Missionary Recalibration Tools (Part 4)
People of Peace … the approach can be so intriguing and sound so easy: however, the actual attempt to live it out in your life can be rather difficult.
When followers in the way of Jesus begin to embrace the Person of Peace Strategy they can hit a few obstacles, which will either impede their progress or stop them all together. If we are not aware of these potential pitfalls, we can get frustrated and give up before the approach ever has an opportunity to produce any fruit.
One such obstacle we face when transitioning to the Person of Peace Strategy is the renewing of our mind. We have to successfully move through a paradigm shift in order to experience any real, lasting change. We have to move from a program-based mindset in relationship building to a more natural, relational-based approach.
This particular change in thinking moves us from the familiar to the unfamiliar. We have to shift from one set of normal actions we have become aquatinted with and adopt the new path (with its subsequent series of actions needed to be learned) so we can live out the new paradigm each day.
Following the Jesus way in evangelism requires us to change more than just the things we do; it takes a different way of thinking to live it out. It’s a paradigm shift. In Romans 12 Paul refers to it as the renewing of our mind. In the book of Ephesians Paul talks in terms of being a new creation. Jesus used language like being born again.
The Jesus way generally takes a renewed way of thinking about things so we can adequately incarnate them into real life. His way is a new way of thinking which becomes a new way of believing and, ultimately, changes the behavior to go along with the new paradigm.
In the case of changing from program-based to relational-based thinking, the nuance is how they have been previously intermixed. The difficulty is we have so mixed the two together we no longer know how to build relational influence without program overtones influencing how we carry it out. In short, our attempts to build relationship feels more like a program than friendship. In essence, we try to create friendship using program principles and methodology and are unaware we are doing so.
We must break free of the former way of thinking in order to live into the new relational thinking required in the Person of Peace Strategy. As long as we maintain the controls in our attempts at relationship our efforts will carry these overtones of a programmed world. Maybe this is part of what Jesus was referring to when He said “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35 NIV) The bottom line is we need to discover how to relationally connect with and build friendship with others that includes the Gospel.
Here is an easy test …
Have you attempted to get together with a potential Person of Peace one-on-one or only rely on your planned group activity?
Most prefer to use some planned activity over inviting them to their home. We feel more comfortable inviting them to something, whereas, they feel more comfortable being invited to be with someone. Maybe it’s just a battle of control factors.
It takes more than inviting them to a planned event geared to relational activity or interaction. We have to extend the hand of genuine friendship while maintaining our identity as a follower in the Jesus way. Sounds easy enough. We may even think we do it fairly well, only to find it didn’t work like we had hoped.
In essence, when we tend to rely on the relational exchange in a planned or organized event is to extend a professional type of relationship versus a personal friendship. People are looking for the authentic friendship of a personal nature. They can pay the counselor or coach or their favorite barista to be their professional friend.
Yes, the light just came on for some of us; we need to follow the Jesus way of personally being involved in the relationship rather than relying on the safety of a work type relationship. Small shift in our actions, but a huge move in our motivation and personal investment.
People of Peace need to experience the authentic love of Jesus incarnated through imperfect followers, who are doing their best to give to others what they have received from the Lord of their lives. Make the shift and see where the Holy Spirit takes you!