[This is part of a series on Thriving in the City.]
The reason you chose to live in the city may not be the same reason God chose to put you here. You may have arrived here in search of professional success or escape from a provincial life. You may have been born here and never really considered moving anywhere else. Whatever your desires, the fact remains that God’s purposes are always at work in and behind all things, and part of our task is to seek his heart and know his will (see Roman 12.1-2).
Knowing the will of God does not need to be overly complicated. It’s true that God has unique purposes for each one of us, but we also know that every Christian everywhere is called to take part in one great purpose – the mission of God on earth. In other words, all of us are missionaries.
When you begin to view your life in this way, questions of guidance (What should I do with my life? Where should I live?) can come into clear focus. Where does God want you? Wherever you can play your part in the mission of God. And what in the mission of God? Nothing less than bringing the whole earth under the rule of Jesus, beginning with sharing the gospel, then allowing that gospel to change lives, communities, and culture.
In the New Testament, it’s clear that the Apostle Paul had this mission in focus. He also knew how best to go about it, and this is where cities come into the picture. Paul’s strategy was to travel from major city to major city all across the Roman Empire, ultimately landing in Rome itself. Why? Because he knew that the cities had a disproportionate impact on the surrounding regions. He wanted to make the biggest splash in the time he had on earth, so he went straight to the city centres, preaching the gospel, and planting gospel communities. In this way, he knew that the gospel would salt the earth impacting lives, communities, and culture.
You can hopefully see that this mission is not only about seeing the lost saved and planting churches, but it is not less than that either. This is where it must begin, since God’s grace to the world is first felt in the heart’s of men and women. But then the impact of the kingdom flows out into every sphere of life – from families, to neighbourhoods, to the arts, to business, to politics, to education, and so on.
Which brings me back to the city. The Bibles shows us that while God may bring about elaborate plans in order to save just one person (think of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Ack 8 who gets saved in the middle of nowhere), yet the Lord also sees the great mass of people living in cities and has extraordinary compassion for them. This is why God chastises Jonah for his callous heart towards Nineveh with its vast population (see Jonah 4.10–11). This means his eye is on our city; God loves London.
I promised when I began this series that I would offer you practical tips for living in the city, and this idea of living on mission may not feel practical at all. But think for a moment: Thriving in life always comes down to a sense of direction and purpose and motivation. And therefore, if you settle it in your mind and heart that God’s mission in your mission, you will soon begin to pulsate with joy and enthusiasm about city living.
When you see London through missionary eyes, those eyes will begin to light up. The sheer number of people; the great diversity of people; the fact that so many Londoners are at such a formative stage of life; and the massive impact this city has nationally and globally – this is why God has you here. Never lose sight of this!