Kingdom Mission: Living Your True North DailySample

You've probably heard the quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words."

It sounds spiritual, doesn't it? There's just one problem - St. Francis never said it. There's no record of him ever saying or writing those words. The closest thing he said to his fellow friars was that their deeds must match their preaching.

But there's a bigger problem with this quote: it's impossible. You need words to explain the gospel. People put their faith in Jesus through hearing and understanding the message. Jesus Himself announced it verbally - He spoke aloud.

When Jesus spoke, he had a problem that many preachers would love to have: people couldn't ignore him.

In Mark 1, we read that Jesus went to the synagogue and began teaching. But verse 27 tells us something fascinating: "They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, 'What is this? A new teaching with authority!” (CSB)

The people were amazed not just by what Jesus said, but by what Jesus did. It is crucial to understand that Jesus announced the Kingdom of God both verbally and visually.

The heart behind this misquoted wisdom from Francis is important. It's not enough to just talk about the Kingdom of God. Jesus taught with words, but He also demonstrated His authority through His actions. After teaching in the synagogue, He healed Peter's mother-in-law, and then Mark tells us "the whole city was gathered together at the door" as Jesus ministered to people's practical needs.

This creates a tension that many of us would rather avoid. Which is more important - telling people about Jesus or meeting their needs? Should we focus on evangelism or service?

The answer is yes. Both.

We cannot separate the two. Many of us are more comfortable living our faith before others without having to mention Jesus. But Jesus' example shows us we must do both, even if verbal sharing scares us. Maintaining this tension becomes our true north for our kingdom mission - neither drifting toward words alone, nor actions alone.

Consider marriage. If I tell my wife "I love you," but she never experiences that love through my actions, she'll doubt my sincerity. If I only show love through actions and never verbally express it, eventually she’ll wonder how I feel. Like a compass needs both magnetic direction and a clear display, love requires both words and actions to stay on course.

We live in a culture where people are skeptical about faith and the church. Many have been hurt by Christians or have negative associations with organized religion. Service and practical love earn us the right and the trust to share verbally. We have to break down barriers to be heard. People need to see the Kingdom of God demonstrated, not just described. Jesus healed people and told them to believe. He fed hungry crowds and taught them about spiritual hunger. He met both practical and spiritual needs.

Tomorrow, we'll explore why this balanced approach is critical for reaching people in our current cultural moment. But today, ask yourself: “Am I better at the words or the actions? How might God be calling me to grow in the area where I'm weaker?”