JETHRO REMINDED Moses about his strategic spiritual leadership responsibility over Israel. David prayed for personal deliverance and guidance. Paul exhorted the Ephesian Christians to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the church. Three different messages by three different leaders, in three different contexts and in three different eras. Yet they held a common perspective and a shared value that must also define our discipleship today. Be it our discipleship in the marketplace, family or life in general, a biblical and godly mandate and mission must anchor and energise us. The mandate is the way in which we are to walk as Christian disciples − to do so in a manner worthy of God’s calling for us in Christ. The mission is the work we are to do as God’s people − to do God’s will in and through our life and vocation. Mandate is the alignment of one’s life to God. Mission is the assignment God has for us. However, mandate must precede mission and mission must proceed from mandate. In other words, our being validates our doing and our doing verifies our being. “I must first BE, then I can DO” is a fallacy. The principle of our mandate (being) preceding our mission (doing) is not a matter of sequence but of substance. As we walk in the Lord authentically, we work for the Lord intentionally! As we work for the Lord, we grow in our walk in the Lord! Our mandate cradles our mission. Authentic inside-out discipleship always expresses itself through, and is always marked by, intentional outside-in endeavours. Can you see this clearly in the context of marketplace discipleship?¹

¹1 Marketplace discipleship comprises the way in which we are to walk and the work we are to do in the marketplace. Ministry in the marketplace is first about the minister before it is about the ministry. The ministry flows out of the minister. Authentic marketplace discipleship cradles intentional marketplace ministry. In other words, marketplace ministry is marketplace discipleship in action.