The 3W Mission

[HKHaugan]

The 3W Mission

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1Thess.5:18).”

Wherever, Whenever, Whoever, That’s Everything

It’s Walmart--- it’s 1:30 in the afternoon--- you’re in a hurry and you happen on someone having trouble reaching for a box. You stop, help them and a thanks is given but a further request is there. It’s in the face of the person you’re helping. You picked up something there. Whether it is a sadness, a forced smile or a simple nod, that something stops you and you throw out the question, “Is everything all right?” There is a protective response, “I’m OK.” But you know better and ask, “Is it something I can pray about?” From there it’s all about the Holy Spirit and His leading. The real question for us is ‘Are we alert to that moment?’ Is my schedule really more important or can it be put off for a bit with a phone call?

‘That moment’ is an ‘everything’ moment. It’s the ‘every next moment’ in which we are called to be aware. ’Everything being equal’ is not just a phrase we use to explain something. Everything is equal as far as its spiritual quality is concerned. Every next moment has a spiritual quality and equals every next one. That’s the point. It’s not the agenda-filled months and years that the secular world agonizes over. Every next moment contains a unique demand waiting to be met spiritually. When Jesus says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much (Lk.16:10),” includes the moments of our lives, the events, the meetings, the unexpected happenings, that make up our days. Those are the real ‘life changing’ moments.

So ‘wherever’ is the location we are in at any given moment. That’s where our bodies are called into action.

‘Whenever’ is every next moment bringing a brand new experience. It’s the time of self conscious decision making. It’s a faith moment.

‘Whoever’ is the clincher. The ‘who’ is the person the moment is about. It’s a relational moment. It could very well be a life changing moment for the person you’re talking to or it could be the same for you. It could very well be a ‘Good Samaritan’ moment.

‘Wherever,’ ‘whenever,’ and ‘whoever’ are awareness moments, alertness opportunities where the Spirit moves in our consciousness. These three words are focus words. We approach each giving thanks for them and thanks for what they present us with. Even the unpleasant, the surprising, the disappointing, the disillusioning, the inspiring, the great, the emotional, the demanding, the challenging; all have something to offer. When we accept the offer in the Spirit who brings the Lord Jesus to mind, something happens that is unique in that moment. Now we are talking real knowledge, the knowledge of seeing and sensing God working in it.

Those moments are our mission. They are the moments we were made for. If we have driven home a point about our mission it is wrapped up in this threefold forward looking vision. It encompasses our entire outlook, our mindset and our world view. Jesus is always there with us in that moment. As we look out from within and set our mind on a circumstance, then the way we view His presence with us world determines our action in the where, when and who. So we question what lies within our hearts? The attitude lying there shapes the lens of how we perceive people, events and circumstance. That lens in turn will magnify what is really taking place in us and around us. This process takes place every day.

There are only two ways to approach any circumstance: from a heart with God or from a heart without Him. If you want to know what true freedom is all about, that is the bottom line; to see things God’s way or to see them our own way. It’s both that simple and that profound. We make our judgments based on faith in ourselves or we make our judgments based on our faith in God. Jesus made this very clear, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (Jn.8:31-32).” We call it ‘the moment of truth.’ For us as disciples of Jesus, that is every moment.

So the opposite of truth is not untruth, falseness or even lying. They are symptoms of the lack of truth. The opposite of truth is sin. Sin starts with the imperfect self thinking and acting to secure itself in any given moment it is faced with a challenge. It’s that moment, the ‘I’m-alone-and-they’re-all-looking-at- me’ moment. It is a fear driven moment of quick thinking self defense. It’s a moment laced with a fear of not being right. It is filled with imperfection, assumption and speculation. Sin makes us constantly wary while it engineers a self reliant mind, an attitude of pride and cautious action. Tiring, isn’t it?

Truth comes from outside us. When Jesus talks about Himself being the way, the truth and the life He is declaring something quite different than the secular world. That world claims truth is knowing and telling the facts as we think them to be. Jesus is saying truth is spiritual, personal, and relational. His teaching comes from Him, His Spirit and His Father’ will. Thus His declaration, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” In essence He is saying, “I am the perfection of thought, the perfect way to live and life itself. Life in the flesh is temporary. My life has no end. If you hang on to me you’ll have it all.” So truth is not an objective ideal, a variable according to the individual whose intellectual brilliance assumes it. Truth is a person of absolute perfection. For us that is Jesus. Thus thought, emotion and action are as alive as He is and He is giver of the Spirit of Truth who tells it like it really is in every next moment.

This brings us to our 3W mission. If we have the living Truth in our mind, heart and spirit, then He will be the beacon of light that shines through us into the ‘Wherever, Whenever, Whoever’ awaiting us. That’s why we give thanks in all circumstances. They are moments that we get to practice faith. He is present redeeming them for His purpose (Rom.8:29). When we look back on that moment of faith practice we get the blessing of seeing what only faith could have done. That becomes our real knowledge, spiritual knowledge, the knowledge of God that no one can dispute. Mission accomplished. Waiting on the next assigned moment.