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Being strategically loving is the theme for our reflection. Being strategic means developing a plan towards achieving a goal. Loving means a warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion to something or someone. Being strategically loving means demonstrating our devotion to God by developing plans or ways to fulfil the purpose or mission for which we have been called. In other words, we must be wise in the discharge of our divine mandate or service to God. In proving our love for God by being zealous in our missionary activities we must have plans to ensure that we achieve the core goal of bringing the lost and perishing to Christ. It is for this reason, Jesus said to His disciples “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Dear friend in the Lord, our love for Jesus as His disciples means that we are bound to operate in parts of the world that are hostile to the Gospel. This is why Jesus describes those who love Him and are devoted to God’s mission of saving the world as sheep being sent into the world of wolves. Disciples of Jesus are like sheep in the world because we are physically defenseless and unable to fight back when we are attacked by predators or enemies of the Gospel. Dear friend, the fact that we are like sheep among wolves does not mean that we should sheepishly place ourselves in harm’s way or in a situation that will make us vulnerable among the wolves. If we make ourselves easily vulnerable or behave in ways that will easily allow those who are hostile to the Gospel to attack us then many lost souls will not be saved before the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus. Although by nature Christians are to have the nature of a sheep, thus being calm, obedient and peaceful, Jesus admonishes us to be as “shrewd (wise) as snakes and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16)

Snakes are animals that study, understand and adapt to the environment they find themselves. They patiently and tactfully approach and attack their prey. They know when to avoid danger and hide when the need arises. When Jesus tells us to be shrewd and wise as snakes, He is in effect asking us to be strategic in our approach to the Kingdom business of spreading the Gospel. This involves understanding the environment of the people we are going to minister to, especially their cultural sensitivities. Knowing how to communicate and when to approach our targeted audience are all strategic ways to discharge our divine mandate of preaching the Gospel. Although Jesus went about preaching mainly among the Jews, there were instances He sensed danger and left to return another day. For instance, “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” (John 8:58-59). In another instance “… they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. (John 10:39-41) Jesus knew how to approach his audience, what to teach when to leave the scene even as He operated in a hostile environment of the Jews and their leaders. In all His approach and ministry, Jesus in the eyes of the masses was an innocent and harmless man although to the Pharisees and other religious leaders, he was the most wanted on their list. Jesus has taught us to operate like doves, we should appear harmless and peaceful in our speech and body language when preaching the Gospel. There was an instance “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. (Matthew 21:45-46).

Beloved in the Lord, the fact that we have strategically loved the Lord and served Him does not mean that we shall escape, persecution and death, but the consolation we have is that we would have served Him and be found worthy of His Kingdom. “You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. (Matthew 10:22-23). We must continually love the Lord by zealously carrying out our mandate of spreading the Gospel wherever we find ourselves regardless of the situation. He has promised us the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and assured has assured us that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) It is for this reason, Paul encourages us that “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39). Dear friend, no matter how tough the mission becomes, let us remain strategically loving the Lord by being sheep among the wolves, being wise as snakes and innocent as doves in the fulfilment of our calling and mission for the Lord, for Jesus has promised us that ““Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33) Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, although we are sheep among wolves, strengthen us to witness in love by strategically becoming wise as snakes and innocent as doves to the glory of the Lord. Amen.