“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 ESV)

True to mission, the mindset that stands sturdy and resilient must cope with Human Sin, Total Depravity, Original Sin. How, why, what bits of analytical prowess or intentional self-reflection do keep us: first, contrite: our calling, our duties, our place in the world is a gift, to be received and submitted to; two, bold: the Christian Calling to have a few angular aspects to said analysis, situation, prowess, Purpose. 

See, that entire legions of negative ideas, these fester completely unseen by the Ego, until in a moment it dawns on us: human capacity to Hate, Frustration, Self-Appeasement (taking the easy route); but too, the ways God hears the penitent in dry bones fashion, resurrects, breathes spirit into those bones, and turns all our caprice into purpose, our sought-out routes of selfish pursuit into God-honoring, God-fearing Mission; our hate into Righteous Indignation.

But to the would-be submissive in the land, the mission calls us up to Accept God’s Judgment and Placement in situ, in the world; we cease to be so Precious as to our own Raison d’Etre. We cease pleading “See how submitted I am, see I’ve given up my career, my friendships, my solemn Work and forty-hour duty each week!” Nothing left to boast in, right? Except that total depravity means we needle and eek out sinful paths the very moment we’ve Come Clean.

Instead, be brave O Soldier of Christ, not to be that precious perfectionist, or the answer to all humanity’s hopes, but rather, messy as it is, Getting On with it: marrying, giving in marriage; laboring alongside, helming the outfit; accepting lower station in life, willingly taking on heightened Duties.

More, there is so much “junk” out there, in the art houses, in the cinemas, in the Academy, in the street corners. We must have faith that ours is a Theological Jaunt, never to be judged according to terms of surrender or threat, sheer power the only name in town, sheer submission, etc. No, we need a theological judge for theological attitude and jaunt. And more, each and every one of us has a calling to think theologically. To think about strange ways father figures, mother figures, carry a torch not lightly, frightfully full of accusation and subterranean Attack, spiritual Attack. We attack our Leaders, our Higher-Ups, and so on.

But the Mission is first of all to get Good Intelligence, about the situation “on the ground”, yet to respond with Faith (hence, theology) rather than off-the-cuff or erratically, aggressively. We have this weird experience wherein even the best efforts to undo us, these Christ turns to good use. Because we are Beloved sons and daughters. Because His mission, were it understood by Satan, is a mission that Always Dominates, Dominion Theology and such, always Rightly Answers the charge. Even if the victory is on the other side of the Grave.