Going Back On Mission

This week, teachers and students from kindergarten all the way through college are either heading back to school or getting ready to start a new school year. There’s a lot that comes with that. New teachers. New classmates. New schedules. New classes. New opportunities. For some, there’s excitement. For others, maybe a little anxiety.

But as we begin another school year, I want to challenge our students and teachers to think about something bigger than grades, assignments, lesson plans, sports, and activities. What if we went back to school on mission? Jesus told His followers in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations.” We often hear those words and think about missionaries traveling across the world. But the Great Commission begins with a simple word: Go. And this week, thousands of Christians are going into classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, offices, dorm rooms, and college campuses. Those places aren’t just where we learn or work. They are places where God has given us an opportunity to live out our faith and introduce people to Jesus. So, students don’t go back to school thinking only about being a student. Teachers, don’t walk into your classroom thinking only about being an educator. Go back on mission.

Look for the student sitting alone. Encourage the classmate having a difficult day. Show kindness when everyone else is tearing someone down. Pray for your friends. Be willing to talk about your faith. Look for opportunities to love people the way Jesus loves them and, when the opportunity comes, tell them why you have hope.

Imagine what could happen this school year if every follower of Jesus walked onto their campus believing, “God has put me here for a reason.” Your school isn’t just somewhere you have to go. It is part of your mission field. So as the backpacks get packed, classrooms open, and another school year begins, let’s not simply go back to school. Let’s go back on mission.

- Jamey