Behind Enemy Lines
I’ve spent much of this year discipling young people in our church, walking them through a process of growing into lions—self-leadership, servanthood, character…all similar to what we’ve done with the Young Lions in Zambia.
Part of that journey is learning to live on mission wherever they are. To see their lives as a unique and fleeting gift, to be used for the glory of God. It means shining, blessing, noticing, and serving—anywhere and everywhere—for His name.
Not long ago, I began re-reading a powerful book by John McDougall called Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger. McDougall, a Ranger and chaplain, describes how Jesus’ coming was like a mission deep behind enemy lines. Like the Rangers, His success depended on speed, surprise, and decisive action. He came to bring back captive sons and daughters who were trapped.
Christmas is so special, but it’s also a reminder that from the very beginning of His life, Jesus Himself was living on mission—purposefully and strategically. He came to rescue me, to rescue you, and to call us to His Father’s heart. The way He came to earth still amazes me: unexpected, unlikely, unpredictable. He stepped into the muck and mire of a broken world. Many expected a warrior or commander—and He is those things. But tactically, at first, He came as a child.
McDougall writes that until we experience the joy of being personally rescued, we’ll never truly join Jesus in the fight. That joy of rescue is what ignites a missional life. Someone who has tasted rescue, who knows what it means to live ensnared, and the feeling of freedom at last, will wholeheartedly get in the game. That’s the gratitude filling my heart this Christmas—the joy of being rescued, and with it the call to live as if I have been…to live on mission!
As we close this year and step into the next, may the reality of Jesus sneaking in behind enemy lines on our behalf move us into deeper partnership with Him. Let’s live 2026 on mission, filled with gratitude, courage, and resolve because the Rescuer came for us!