What's Your Mission?

Author Karen Dinesen wrote in Out of Africa, "My biggest fear was that I would come to the end of my life and discover that I had lived someone else's dream."

We were put on this earth for a reason. As Christians, artists, writers, or people from any walk of life, we sometimes wonder if we've arrived at that mission or if we're just wandering through life without any real sense of purpose. Creating a personal mission statement can help you get in touch with God's call on your life and keep you from "living someone else's dream."

In her book The Path, Laurie Beth Jones writes, "My uncle once told me that during World War II if an unidentified soldier appeared suddenly in the dark and could not state his mission, he was automatically shot without question. I wonder what would happen if we reinstituted that policy today...A mission statement is, in essence, a written-down reason for being-whether for a person, or for a company. It is the key to finding your path in life and identifying the mission you choose to follow."

Jesus' mission statement was, "I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). He also said, "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
 

Laurie Beth Jones continues, "There are three simple elements to a good mission statement.

1. A mission statement should be no more than a single sentence long.

2. It should be easily understood by a twelve-year-old.

3. It should be able to be recited by memory at gunpoint."

Now, hopefully, you'll never be called on to recite it at gunpoint, but her point is that you need to be able to remember and recite your mission statement in order for it to really work for you and change your life.

Tomorrow, I'll blog about some of the false assumptions that people make about their mission statements. Please stop by Leap of Faith!  

 

Blessings-

 

Marla