The Life That Counts: Living as Sent Ones
There is a restlessness that sits deep within the heart of every follower of Jesus – a longing for our existence to matter beyond the temporal of this life. It is within this desire that has been expressed so clearly to me by two dear pastors in my life that our words, our time, our talents, and our resources should not just pass us by, but should have an intentional and eternal purpose.
I often reflect on the fleeting nature of this world and pray that my energy will not be wasted, my spiritual gifts will not be squandered, and any wealth I acquire will not be misused on things that do not glorify God. My prayer is to model this and recognize that everything we possess is on loan and was given by our sovereign Creator for a distinct and higher purpose. My deepest yearning is not simply to do good works, but to leverage every single aspect of my life for the expansion of God’s Kingdom. Being a good steward of my time, talent, and resources did not come naturally and is something that requires a lot of prayer, work, planning, and most importantly, dying to self.
This desire for meaningful stewardship is easily applied to our talents or our time. We can choose to use our professional skills to mentor others or dedicate an hour of our week to serving. But the profound challenge comes, and I would say it is where the rubber meets the road, is when we extend this desire to the most painful parts of our human experience: our suffering. How can our suffering count? Even in seasons of deep pain, illness, or disappointment, a prayer that I often lament to our God is this: “May my suffering be seen for His purpose in the world and for my own edification, and for this body which is perishing to be used for the advancement of the gospel.” We are to be pursuing a mature faith that finds purpose in this paradox. It is when we truly embrace difficulty not as a roadblock but as a tool where God is using the suffering to refine us and our weakness to highlight Christ’s strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). The vulnerability we share with others in our struggles becomes a powerful testimony of God’s sustaining grace, transforming our private pain into a
public display of the gospel.
The crucial question we must answer, however, is this: “And for what?” If we pour out all our resources, time, talent, and energy, even our pain, what is the purpose? The answer is beautiful and takes the weight from us. It is not for our sake, but to exalt Christ and to present everyone mature in him (Colossians 1:28).
The mark for us in Christ is not our fame, reputation, or the success of our projects. Instead, our focus should be on exalting the King and glorifying him. By concentrating solely on his glory, even in times of suffering, we free ourselves from pressure and can be faithful stewards of the message we have received. This leads us to the rallying cry that should define our obedience through suffering: the declaration of Isaiah, who, after encountering the holiness of God, responded, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Just know that when you pray this big prayer that our God hears, and he will answer by using you in his kingdom to bring glory to himself.
As followers of Christ, we are called to live all of life as “sent ones” on mission. You do not need a visa or a missionary title to be sent. God has sovereignly placed you and me in our current stage of life—your cubicle, your kitchen, your classroom, your neighborhood—for a specific purpose. The purpose is for us to display the gospel where we already stand. We are
missionaries in the context of whatever we are doing, tasked with reflecting the truth of the Word through our words, our work, our integrity, and our love. We do not need to invent a purpose, but to live out the one He has already assigned. Let’s embrace this high calling of stewardship in every area of our lives—even in our suffering—so that when our race is run, it is clear that we lived not for ourselves, but to make him known, and for the advancement of the gospel.
All Glory be to Christ our King!
