We have a new identity in Christ. We are powerful, strong, supported by God, living our lives based on him. We are like our Savior in so many ways. So the question is, what now? It would be easy for us to take our new identity and keep it to ourselves. It would be easy for us to continue living life as we always have, in our own little bubble, never trying anything new. We have this new identity; why risk it by going out into the world?
We find an example of this in the life of Jesus. In Mark 1, Jesus went to the house of Simon and Andrew. He healed Simon’s mother-in-law, who was ill with a fever. This news spread, and everyone in the surrounding area brought their sick or demon-possessed so that Jesus could heal them. He was obviously very popular and well-liked in this town. Why leave? He could continue healing people and be very happy there.
Mark tells us the answer. “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (verses 35-39).
Jesus knew that living in a bubble was not the right kind of life for a follower of God. He was not meant to stay in one place, doing one thing. He was meant to go to many places and do many things, culminating in dying on the cross for our sins and conquering death to rise again. We too are not meant to stay in one place, doing one thing. We are meant to take our new identity and go. We have an identity with a purpose. Our means differ, but our purpose is the same: to share the Good News wherever we are and whatever we’re doing. If we stay in our bubble, we’ll never know what could have been. But if we leave it, we will fulfill God’s purpose for us.