7. Invest in Discipleship and Mentorship—With Your Actual Life
Jesus invested in His disciples by living with them. He didn’t run a seminar or host a webinar. He let them see Him tired, grieving, praying, angry, compassionate. He taught them by letting them watch Him do the work, then sending them out to do it themselves.
Part of living on mission is discipling others by sharing what we have learned and encouraging spiritual growth. But this isn’t a curriculum. It’s your life. Are you willing to let someone see your struggles? Your doubts? The ways you’re still growing? Are you willing to have someone in your home, at your table, in your mess?
Whether through small groups, one-on-one mentorship, or simply walking alongside someone in their faith journey, discipleship plays a crucial role in fulfilling God’s mission. But it only works if you stop performing competence and start sharing the real, unfinished, still-being-sanctified version of yourself. People don’t need your highlight reel. They need to see that following Jesus is possible even when it’s hard.
8. Engage in Your Community—Especially the Parts That Make You Uncomfortable
To live on mission, we must be actively involved in our communities. But let’s be specific: Which community? The one that looks like you, thinks like you, votes like you? Or the one Jesus would have gone to—the margins, the forgotten places, the people nobody else wants to deal with?
Building relationships with neighbors, supporting local businesses, and participating in community events provide opportunities to be a light for Christ. But light doesn’t just illuminate the pretty parts. It exposes what’s been hidden in darkness. Are you willing to show up where it’s uncomfortable? To the homeless encampment under the overpass? To the neighborhood everyone else is moving away from? To the public meeting where Christians are expected to stay silent?
Engaging with those around us allows us to create spaces where faith can be shared naturally. But sometimes “naturally” means showing up in places where you’re not welcome, where your presence is an inconvenience, where loving people costs you something. That’s where mission happens.
9. Use Your Gifts and Talents for God’s Glory—Not Your Own
God has given each of us unique gifts and talents to be used for His purposes. Whether in music, teaching, hospitality, or leadership, our abilities can serve as platforms to share His love. The question is: whose name is getting lifted up?
Are you using your gifts to build His kingdom or your personal brand? Are you serving in obscurity as willingly as you’d serve on a stage? Would you still do this work if no one ever knew, no one ever thanked you, no one ever posted about it on social media?
By using our God-given talents, we contribute to His kingdom and fulfill our role in His mission. But the moment we start doing it for recognition, approval, or advancement, we’ve traded mission for self-promotion. And God doesn’t need our performance. He wants our surrender.
