A Man on a Mission
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Could you hang out with John the Baptist? I think I could as long as it wasn’t dinner time. Watching someone eat locusts, even if they are 60% protein would not work for me. I’ve always been a bit envious of individuals like John the Baptist who knew exactly what they were born to do. John was a goal-driven, laser-focused, self-controlled man whose mission was to prepare the way for Jesus. Luke tells us his single mission was made clear from the moment of his birth: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). Our mission today is the same: point people to Jesus.
Have you ever wondered why John was in the wilderness? The bible doesn’t tell us how long John lived in the wilderness prior to the beginning of his ministry but based on his eating habits and his attire I’m going to guess he had been there for some time. Did John need to lead a secluded life away from the temptations of the city in order to focus on his mission? GrowingDisciples.org suggests: “John was calling people away from the system, from their luxury, from their religious hypocrisy and their phony temple worship so they could focus on the qualities of their own sinful hearts.”1 Whatever the reason for John’s location, it’s a great reminder that God can use you right where you are. God can use you to accomplish his purpose whether you’re in a tree stand in the middle of the woods or a board room in Manhattan.
What do you need to do today to focus on the Lord’s work? Do you need to retreat to a place of solitude in order to examine your heart? If we are to reflect the light of Jesus to a dark world we need to do as John instructed and walk in a new direction, away from our sins, away from the things that are keeping us from Jesus. I pray that as a church we can become like John: goal-driven and laser-focused on the work for which we were created.
Brenda Wooff