"Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." and so begins another story of intrigue, suspicion and danger. Of course you've watched the old TV series at one time or another, or you may have seen the new movie. A hopelessly dangerous mission is presented to the daring secret agent. And after car chases, disintegrating explosions and near-death, the mystery is solved, the bad guys are caught and the secret agent returns next week to solve the next "mission impossible".
Your mission, should you choose to accept it... and so begins our life in Christ. A life of intrigue, suspense and wonder. Every day you - the daring agent for God - are presented with new opportunities and life experiences. And after car problems, disintegrating schedules and near-hysteria, the day is done, the mistakes are forgiven and God's special agent returns the next day to begin again.
Sound impossible? Well, maybe sometimes. When the secret agent peered into a mailbox (or some other odd spot) and listened to his secret orders, I'm sure he must have felt overwhelmed at times. And he certainly ran into his share of obstacles along the way. He depended on his brain and his reflexes and his years of training for his very life. It was all up to him and the rest of the Mission Impossible Team to solve the case and keep from getting killed. He could never let the situation become impossible in his own mind or he might as well hang it up. That's where God's agent starts getting into trouble. We peer into our hearts and into God's word and we feel overwhelmed at times, and when obstacles come our way we use our brains and our reflexes and our years (or minutes as the case may be) of training to try to get ourselves through like our life depends on it. And when our spiritual life depends on those things, then we might as well hang it up.
You see, that's where our little analogy should end. Where the secret agent's successful mission was all his own doing, our mission will always be successful because God is the one in charge of the case. He directs us, protects us and gives us what we need to complete the mission. His Spirit guides us where we need to go, giving us comfort and strength when we waiver. And most importantly, His Son lives in us and through us, and even gave His life for us. Jesus is the one who takes the "impossible" out of the mission, for "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."
So, are you ready? Your mission, should you choose to accept it..."Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only"..."Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength"..."Go into all the world and preach the gospel"..."offer your bodies as living sacrifices"..."love your neighbor as yourself"..."you ought to live holy and godly lives"..."rejoice in the Lord always". Sound a little overwhelming? It's okay, God's in control. Sound a little scary? It's okay, God's Spirit is in each one of us to give us comfort and to show us the way home. Sound a little dangerous? It's okay, Jesus died for us, shouldn't we give ourselves up for Him?
And one more thing. When the secret agent was informed of his mission, in true secret-agent style he was warned, "this tape will self-destruct in 5 seconds". And it always did. He better pay attention the first time or he's in big trouble, because there's no going back for a second listen. We don't have to worry about that. No matter how overwhelming and scary and dangerous things get, God speaks to us over and over through His Word and His Spirit. His Word is "flawless", "living" and "a lamp unto my feet". And God promises that if we hide it in our heart, His Spirit will use it to bring us strength and wisdom. He speaks to us every minute of our Christian life, telling us of His love and His care and His mission. God's mission for us is eternal. It's always there, always has been, always will be, for anyone who wishes to accept it.
