THE MANDATE, “GO teach My people faith,” started with one man—my grandfather, Kenneth E. Hagin. But today it’s no longer the responsibility of one man or one family. The mandate rests on thousands upon thousands of people across the entire earth.
The mandate calls us to take the message of faith to the world. But with it comes a weight that must be taken seriously. When we embrace the mandate, we also sign up for some responsibilities. Here are four that stand out:
The responsibility of carrying this mandate doesn’t end with us—WE MUST PASS IT ON TO THE GENERATION BELOW US.
- THE WEIGHT OF THE MANDATE IS LOVE
My grandfather talked a lot about love. First Peter 4:8 (NLT) says, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
The Apostle Peter is someone who understood this firsthand. Even after denying Jesus three times, he was met with love, not judgment. Correction without love leads to rejection, but correction with love leads to transformation.
Colossians 3:13 (TPT) urges us to “tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith.” We are all human and have weaknesses. Instead of being quick to judge, we are called to be patient, compassionate, and merciful. Love makes us professional excuse-makers for others—choosing to be unoffendable in our patience toward other people.
- THE WEIGHT OF THE MANDATE IS BEING SPIRIT LED
Our success is not in human strategies but in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It’s beneficial to have a plan. However, relying solely on what makes sense can cause us to miss the leading of the Holy Spirit. What He tells us to do often doesn’t make sense, but it’s what we need to do.
When the Holy Spirit gives us instruction, we can’t engage our mind by questioning. Instead, we should obey immediately, even if His direction seems illogical. We have to remember that our obedience impacts people in the future. If we disregard what the Holy Spirit is telling us, we won’t be in the right place to impact those people.
- THE WEIGHT OF THE MANDATE IS PURITY, NOT PERFORMANCE
God looks at our heart. Are we always going to get it right? No. But how’s your heart? Is it pure?
King Saul is an example of misplaced priorities. When God commanded him to completely destroy the Amalekites, he obeyed only partially. He was trying to people-please. Saul was more concerned about his performance and what people thought about him than he was about obeying God. Saul’s partial obedience made God really mad, and cost Saul his throne.
Contrast that with David. When you look at his life, David messed up a lot. Although he committed serious sins—including adultery and murder—his heart remained tender before God. Every time David messed up, he repented and ran back to God. That’s why God called David “a man after his own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14).
- THE WEIGHT OF THE MANDATE IS RELATING TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION
The responsibility of carrying this mandate doesn’t end with us—we must pass it on to the generation below us. Instead of criticizing the younger generation for doing things differently, we must embrace, relate to, and invest in them. If we want to impact future generations, we have to build bridges, not walls.
If the Lord tarries, today’s older generation will be in Heaven, and the younger generation will be left to lead. Our job is to pour into them now.
The Apostle Paul knew he had to invest in young people. What did he do? He mentored Timothy, taking him on missionary journeys, teaching him leadership and how to speak. He let Timothy see his day-to-day ministry challenges and learn how to overcome them.
We have to ask ourselves, who is our Timothy? Who are we investing in and encouraging to use their spiritual gifts?
I believe a revival is happening among young people—in our 18- to 30-year-olds. They crave spending time with God, and we need to make room for that. Yeah, they might not express their faith in a way we think it should be done or in a way we agree with. But it’s their generation, their way, their time.
And that excites me. Because the future of the Church—the future of this mandate—is in good hands.
Author
Denise Hagin Burns
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