Written by Stefan Johnsson
The Word
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
Reflection
As part of my master’s program in International Relations, we studied war and diplomacy. In one of my classes, we discussed the term “mission creep.” In essence, it’s when you lose the main objective that you entered the war to begin with and end up with new goals and missions that shifted away from the original intent. We can discuss many of the latest wars to understand what that would entail, be it the Iraq war, the war in Afghanistan, or as far back as the Vietnam War.
This can be extrapolated to things outside of war. A government’s original objective changes over time. Organizations change their purpose or primary goal. We enter a job with an objective to change the world but fall into the trap of making money.
Mission creep can also affect us in our Christian walk. We learn what it means to be a disciple and how we should live to reach others and praise God for saving us from sin. But as life grabs hold, we slowly drift away and develop different objectives. The problem is, many of these objectives do not align with what God has called us to do.
That is why we need to be recalled and realign ourselves as a disciple of our Almighty Savior Jesus.
Application
What is causing mission creep in your life when it comes to following God? Is work, family, friends, or hobbies taking away from the true objective of living a life as a disciple of Jesus? Think about this as you begin your day.
Prayer
Father in Heaven, help me to be more like You in every way. Help me to be a better disciple as I live this life on earth. Let me not be caught by mission creep and fall into the cares that this life offers. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.
City Life Starter 
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