Mission, Strategy, Speed
Mission
What is the why God has placed in and on you? Is that the same as the person you are interested in? I want to show you an example. There was a woman who was called to be a missionary to China. She met and married a man called to be an evangelist. One of them had to give up the calling on their life. Instead of waiting for a man that had the same calling as hers, or putting her self in the position of meeting men with similar missions, she gave up her mission. Her service to her husband enabled many to come to Christ but any woman could have filled that role. How many more could have known the word of God in China if she had married according to her mission? Now I want to tell you of a surgeon, he married a nurse and they went to Africa to serve. Together they served, side by side and whole communities where changed because of their team work and same mission. Take some time out to consider, what is the why God has placed in and on you?
Strategy
Some people have the same mission but two very different strategies. Their why is the same but their how is at odds. For example, I worked with a group of people for an election campaign. The leader we were trying to get elected was a very structured man that believed in authority and respect and dignity. However, one of the dynamic personalities brought on to recruit and stir up buzz was very anti-authority, would not accept direction and while condemning disrespect from the opposition was incredibly disrespectful to anyone that disagreed with him. While both gentlemen had a goal of changing the election their strategy was in direct conflict and the man that would not accept direction lost the influence he so desperately craved. The success of the leader needed to be done with integrity and that was being undermined. We need to be on the same game plan, with different roles. We will always have different roles. If we both have the same role, then one of us is not necessary. Take some time out to consider, what is the strategy God has you doing and what is your role within that strategy?
Speed
My aunt once took a trip with a friend. They made a plan to bicycled from Seattle to Portland together. Only something happened. While they started out together and they ended up in the same places to spend the night, the friend did not wait for my aunt. They did not travel together. If one person walks and another runs, they will not stay in the same vicinity long. This is true for relationships and their walk with God as well. You may not find someone on the exact same speed but something close because if your close in speed you can still move together and keep up with each other. I have two couples that are friends of mine. Both Women wanted to do missions and sought out men that wanted to do missions. One woman wanted to do missions immediately and really spend her life doing it and one woman was willing to take time and prepare and would do it more in retirement. The woman who wanted to do missions immediately met a gentleman and dated him a few times, found out that he was more on the "in retirement plan" and then introduced him to her friend and proceeded to find another gentleman that shared her desire to do missions now and as a life. Both Women and Men found a spouse at their speed. Take some time out to consider, what is your speed?
I want to wrap this up by reminding you that Matthew, the Tax Collector, and Simon, the Zealot, were both in the core 12 of Jesus followers. In spite of their enormous differences, they both were on the Jesus Mission, with complementary strategy, and the same speed. You can be vastly different than your spouse and still find the shared mission, strategy, and speed. But if you value the how (strategy) more than the why (mission), your relationship will fail.
