This past Sunday as we’ve continued through the Gospel of Mark, a story about Jesus and His family caused us to look at our own identity and the roles we fill.
As Ben Connelly discusses in a recent article, there is a big difference between the roles we play (spouse, parent, job title, Islander, Canadian, etc.) and the identity we have in Christ. This identity flows out into a life that gives witness to Jesus in everyday ways:
“Christian” isn’t just a role we play. It’s deeper than that. Our very identity is in Christ. Because of God’s work in us, we are each sons and daughters of God. We are followers of Jesus. To take it a step further, that’s a more important identity than “spouse,” “parent,” nationality or culture, or any way we define identity.
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Our identity leads us to demonstrate the gospel. This isn’t just true for the tiny percentage of Christians who actively choose to call themselves “missionaries,” who get on a plane for the more traditional picture of “mission.” It’s true for everyone redeemed by God.
If you call yourself a follower of Jesus, God calls you his missionary. You may never go halfway around the world. You may not raise financial support. But because of God’s gospel work in you, you are on mission: to people in your work, school, neighborhood, and those in need. As everyday missionaries, God has sent us to live out his Great Commission in the ordinary, normal, all-too-busy, and even most mundane moments of our lives.