Mission

Question: what's your mission?

I think that could be an easy question with a quick answer. Perhaps something that we don't give much thought too. "My mission is to do good." "My mission is to praise God." "My mission is serve others." "My mission is to love God."

Done. Good job.

However, I think the question may be "easy" but the answer shouldn't. The answer should be one that reveals priority and more importantly moves us to a way of living. A mission ought to be something that reveals why, what and who we live for.

One of the most memorable openings to any tv show in history is: Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the star ship Enterprise. It's continuing mission is to seek out new life, new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

You know their mission, don't you? You know the objective. You know the goal. You know where things are going. You may not know exactly what the mission will bring, but you know the underlying goal. This is what a mission is. So, when I ask what your mission is, I'm asking you what are your goals are? What are your objectives? Where are your priorities?

Here is what I suggest to do first: write your mission statement. Get the pen and paper out and write your mission down. In fact, I suggest to not think real hard and long about it at first, but simply see what comes out. I think this might tell you a lot about what your current mission is. Was it easy? Difficult? Complicated?Something come out that you had no idea about? Begin with where you are right now.

I think we have to be intentional. The mission of the starship Enterprise was not, "eh. we'll see." And if this fictional ship got it right, we need to make sure we get it right in our lives. I believe a good company, city, organization and church have mission statements. It allows you to know what they are striving for, where they are trying to go. Do you want to be a part of a company that is "going to see what happens?" I don't. Do you want to be a part of a church that "goes with the flow?" I most definitely don't. I want to know the goals. The intentions. I want to know the path and the objectives.

Jesus was about mission. "Let us go somewhere else-to the nearby villages- so I can preach there also. That is why I have come (Mark 1:38)." Notice the verses that proceed this mission though. "..went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mark 1:35)." Jesus knew his mission because he spent time with God, his Father. Jesus knew what the objective was, the goal, the priority because of his time with God.

Next step: pray and spend time with God. Don't do anything else with what you have written down. Let it be. Let is soak in. Take it to God in your prayers. Think about it. Think about what you want it to be and ask God if that is what he wants it to be. This isn't a scientific process, this is a spiritual process and it could take a day or weeks. Just spend time with God.

I read throughout scripture about a God and Savior who were intentional and mission minded. Jesus didn't set up a shop somewhere and minister. He moved. He walked. He traveled to people. His mission was to be with the "sick" not the righteous. I think what I want to take away here is that Jesus' mission wasn't something he talked about, he lived it. He carried it out. And that is the final move.

You thought taking your mission to God was difficult? Try living it out. Write your mission down and make it yours. Don't just set up shop and hope the good things take place, but write your mission down and make sure it's being accomplished. Make sure the goals are being met. Make sure it's not some fancy statement written down that brings comfort. In fact, make sure it's a statement that is written down that moves you out of comfort!

"Therefore go," are the words of Christ in Matthew 28. Jesus is giving mission to his disciples. A mission that challenged them to move beyond their comfortable homes and area and into places they've never dreamed of before. "Make disciples," reveals more of how the mission is to be lived. Doing. Moving. Achieving. Impacting. Multiplying. This is a mission that sounds great when we read it, but it's a mission that requires, demands and pushes us to live. It's a mission that takes us out of comfort and into all areas with all kinds of people who have all kinds of life situations to "baptize" and "teach."

My mission is to live a life that glorifies God everyday. Here's the trap I've fallen into though. I have a great little, succinct, telling mission statement, however I think I've fallen into it being just a cute little statement and not something that motivates, challenges and moves me to live. I glorify God when I go to the store. Sure. I didn't cuss, I held the door open and I said 'thank you.' But is my life about going to the store and doing those things that I should be doing every time? The answer is NO. If I'm going to live a life that glorifies God, I've got to seek out ways to glorify Him. Right now, I'm more prone to glorify God in the situations and places I put myself rather than the places and situations that God leads me to.

This is the hard part for me. I've stated my mission statement, but I'm telling you its HARD. I'm nowhere near living my mission the way I believe I need to be and have been called to live it out. I'm falling short here and I must be more intentional in my walk. I need to listen to Jesus and know he's not calling me to sit back and live the mission in my terms, he's calling me to state my mission and GO.

Christ has impacted my life. Christ has changed me forever. He has saved me and changed me. So now he tells me, "Therefore go...." I don't want nor will I sit back and allow it to be a nice sounding mission statement. I desire for it be my goals, objectives, what I go after and what ultimately takes me out of my comfort to share Jesus Christ. The question is easy, but don't allow your answer to be easy.