christians are arguing among ourselves when we should be out changing the world. We let filth proliferate and the darkness move in. Who do you think is going to change it? What are you waiting for? You are that somebody! The Lord God has no one else but you. You’d better get off your lead bottoms and go out there and change this pagan world.

And then there’s, “You have been chose twice: first to be, then to know Jesus. What are you doing with that fantastic mission? You have been created by God and know Jesus for one reason: to witness to faith, and hope, and love before an unbelieving world.”

I like this one very much: a “fantastic mission”! When was the last time you considered your life a mission? Depending on your church background, that might come to mind pretty often. But how often have you told yourself that your mission is fantastic? I was listening to a podcast by Brian Houston the other day as I walked at the Rec Center, and he was talking about the attitudes of a leader. Included on his list was the idea that leaders count it an honor to serve. Houston presented this in the context of the local church, that those who lead and serve within a congregation should never have the attitude that they are doing anyone a favor by serving; rather, the opportunity to serve is always an honor.

I know for myself, it can be a challenge to keep that mindset, whether about serving God or my church. It’s easy to think, “God sure is lucky to have me here doing…” or “What would the pastor do if I decided to stop…” We might not articulate it quite so bluntly, but the thought still crosses our minds from time to time, especially when we feel that no one appreciates our effort.

A “fantastic mission” mindset serves as an effective antidote to “no one appreciates what I do.” We think, “I have to be nice to Jane—again!—because I serve God”; this is a sure path to irritation and resentment. But imagine if we told ourselves, “God has specially called me to love Jane and be a witness of His love, His mercy, and His grace. Being a witness to her is the highest calling I could have because it allows God to be seen in action; being a witness gives my time at work eternal meaning and purpose. I’m blessed to have this mission.”

That’s a different approach; it takes the focus off me and the irritants that come from dealing with people and puts it on God—puts the focus in the proper place, I might add. It truly is marvelous, awesome, and humbling to consider that God Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, chooses to work with and through us. That truly is a fantastic mission.