Lonnie Wilkey
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Are you a mission-minded person?
What does it really mean to be mission-minded?
Most any Southern Baptist worth his or her salt would answer quickly, “Of course I am mission-minded. I’m a Southern Baptist.
Folks, there are thousands upon thousands of self-proclaimed Southern Baptists sitting in our pews who don’t know the first thing about being “mission-minded.”
Who better to define what it means to be mission-minded than those men and women who serve around the world on a daily basis.
International Mission Board missionaries from around the world helped compile a list of 13 things that make up a mission-minded person:
The following list with comments was compiled by IMB writer Susan Rains and published by Baptist Press on Jan. 13. Read them carefully and decide for yourself if you are mission-minded or not.
“(1) They want to meet someone who does not follow Jesus Christ. Mission-minded people follow Jesus’ plan in Luke 10 to go work “His harvest.” They actively seek out non-believers for conversations and friendship.
(2) They continually look for creative ways to share the gospel. Mission-minded people find intentional ways to share so that people understand. It is not a “canned presentation” but relative to that person/group. They do the abnormal, irrational, counter-intuitive, and take risks all in an effort to share Christ.
(3) They have a different worldview. They think more about the world, culture, and languages than they do about the tiny place where they live. They understand that the gospel is not just for them but for all people. They are committed to getting it to the rest of the world.
(4) They hear the voice of God and are obedient. Mission-minded people hear the voice of God and obey when He tells them to go across the street, to another town, state or country to share about His redeeming love.
(5) They pray a lot! Praying is a direct link to God. They believe that God will do greater things than we can ever imagine; and they pray for it to happen.
(6) They make disciples. They constantly ask themselves if what they are doing will result in disciples. If the strategy is only for people to hear, then the gospel will not spread. Mission-minded people know the importance of discipleship.
(7) They meet human needs while sharing the gospel. Mission-minded people believe it doesn’t matter how many wells a person digs or how many orphans they feed if they are not following Christ’s mandate to take the gospel to those who have not heard. They contend that if a person is not sharing Jesus, they are wasting time and money.
(8) They believe that being mission-minded is not a “task.” It’s a lifestyle. They live out missions in their everyday life. From the moment they wake up until they go to bed, they impact the world around them.
(9) They are relational. They are willing to leave their own “bubble” to make relationships with those considered the “least of these.” They have an awareness of the people around them and look for ways to build a relationship that will lead to sharing Christ and discipleship.
(10) They go! It doesn’t matter where God tells them to go — Timbuktu or Kalamazoo — they grow where God plants them. And, they are willing to move on when He says, “Go!”
(11) They see people with a future. When they look at an unreached people group, they see potential “brothers and sisters” in Christ. They see that eternity and joy are available for everyone and are excited to share it.
(12) They send! They know that we are responsible for ALL people groups hearing the gospel. They follow the example from the book of Acts to “send” out other mission-minded people. They support them in any way possible.
(13) They understand “the task” is not done. Mission-minded people know that once they have reached their family and friends with Christ, they are not done. There are still billions in the world that have not proclaimed Jesus’ name.”
Well, you’ve read the list. Are you mission-minded?
The characteristic that stands out most to me is number 8. Being mission-minded is not a task, but a lifestyle. That’s where the water hits the wheel. That’s where it applies to me and you here in Tennessee.
We might not ever have the opportunity to go to “Timbuktu or Kalamazoo,” but we can be mission-minded on our street, at our jobs, at the Little League baseball game, standing in line at the grocery store. You get the picture.
And for those who can’t go for one reason or another, we can always fall back on number 12: We send others. That’s where the Cooperative Program comes into play. Gifts through the Cooperative Program help mission-minded people accomplish the Great Commission here in Tennessee, across the United States, and around the world.
Basically, being mission-minded goes back to number 4: hearing what God tells you to do and being obedient to do it.
Each of us encounters lost people every day. God puts them in our path on a regular basis. We just need to be ready to share the gospel when the opportunity presents itself.
I’m thankful to the IMB for reminding us what it truly means to be mission-minded. May we all take it to heart and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
