What's Next?Sample

### What’s Next: Preparing to Go While Being Faithful in the Waiting and in the Staying Although I was very familiar with the story of Jesus driving the legion of demons into a herd of pigs, during a retreat a few years ago, I was struck afresh being led through the passage. The pastor leading the retreat guided us through a lectio divina of Mark 5:1-20. After reading the passage multiple times he asked us to consider, “what did you see, what did you feel, what did you hear?” As I sat with the passage, I was blown away by verses 18-20, > “As he (Jesus) was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he (Jesus) did not permit him but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” He begged Jesus that he might go with Him. Can you imagine?  He’d been a demon-possessed outcast living in the mountains; no one could contain him. And then...Jesus healed him! Not only was he in his right mind, but likely this was the first time in longer than he could remember that he was being treated with kindness. I can’t begin to imagine the strength of his desire to be with Jesus! How he longed to get on the boat with Him and the disciples, to be a part of this unlikely group that lives and loves like family. And yet, Jesus didn’t let him get in the boat. Jesus told him to go back to his friends and tell them how much the Lord had done and about the Lord’s mercy. And he obeyed. All things considered, staying was much harder than going. But he was faithful to tell his friends what Jesus had done, and they marveled. And we read later in Mark when Jesus returned to the Decapolis, more people were brought to Him and were healed. Won’t it be glorious in heaven to see all the Kingdom work that was accomplished through this faithful staying? In our journey, what does it look like to be faithful to the Lord in the going and in the staying? Scholar Kenneth Bailey makes the case that in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, where Paul uses the analogy of running in such a way as to win the prize, that he is discussing mission; that he is illustrating the high commitment required to cross-cultural barriers in the name of Christ.* Do we go? By all means, each of us can ask the Lord if He is calling us to go and serve cross-culturally, to take the Gospel to the unreached; may this be a serious question for each of us. But let’s remember, our friend wanted to get into the boat, but in obedience, didn’t. This compels us to then ask, “do we stay?” To consider: How can we ‘go home and tell of the mercy of Jesus?’ So as we journey, as we run the race, let’s ask the Lord what He is preparing us for, how we can be faithful in the going and in the staying. As we live a Kingdom-oriented life, let’s ask Him how He wants to use us in our communities. How can we love and serve and be joyful and generous in ways that cause people to marvel at God’s greatness and goodness and glory? As we wait and work hard to prepare for the going, or as we diligently stay, may we faithfully tell of all that Jesus has done for us! We want to thank Kate Borders, Senior Director of Mobilization with World Orphans for contributing this day's plan content. *Kenneth Bailey, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes, 2011, pp. 260-264