With knowledge comes responsibility

Today I've been thinking about a portion of my last paper that summarized some reflections as I read "The Path" (Jones, 1996). In my paper I said something akin to the following:

That fact [that I am not my own] makes my search for a clear mission and vision statement something that is difficult because, in a sense, it is second hand, something that I’ve been given. Yet the gift must also encompass my personal reaction and commitment to what has been given. Again, with knowledge comes responsibility.

I was speaking of being given a mission and/or vision by God Himself. Yet, even though it is quite clear from scripture that God reveals Himself to us first, there is this - sometimes difficult to understand part about our ability to choose. This relates to the search or investigation of my mission, in that while I do believe God gives us mission and purpose through the Holy Spirit, we must, most of the time, choose to participate before we see that purpose actualized.

For years I taught Jr. High and Sr. High Youth Groups and one analogy that always seemed useful was that of the giving away of my car. I would hold out my keys and say, "here are my keys, you can have my car." Of course, there was something that had to happen before they could realize the benefit of actually going somewhere in my car. What is it? They have to reach out and take the keys, start the car, and start driving.

Now to make the analogy a little more theologically correct, it is Jesus who gives us the car and the keys, it is Jesus who gives us the strength to reach out and take the keys, it is Jesus who gives us knowledge about how the car works, it is Jesus who drives through us as He directs us by His Spirit. But still, there is this mysterious component of our will involved. It's not that we're somehow earning the car or deserving the car by reaching out and taking the keys, just like we can not, through any action, earn or deserve eternal life with Jesus. What does He do? He first asks us to believe, and then because we believe, we act. Because a student believed that I was actually giving him my car, he took my keys and drove away. (OK, not really, but I was always a little nervous every time I shared the story!)

So then, with regard to our mission, vision, and values, we too must first believe, then choose to act . It will be Christ doing the work through us, yet because He has allowed us to see that hinder hinting of His glory, like Moses, we move forward with our mission toward our vision and we do it with purpose, with resolve, with focus, and with faith. If we are following His call, His plan for our lives, then our living Mission will cause us to take the keys and drive places we didn't even realize were there!

Are we willing? Are we going to get outside of our comfort zone? Are we going to believe that there really is a gift of God's plan for our life? If we do, are we reaching for the keys? Have we taken the leap of faith to believe enough to take the keys? Do we have the peace of God ruling in our hearts that enables us to open the door? Are we willing to trust Him to turn the key? Once we get started, are we willing to let Him navigate? Fortunately, our Mission statement is like one of those motel maps that have some of the potential highlights in the general direction we're going. His Word is a complete set of driving instructions, His Spirit is there to speak to us about the path to take. Do we want to see the sights that God has planned for us, or will we be content with either sitting there, or simply driving in familiar circles?

I'm encouraged and excited that as I continue to refine my mission and vision statements, with direction from the Spirit, I will be able to go places that He intends. The best part is, I have good company in the car with me - the Godhead, my family, my friends, my mentors, and those saints and martyrs that have stood as witnesses and shown as beacons of Christ's light for all to see. I'm stirred to action today. I'm not comfortable sitting back and wandering, I want to "rest" in His plan by taking it by the wheel and being willing to listen to that still small navigational voice, who loves me.

Though I haven't talked about it so much directly, with knowledge come responsibility. Now that you know, now that I know - will we act? I choose to act.