Over the last few years the Leadership Team and myself have been coached by a man who really understands and bleeds leadership. He truly has a passion to develop, influence and pour into younger leaders. One of the things that he has always challenged us to do is to prayerfully write a mission statement for our lives and then try our best to keep it in front of us. This morning in our staff meeting we had everyone on our team share theirs and it was a really great time.
As I read the Scriptures I can see that the people that God used lived on mission. It is very clear what Jesus' mission was..."do the will of the Father...bring glory to God...seek and save that which is lost...to bring and give life." In several passages Paul gives his personal mission statement: in Philippians he says that for him to live is Christ and to die is gain, he also says that he desires to know Christ and be acquainted with him suffering. We could go on and on with biblical examples. I have spent a lot of time wrestling through my personal mission statement. I didn't just want words and sentences but I truly wanted something that reflected God's heart and my personal passion to follow, love and glorify Him.
One of the verses that God has used to convict my heart on this idea of mission comes from James 4:13-15 "Now listen, you who say, "today or tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
I truly want to understand that my life has weight and purpose and understand that wasting my life and the time God has given me is not an option. That being said, my personal mission statement is...I desire to glorify God by leading myself, my family, my friends, my church and my neighbors to a growing passionate relationship with Jesus Christ that will launch us to a life of mission that will bring a incarnated Gospel to the circles of accountability that God has placed us in. I know it is long but every word means something to me and I am asking God to cause my heart to live this out daily. If you have stumbled across these ramblings here is my challenge, if you haven't written a mission statement for your life consider doing it. I guarantee you the time will be worth it. If you have written one, how are you doing in living it out daily? God Bless!
1 comment:
I like the idea of a personal mission statement. Will have to think about that one. I think yours fits you very well, by the way. In many deep conversation we've had, I think you've always somehow brought the Gospel into it,emphasizing the importance of glorifying God in any area of life.
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