Have you heard the term “missional living”? What does missional living mean? And how can we start to “live missionally”? At first, it can feel like diving into the great unknown, but I can assure you it’s not.
I’m not a singer, but I do enjoy singing with family and friends occasionally. When my brother-in-law, Nick, has a guitar handy, our singing sessions tend to go more smoothly. A few subtle bumps on the wooden surface of the guitar, and Nick softly uttering “1, 2, 3…” clue me in to the start of the song and when I need to jump in.
When we’re recording to share with others later, that’s often flipped to Nick’s bumps on the guitar and a “3, 2, 1…” The numbers keep me focused and centered, unaware of the unnerving presence of those watching and not singing with me. We tap record and after being “counted in,” we are off to the races. The song begins.
If we look closely, we’ll find that the Bible, people around us and God Himself (through the Holy Spirit) can “count us in” to living missionally. We can know where to start and where to find inspiration when it feels like the whole world––or at least our world––is watching.
The History of Missional Living
To understand “missional living,” we have to start with the word “missions.”
According to David Bosch’s Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, we owe the popularity of the word “missions” to missio dei, a term that took off like wildfire in the 1950s. In Latin, missio dei is “the sending of God,” referring to how God sends His people out to share the gospel. The term existed before the 1950s but took on new meaning after this decade.
You may have heard of famous missionaries like Jim Elliot and his wife Elisabeth Elliot, who helped evangelize the Waorani tribe in Ecuador. Though there were hundreds, if not thousands, of missionaries before them, the Elliots and their tragic story of martyrdom kicked off a new passion for taking the gospel beyond America’s borders to places it had never been before.
Missions was the term coined, particularly in the United States and the West, for any effort made toward fervently spreading the gospel abroad, whether that effort was carried out by believers called to far-off lands or the local church giving to a missionary cause.
That wave marked the start of a movement that would persist into the 1980s. Soon after came the concept of short-term mission trips. You and I could embark on brief experiences to help spread the gospel somewhere else in the world, but be back home in a matter of days or weeks.
Short-term mission trips split my world in two: the one where I lived my life (at work or school) and the one where I went to church, talked about Jesus and shone the light of the gospel. These worlds would likely never collide unless I intentionally brought them together.
For many church leaders, that separation between our everyday life and sharing our faith presented a detrimental barrier. How would the people in the places where we spent most of our time get to know Jesus when it seemed sharing the message of the gospel was reserved for missions trips and missionaries?
Missional living invites all Christians to be involved in Jesus’ Great Commission wherever they find themselves, regardless of their chosen profession.
The Difference Between Missions and Missional Living
When it sprang up in 1998, the missional church movement––which had advocates like prominent American pastor Tim Keller––challenged the idea that missions was something we traveled to do, or that it required that we leave the rhythms of our lives for it to make its maximum impact.
Missions had historically been the work of a professional missionary or something Christians set out to do in a carefully selected place. Missional living invites all Christians to be involved in Jesus’ Great Commission wherever they find themselves, regardless of their chosen profession.
What Is Missional Living?
At its core, missional living challenges us to represent the gospel in the places we regularly frequent––work, school, the coffee shop, the supermarket, our child’s daycare program, the homes of our family and friends.
Simply put, if missions is about proclaiming the kingdom of God throughout the world, missional living takes proclaiming the gospel into our own worlds––into our communities. We carry the mission into our spheres of life and into our spheres of influence. We model Christlikeness there and share the gospel there.
Missional living and the Great Commission
Missional living makes the call of the Great Commission a lifestyle because it means Jesus’ mandate applies to our whole life as believers.
When I reexamine the Great Commission through this different lens, who I think of when I read the words “all nations” and where I think of when I read “go” radically changes. It becomes local as well as global.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. …” (Matthew 28:19-20).
To be clear, missions, mission trips and giving to missionaries on the mission field are surefire ways to be aligned to the work God is doing in hearts everywhere. We shouldn’t abandon these practices! Most giving opportunities at Jesus Film Project® fuel the work of missionaries globally.
Missional living is merely another way we worship God with our lives and participate in His mission without limitation.
How to Live Missionally
Missional living and discipleship
Notice I haven’t used the word evangelism here. That’s because when we focus on making disciples in our daily walk, not on evangelism, we more organically begin to demonstrate what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus.
Thought leader Alan Hirsch says, “Evangelism can’t be our focus! We must not stop sharing the good news, but here’s the deal, here’s the wonderful thing, it gets done along the way as you do discipleship.”
Discipleship in our missional living means allowing God to visibly transform us so that we bear good fruit before others. In other words, we disciple well by bearing fruit and taking the time to express not just the message of Jesus but how it translates to a changed life, starting with ours.
Consider this: “In John 15, Jesus talks about producing fruit that remains. What is this type of ‘fruit’ that Jesus is referring to? Spiritually fruitful people are fully surrendered to Christ and express love for Him over a lifetime by making disciples” (Missional Living).
See John 15:7-8: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Discipleship in our missional living means allowing God to visibly transform us so that we bear good fruit before others.
Jesus said that to produce fruit we must remain in Him. To this end, we cannot live missionally without time in the presence of Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit, which must be at work in our lives and in our hearts.
“We can think of success as taking the initiative to live missionally by the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results to God. And the first place to start is with an honest evaluation of our hearts. Success starts with surrender” (Missional Living).
How do we live missionally? We live missionally when we share every part of us, including our ever-evolving walk with Christ and how He changed us and continues to change us to be more like Him through trials and challenging relationships.
According to theologian Darrell Guder, “We experience the transforming truth of Christ and bring it to everything we do. The Great Commission is not merely about spreading the gospel in words, it is about embodying the gospel message—its hope for transformational renewal.”
Why do we need to live missionally?
The purpose of living missionally is to be extensions of Jesus’ life-changing love, mercy, grace and forgiveness toward others. And this modeling of Jesus is the very keystone of missional living.
But at the end of the day, our greatest desire should be to express the message of salvation through Christ alone. Eventually, the Holy Spirit grants us opportunities to talk about Jesus with those with whom we’ve modeled His example. We should take advantage of these opportunities.
The purpose of missional living is to share the message of the gospel in both action and speech. We communicate what we believe and why. We demonstrate these beliefs with our lives. We are vocal witnesses to Jesus’ timeless message.
The purpose of missional living is to share the message of the gospel in both action and speech.
Missional living and sharing your faith
If the idea of talking to others about Jesus scares you, know that you’re not alone.
We asked more than 1,600 Christians why they don’t share Jesus with others. Approximately 22% of people said fear keeps them from sharing their faith. Studies found that most Christians don’t start spiritual conversations because they are afraid of making Christianity look bad or because they lack the faith to do it.
It’s completely normal to be fearful about taking this next step. Jumping into anything that seems to involve our entire lives is sure to give us pause. But the truth is, because of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, all we need is a nudge of inspiration, a “3, 2, 1…”
3 Mindset Shifts to Help Encourage Missional Living
If missional living seems like a lot to take on and you’re feeling the pressure, here’s some encouragement: Adapting a mindset of missional living takes time.
We can start taking steps toward living missionally by changing our mindset in three ways.
1. See everyone and everywhere as the mission field
My church’s parking lot has a sign at the edge of the property that has always made an impression on me. Purposefully placed at the exit, the sign reads “You are now entering the mission field.”
For some time, the words assaulted me every time I saw them, which was every time I left the church grounds. My stomach churned as I felt the pangs of Christian responsibility. If I’m honest, it revealed my poor understanding of what being a believer meant, not just for me, but for others. I’d fallen into the trap of believing it was even about me.
Knowing Jesus to me means I am redeemed. I am free from the power of sin! To others, I am a person who carries a valuable message that could revolutionize their lives.
According to Jesus, I am the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And that light doesn’t get switched on and off or put under a bowl (Matthew 5:14-16). As a Christian, my mission in life and your mission in life is to carry that light wherever we go and make it visible. Everyone, everywhere, is our personal mission field.
2. See the church as the place where missional people gather
On days when I saw the sign and wasn’t particularly inclined to serve the mission field––anyone I encountered in my life––inwardly I groaned. Didn’t I just come from where missions happen? Or at the very least, isn’t the church where missions start?
The sign at the edge of the parking lot was a reminder of the church’s actual role in missional living.
- Church is the place where we meet with like-minded Christians.
- Churches are missional, yes. They run mission services and programs. But the overarching purpose of the church is to nurture its congregants for their missional work. Inside its walls, we are re-fueled and recharged for missional living.
- The local church sends out workers like me (not just the pastors and the missionaries) so that, in a spiritual sense, we can send more people upward.
Theologian Darrell Guder says, “Being missional is not about what churches do, but what churches empower people to do in their everyday lives.”
3. See ourselves as missional people
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1, NIV).
If we are called to be living sacrifices, our very lives are in service to Christ and His message. In our surrender to Christ, we become missional people. Romans 12:1 is the answer to the question: What is my life’s mission?
2 Quotes About Living Missionally
Missional living is a joy, not a burden
In his book, The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society, British theologian Lesslie Newbigin made this insightful observation:
“There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the church primarily as obedience to a command. It has been customary to speak of ‘the missionary mandate.’ This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that it misses the point. It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel. If one looks at the New Testament evidence, one gets another impression.
Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the church in the pages of the New Testament is like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving.”
Did you catch that? Missional living begins with an explosion of joy! Living life on a mission isn’t a burden because it allows us to express the victory of Jesus on the cross with our very lives. And this expression of joy about our salvation is life-giving.
A passionate faith and pursuit of Jesus sets us ablaze and helps us burn for missional living.
What is truly necessary
Missional thought leader Alan Hirsch has this to say about the one thing it takes to live missionally.
“The spontaneous expansion of the church reduced to its elements is a very simple thing. It asks for no elaborate organization, no large finances, no great numbers of paid missionaries. In its beginning, it may be the work of one man, and that a man neither learned in the things of this world, nor rich in the wealth of this world. …What is necessary is faith. What is needed is the kind of faith which uniting a man to Christ, sets him on fire.”
A passionate faith and pursuit of Jesus sets us ablaze and helps us burn for missional living.
1 Small Step Toward Missional Living
We can reframe our disposition toward missional living.
As I serve at Jesus Film Project, I often have the opportunity to hear team members talk about fresh opportunities to equip believers with ministry resources. Many of my Jesus Film Project team members lead with, “We get to participate with God in…”
I’m reminded that God invites us to take part in the Great Commission, and it’s no small invitation. We get to participate with God as he carries out His mission!
We are His chosen ambassadors. In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Paul tells the Corinthian church––our models for modern churchhood––to act as Christ’s ambassadors and share His message of reconciliation. If God deems me appropriate for the task, I have no choice but to believe Him and participate in what He’s doing by offering my life.
3 Stories To Inspire a Missional Life
Believers around the world are living a missional life. We are so honored they chose to share their stories with us. As you watch the videos, be sure to reflect on how these believers heard about Jesus or shared Jesus in spaces that easily integrated into their daily lives, using the tools already at their disposal.
Malee’s Story
Malee discovered Jesus online. She was scrolling through Facebook when she spotted a video someone had posted of Jesus speaking her language. That prompted questions in Malee’s heart that Din was willing to answer.
Notice the simple question Malee answers at the beginning to kick off her sharing her story: “What has Jesus done in your life?” Imagine answering that question in the company of someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet. It could make an enormous difference. That alone can be the spark to a deep conversation.
Jacob’s Story
In this quick story, Jacob talks about how sharing a video from the Jesus Film Project app, which he often does, caused an Iraqi man he had only briefly crossed paths with to eventually come to faith in Christ. Jacob’s simple act of love toward a stranger drew that man closer to God. All Jacob had to do was be willing to share a piece of Christ’s message in a way that was natural to him––an app on his phone.
Amir’s Story
Amir’s story highlights the power of Christian community in public spaces and in using contextualized media resources to share the message of the gospel wherever you find yourself. Jesus Film Project short films and tools, which are available in several languages, are a great way to share your faith.
2 Bible Passages to Inspire a Life on Mission
Colossians 4:2-6: Pray, Live, Speak
Are the words “missional living” in the Bible? No, they’re not. But check out the three directives the apostle Paul shares in Colossians 4:2-6. They are remarkably missional.
Pray for opportunities
Paul encourages the Colossians to devote themselves to prayer. He also asks God to open doors so that he can proclaim the gospel message clearly (Colossians 4:2-4). What does this mean for us?
- We don’t discount the power of prayer. Every believer can help fulfill the Great Commission when they pray as a way to live life on mission.
- Pray for divine encounters and open doors to conversations about Jesus.
- Pray for pastors and missionaries and the people they encounter, but also pray for the people around you to be receptive to Jesus.
Live wisely
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5, NIV). What does this mean for us?
- We are not always surrounded by Christians. We can make the most of every opportunity because we regularly find ourselves where those who don’t yet believe are.
- We let relationships develop naturally. We also intentionally deepen relationships to grow comfortable with those we share Jesus with and allow them to be comfortable with us.
- Live a changed life and let the example of Christ in you be evident, without bragging. Rely on the Holy Spirit!
Speak with grace
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6, NIV). What does this mean for us?
- We witness to those who don’t yet believe with our words, so we should be mindful of speaking in a manner worthy of the gospel.
Dive deeper into this three-part passage in Colossians in What is the Missional Life? from the church-planting ministry 9Marks.
1 Thessalonians 2:8: Love in Everything
Paul and other great church fathers operated in love. Take a look at his words to the Thessalonians: “…Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8, NIV).
They were delighted to share the gospel and their lives! Note that the motivator of this response wasn’t guilt. Like Paul, we are compelled to share the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16), but we should let it stem from love, because of the love Jesus showed us (John 3:16).
Jesus’ reply to the Pharisees also comes to mind. They ask him, “‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replies: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:36-39, NIV).
If you need fresh reminders of why to live missionally, look no further than Scripture. The Bible is full of Bible verses that can empower you for missional living. There are also plenty of passages about missions and missionary work.
1 Leap to Living Missionally Every Day
Wondering whether you’re living missionally? Think about acquaintances, your closest friends, or family members who don’t know Jesus. Do they know what you believe and how that belief informs and inspires how you live your life?
If the answer is no, you may be missing out on valuable opportunities to live missionally.
Opportunities to live missionally are all around us. We just need to allow our lives to serve as doorways to others meeting Jesus. We need to be open to jumping into every opportunity and let the songs of our lives play freely.
