Kitale, Kenya: On my first visit to Kenya in 2003, John Coors, the Founder and President of Community Uplift Ministries, commented, “We think we have an idea about how to create and adapt a sustainable business model for lighting and cooking. But how do you keep Jesus sustainable?” Perhaps another way to ask the same question is, “How do we keep Jesus central—not losing focus on Him—in the middle of economic and community development efforts?”

It was, and remains, an important question for all of us to ask. The natural tendency is to separate the two into two separate and distinct categories. In the past this separation has created a false dichotomy known as the sacred/secular debate. In more recent years it has morphed into the tensions between business and ministry. But both business and ministry are two inseparable parts of our formation as disciples of Christ. In other words, discipleship ministry and marketplace employment are equal-opportunity-contributors to our spiritual formation and maturity. Why else would Jesus teach more about money and the investments of our time, talents and treasures, than any other topic? He was clear, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and wealth.” (Mt 6:24 & Lk 16:13)

But did your notice that Jesus never separated the two. He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Either your heart for God will direct where you spend your time, talents and treasures or your calendar, checkbook and stuff will show another master is at play. Wealth, contentment and a the demand for more, in all it’s forms, are inevitably at odds for your heart’s attention. Things will begin to master us unless God masters us and all we claim to possess in this world.

In His words and action, Jesus taught the priority of who must master our God-given resources. Its easy to say, “God must be our first and only devotion... the one who masters our hearts with love and our treasures with wisdom.” But to “take every thought captive to the Lordship of Christ” is no small or simple task. It means taking every thought about our personal and corporate economic status and ruthlessly subjecting it to our devotion to Jesus. Our calendars, checkbooks and stuff tell a story of our devotion to God, every bit as much as our personal testimony (and the data may be more honest and trustworthy). They expose the priorities we believe as either disciples of Christ or disciples of the world.

The ancient Desert Fathers took Christ’s teachings literally to mean, “In all your business transactions, lose a little.” That is why it has been important for CoL to lose a little by providing, not only a sustainable economic development program around lighting and cooking, but also a platform by which Jesus (the Light of the World and Bread of Life) can be preached and received. With every CoL community launched, two buildings are constructed; the Energy Store and a Christian Training Center. These are inseparable aspects necessary for lasting transformation and holistic discipleship. The Christian Training Center is centrally located next to the Energy Store in each CoL community and provides a platform by which people can gather to discuss and follow the way, truth and life of Jesus.

For any lasting development to progress, an ethical and moral foundation must be laid for culture to grow and mature. Jesus overcomes this world’s entrenched forms of corruption and depravity by becoming the narrow way, the living truth and the abundant life that leads to a lasting maturity, integrity and dignity.

Therefore, from the beginning of the Circle of Light (CoL) lighting and cooking program in 2002, there has been a vision to collaborate with other like-minded ministries to provide essential discipleship and sustainable development resources to the rural communities. These rural communities are usually the last  in receiving essential discipleship and development resources (if not, all together overlooked). Yet in Africa, the majority of people still live in rural villages. Meaning, the majority of essential community and personal needs remain largely untouched, beginning with their need for Jesus.

So I don’t know how to keep Jesus sustainable? (My suspicion is that He’s taken care of that through His Spirit... read John 14) But I do know, If we lose focus on Him in the process of our development efforts, then faith, hope and love are lost with Him and we quickly become overwhelmed by a task to complete, driven by a pressure to control outcomes and we fill up with resentment toward those who stand in our way. None of which look like the life and love of Christ.

I can therefore only conclude that the foundation of discipleship and sustainable development begins and ends with Jesus. We can’t keep Him central, because He’s already central, regardless of our best or worst efforts. What we can do is continually fix our eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith.