“When people are set free from brokenness and begin to walk the road with Jesus, the attack comes quickly. But God is good. When we enter His mission we do it with faith that He will move.”
Jeremy and Adrienne Penner
For Multiply global workers, Jeremy and Adrienne Penner, the phrase, “Living on mission” is far more than a t-shirt slogan. While it can be tough to define and even more challenging to put into practice, for them it involves a growing reliance on God’s faithfulness.
In their ongoing efforts to make disciples and empower church leaders among the Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, the Penners have seen their share of both victories and setbacks.
They are quick to point out that living on mission with God involves celebration—the joy of seeing lost souls come to Christ and become disciplemakers. However, they note, when we choose to serve as ambassadors of Jesus, advancing his kingdom in the world, we will face serious resistance.
In his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul described his own journey of living on mission as an ongoing challenge. “God gave us the courage to declare the Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition,” he wrote (2:2). He later confided, “We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us” (2:18).
The Penners understand and have experienced this struggle. “We enter into God’s mission with eyes open, understanding the battle is real,” they explain. “Every day we are confronted with the duality of sinful humans doing their best to follow Jesus in a dark and broken world. Some days it feels like two steps forward, two steps back. Sometimes our hearts hurt with the weight of carrying this calling to love the people of Myanmar and bring them daily before the throne of God to ask Him to bring freedom and healing and hope.”
While the specifics of life on mission will be unique for each of us—you may or may not serve in cross-cultural ministry like the Penners—the earmarks will be the same: a deep and abiding love for Jesus, and a call to love people that propels us into and through whatever obstacles the enemy might place in our paths.
Do you have what it takes to live on mission? It’s not about determination or adopting a “never give up” attitude. It revolves around our dependence on God’s goodness and power, along with the assurance that he will move—and when he does, he will take us with him.
What mission is God calling you to today?
