From Intention to Action

I have a bike with a spinner set up on my patio. The vision is to ride it every other day, at high intensity to give my heart and my muscles a good workout. I’ve read blogs about how this is a good and healthy, low-impact way of exercising. I’ve mapped out my fitness routine and the progress I want to make; sometimes I even get on the bike and give it a spin. But the next day I forget, or I’m too busy, or something distracts me. Then I get discouraged and the bike sits there as a guilt-inducing reminder of another fitness goal failure.

But I do have a fitness goal success—I have walked about 4 kilometers, rain or shine, 2-3 times a week for well over 10 ten years.

The only difference between the two goals is that with the first goal, I’m trying to do it alone, and with the second goal, I walk with a friend. Walking together is more than just a walk—it’s conversation, friendship, care—it’s community. And its really hard to roll over and go back to sleep on dark wet mornings when someone else is waking up and getting ready to meet me. Walking together is accountability.

I believe the same principles are true in every area of life. I tidy my house because people are coming over; I cook a nicer meal when others are going to join me in eating it; I finish projects when I know people are waiting for my contribution…

Let's Go Together

So why would I think I could flourish as a disciple of Jesus Christ, growing in maturity, commitment, and obedience, in isolation?

We are designed for community. We need encouragement. We need accountability. If we want to grow and develop in new areas, these are essentials.

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve likely journeyed through a Simply Mobilizing course or program. You have probably been stirred and challenged by what you’ve learned, and by the end of the course, your motivation was high to move into action.

How’s it going?

Have you put intentions into action? Or have you found some of your motivation fizzling away with the distractions and busyness of life? If so, you’re not alone…

We want to help.

We’re beginning a new blog series this fall that will continue for a while. We will be addressing a variety of topics that may be areas that you felt some motivation to explore during your SM course.  Each topic will be addressed from a variety of angles, with the goal of providing enough information and inspiration to rekindle motivation. But motivation alone won’t necessarily lead to obedience to Jesus Christ’s nudges. So, as part of the series, we’ll be intentionally trying to build community--connecting you to next step training opportunities, already established ministry hubs, and coaches and peers who may become journeying companions as you stretch and grow into new areas...

Ready to give it a try? Let’s go together!

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Lorna Johnston is the Diaspora Ministries Leader at Outreach Canada. She leads two national teams--Simply Mobilizing Canada (SMC) and Loving Muslims Together (LMT). She works with teams of diverse and experienced leaders and ministries across Canada to alert and activate the church in Canada to the changing opportunities to engage God's mission right here in Canada.