By Mike Jordahl
CityLife Director, 20s Mission, The Navigators

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Maybe you’re like me? I have a tendency to want my life to be “together” before I take the initiative to reach-out to others.

I love it when my job is going well, my finances are stable and my house, garage and yard are all just the way I like them. Basically, I yearn to be stable and caught-up at work, at home and with all my current relationships.

“THEN,” I think to myself, “once all that is done, I can move forward in reaching-out to those around me.”

The Big Lie

What a big lie that is! The truth is I never feel all together or all caught-up! On those very few instances in my life when I have felt all caught-up, what I really needed then was a nap (or a vacation) – mostly because I was so tired from getting all caught-up and settled!

I usually crave this sense of order even more when I am in a transition – like starting a new job or a new chapter of my life. Most of us have a normal desire to be settled in our career, our living arrangements and our relationships. The danger is in thinking that we should always be “on top of everything” and that only THEN are we ready to begin living intentionally among those who don’t know Christ.

Our reality is that “being all settled” and “caught-up” is so temporary that if we wait for our lives to be well-ordered and organized before engaging with others, we will likely wait a long time – and miss out on many opportunities God has for us in the “right now. “

Inconvenient Opportunities

My life has been full of inconvenient opportunities to reach-out to, love, serve and share with others! Sadly my initial response to these unsolicited opportunities is usually “There is no way I have time for this!”

Like the time a teacher died at my sons’ school. I was on my way out the door on a trip up to New Hampshire and I was not very happy when “Aunt” Jeanne, one of my neighbors and trusted mentors in Massachusetts called me and asked me “Well Mike, what are you going to do?” It was clear that Jeanne thought I should call the principal to see how I could help him.

I listened to Jeanne’s wise counsel and as a result I spent the next three days talking with and comforting first the teachers, then the students and then, on the third day, comforting the entire community as they asked me to say some words at the schools’ memorial service for this teacher. Somehow my “do-list” took care of itself and somehow God used me, even though the one thing I did not feel was “ready” for Him to use me – as a relatively new resident – in our little New England town.

More recently, it was during a very busy season for me that my neighbor “Jon” rang my doorbell. Jon and I had talked several times about dogs, lawn-care, politics, Iraq, his Alma Mater, basketball and God. But this time, with tears in his eyes Jon asked if I would come over to his house so we could talk. At his kitchen table Jon told me of his wife’s affair and of how she said she no longer loved him but hoped they could be friends even though she was divorcing him and wanted custody of their young son.

My lawn wasn’t mowed, I had emails to write, decisions to make – and I was tired. So what! Jon needed me. We talked late into the night and then did the same several nights over the next months. I did a lot of listening and Jon would even let me say short prayers for him as we cried together, laughed a little and looked to Scripture for the hope he desperately needed.

As we go along in life

You may have heard that the verb “Go” in the Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:19 is more accurately translated “as you are going.” The idea is that as we go along in life we are to “make disciples of all nations.”

It’s a freeing thought for me – the Lord knows all I have to do and how much I like “being settled.” But, he hasn’t asked me to get my life all perfectly arranged and then engage with others. He wants me to be initiating with people and available to them as I go through my days and weeks and years – no matter how unorganized or unsettled I may feel.

How About You?

How about you? Are you still waiting for that “more settled” sense to come over you before you begin intentionally pursuing those He puts around you?

Where you live, where you work, where you play – all around you there are people in need of the gospel who would welcome your initiative and friendship. They are people our Father is at work in now – and they don’t need you to be all organized and together before you initiate with them.

They just need you – and they need you now, “ready” or not!

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Mike and Nancy Jordahl live in Colorado Springs with their youngest son, Peter. Mike currently directs CityLife – a Nav ministry focused on recent college grads and military vets in their 20s. Mike can be contacted by using this Navigator Contact Form if you would like to discuss any portion of this article with him.