Living Strategically, Living Intentionally
In my previous article, “Living Missionally, Living Purposefully,” I mentioned the need for the believer to approach life with the consciousness of being a participant in the mission of God on earth. This requires appreciation of the testimony of Scripture about the purpose of God for the entire creation and a desire and effort to determine the specific part that they have been called to play in the divine plan.
But Scripture does not speak only about the believer’s place in the purpose of God. It also predicts global events and what the unbelieving world will do, sometimes in direct opposition to God. Moreover, when God reveals his will to us, through Scripture or personal revelation, he does not always specify every detail. This scenario, including the conflicts between the mission of God and the aspirations of the unbelieving world and the inevitability of certain predicted events, means that believers also need to live strategically.
An illustration may be helpful here.
I was recently reading Perry Stone’s America’s Apocalyptic Reset, in which the author mentions Jesus’ prediction of what came to be known as the “Siege of Jerusalem,” or in more biblical terms, the “Desolation of Jerusalem” (Luke 21:20). Christ had indicated to his disciples that the event would happen during their lifetime and would be grievous for those caught in it. He warned, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her” (Luke 21:21).
As Stone notes in his book, in AD 66, less than 35 years after Christ’s prediction, his disciples observed the increasing tension between Roman soldiers and Jewish militias, with the Romans constructing encampments for their legions around Jerusalem. The disciples remembered Jesus’ warning, and this was a trigger for them to flee the area as he had advised. They found refuge and safety. Providentially, this move also contributed to the expansion of their missional work.
Conversely, there were many Jewish zealots in Jerusalem and Judea at that time who continued to trust for God’s intervention and supernatural deliverance. Unfortunately for them, God had already spoken through Christ, telling them how to respond to the inevitable event, but they were out of earshot or simply disregarded the counsel. Their prayers for an alternative outcome gave them false hope and were futile. They suffered the consequences.
If God has placed us somewhere, he has our back and will take care of us. This may be through special protection or by giving the special grace needed to handle the associated challenges. In the absence of such discernible divine placement, the believer should be careful to heed what God has revealed about relevant events and use them for strategic planning and action as they go about their missional work.
We should be watchful of the dynamics of our society, discerning of the direction in which things are moving, and adopt an intentional approach to life. We should be particularly careful not to let personal aspirations cause us to disregard divine counsel. In the words of Christ in his warning to his disciples, such could result in “great distress” (Luke 21:23).
We should bear in mind that God has promised to reveal things to come to us by his Spirit, either directly or through those prophetically gifted, and we should be sensitive to its fulfillment in our day (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 12:7–10; see also Joel 2:28). Admittedly, the exercise of prophetic gifts can be tricky, with the potential for abuse or error. But that is why Scripture teaches us to judge prophecy and test all things, while warning against despising prophesying (1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 John 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21). What we need to safely navigate this issue is the kind of diligence we apply to other important but sometimes tricky matters, such as our finances.
There is a lesson for us in the story of Lot, who turned toward the wicked city of Sodom, attracted by its material promises and pleasures (Genesis 13:10–13). As it turned out, he was caught in a life of constant grief (2 Peter 2:8), to the point of being ready to give his daughters to be defiled on one particularly desperate occasion (Genesis 19:4–7). When the mercy of God eventually rescued him from the terrible mess and the threat of death, it was at the cost of his wife’s life.
Whether living missionally and purposefully or strategically and intentionally, divine guidance, especially through Scripture, is the key to our highest effectiveness and welfare. Joshua was encouraged concerning the divine word he had received, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).
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