In the 1990s, a struggling neighborhood in Philadelphia was drowning in crime, poverty, and broken families. A small church, desperate to see God’s kingdom come in their community, committed themselves to prayer, fasting, and bold service. They started simple by opening their doors to feed hungry children after school, tutoring kids who had no support at home, and walking the streets at night to pray over every corner. Slowly, hearts began to change. Drug dealers gave their lives to Christ. Families were reconciled. Kids who were once hopeless grew up with vision and faith. City officials eventually admitted, “The crime rate in this neighborhood dropped because the church showed up.” What happened? God sent His people with a mission, and when they lived it out, the culture of an entire community began to shift.

Imagine standing on the shore at night with a lantern in your hand. The darkness is vast, stretching across the water. You could keep that lantern to yourself, safe and bright in your little circle, or you could set it on a raft and push it out. As the lantern drifts away, the light expands its reach. Soon, the reflection glimmers across the surface, catching the attention of others who would have never seen it if you had kept it hidden.

This is what Jesus meant when He told His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” The light that began in Him now shines in us, and we are not meant to hoard it. We are meant to send it outward, to carry it into workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, and across oceans.

Jesus came with a mission: “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Everything He did — His words, His miracles, His death, His resurrection — was to make a way for lost people to come home. And now, astonishingly, He entrusts that mission to us.

Being “sent” does not mean every Christian is called to move overseas as a missionary. It means that every Christian must live with the awareness that their life is not their own. We are ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), carriers of the good news, lights in a dark world.

Notice how Jesus frames this sending: “As the Father has sent me…” That means our mission mirrors His:

• With humility — Jesus came not to be served but to serve 

• With sacrifice — He laid down His life for the lost.

• With purpose — He lived every day on assignment.

When you understand that you’ve been sent, even the ordinary moments of life become opportunities for the extraordinary.

Living “sent” is not about adding something else to your busy schedule. It’s about living with a new awareness: “I am here on assignment.” The conversations you have, the way you treat coworkers, the kindness you show to a neighbor, the patience you display with your children; all of these become doorways for the gospel.

Ask yourself today: “Where is Jesus sending me?” Maybe it’s across the street to your neighbor’s porch. Maybe it’s across the cafeteria to sit with someone alone. Maybe it’s across the office to encourage a weary coworker. Every day, you are stepping into a mission field and the Spirit of God goes with you.

As you go about your day, whisper this simple prayer each time you encounter someone:

“Lord, send me to this person with Your love.”

Be intentional to look for one opportunity today to shine the light outward, not just keeping the lantern of your faith close but pushing it out where others can see.