A FEW YEARS AGO I attended the funeral of one of my college roommates. Over 800 people were in attendance. When someone’s life is cut short, people often say, “He left us too soon. He had so much life ahead of him.”
But at my friend’s funeral, what people said about his life inspired me. I thought, “Look at the lives he touched during the time he was here.” After the funeral, I asked myself, “What am I doing with the time I have on this planet?”
James 4:14 says that our life is like a vapor. It’s here today and then it’s gone. The question we all need to ask is, what are we going to do with our vapor?
I want a significant life. I want to do something that’s purposeful and meaningful for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus was also on a mission. He came to redeem humanity.
Jesus’ life
Jesus was also on the earth for a short time—about 33 years. While He was here, He revealed the Father to us. By the time He was born, people had lost track of Who God really was.
In Matthew 7:11, Jesus said, “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?” Jesus calling God Heavenly Father was too much for the people of His day. To them, it sounded sacrilegious and inappropriate.
But Jesus kept calling God Father, Papa, Abba, Daddy, Lover of you. We should never get away from the teaching that God is our Father, He is good, and He loves the world.
At the Last Supper, Philip asked Jesus what the Father was like. Jesus replied, “When you’ve seen Me and everything I do and say, you’ve seen the Father.” (See John 14:8–9.)
Acts 10:38 (NKJV) says that when Jesus was on the earth, He “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” That’s what our Papa in Heaven is like.
Jesus was also on a mission. He came to redeem humanity. A lot of spiritual leaders in Jesus’ day asked, “Why are you hanging out with sinners?” He answered that question by telling three back-to-back parables with the same emphasis. (See Luke chapter 15.)
A man left 99 sheep to find the one that was lost. A woman searched throughout her house for one lost coin. A father watched every day for his wayward son to come home.
Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 NIV). He hung out with sinners because the Father’s heart is toward the lost.
Our Impact
How can we have a life that’s significant, that has impact? Our lives aren’t significant because Jesus is our brother. Our lives are significant when we help alter people’s eternity. We do that by joining the seek-and-save mission.
How do we do that? We do it as the Body of Christ. Each of us has unique gifts that help us fulfill our calling and fit us corporately into Christ’s Body. God chose to commission and equip each of us. And the Body of Christ will not function in full coordination and effectiveness unless all of us find and value our place in it. We all need to become skilled in our giftings and be willing to do whatever the Lord asks.
To fulfill this mission, we must know we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Have you ever tried to do what God has asked in your own strength? Scripture doesn’t say, “I am strong in the Lord and in the gritting of my teeth.”
If we try to do the mission from the earth realm, it’s doomed for failure. So we might as well go on up to the heavenly places with Christ and look at the mission from Heaven’s perspective. From there, we can minister from a position of authority, rulership, and dominion.
Time is short. You’ve only got a snap in time. What are you going to do with your vapor?
[Editor’s Note: Joe Duininck is the missions director and an instructor at Rhema Bible Training College.]
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Joe Duininck
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