Jesus had a mission to accomplish, and that was his first and only priority. He lived with purpose, instead of living in reaction mode.
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Scripture
Luke 13:31-32
“At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.”
Observation
I have to wonder at the motivation of the Pharisees in this verse. As a group, they didn’t have Jesus’ best interests in mind. Were they trying to intimidate him? Either way, Jesus didn’t allow himself to be distracted from his mission. He not only continued on doing the things he was called to do, he also was blunt and open about what his plans for the future were. This isn’t the mindset or words of someone who is living in ‘reaction mode’, but rather the response of someone who is living life for a greater purpose.
Application
I’ve lived at times in ‘reaction mode’–twisting and turning to respond to the words and actions of everyone around me. The problem is that you cannot accomplish anything, when every outside influence has the power to change your actions. Jesus modeled such an amazing ‘mission-first’ mindset in this passage–it didn’t matter whether Herod was wanting to kill him. It didn’t matter if the Pharisees were trying to intimidate him. It didn’t matter whether his words were loved or hated. He had a mission to accomplish, and that was the first and only priority.
I want to be so crystal-clear on my mission and purpose, that the distractions around me lose their power to sway me. This requires not only that I know what that mission is, but that I also believe in it–more than anything else, including my own popularity or safety. Christ has given me a mission–to share his good news with the world, and to be his hands and feed in sharing his love with my community. There will be countless distractions and opportunities to let others pull me off track, but I must follow the example of Christ and simply keep on walking forward.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for the example you have given me of a life lived with purpose. Help me to live in a mission-first way, not allowing all of the distractions, opinions, words, and risks around me to pull me off track. Help me to stay in step with you, and keep my eyes on you.
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