Do You Have a Mission in Life?
Most people don't lead their lives-- they accept their lives.
-John Kotter, Professor, Harvard Business School
Many people approach their lives very passively. They simply react as things in life roll their way. Life is lived as though they are standing against the wall in dodgeball. They only move when the ball comes flying their way. But is this how life is to lived? Or is it to be pursued with a passion that causes you to be proactive and to chase after what God has placed in your heart?
For the Christ follower, God has a plan for your life. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11-13:
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (NIV)
God has a plan for your life. One that contributes to the building of his purposes here on earth. Part of the reason you are here is to discover your calling and pursue it with all that is within you. For some, God's mission may be a call to be missionaries, pastors, to build orphanages or other great works. But God can also call you to a more quiet life. Maybe he has called you simply to build his character in your life and influence your family and friends to love God and those around them. Not everyone is called to go on mission trips or teach before a class. But you can produce fruit for the kingdom of Christ in ways that will not put you in the limelight.
The key is to find what God has called you to do and how it contributes to His kingdom. Our mission isn't going to be about us, but about expanding His influence in the lives of others. This can be done around the family dinner table as well as in the food kitchen across the world. What is important is that you pursue what God has placed in your heart. Choose to be proactive by chasing after him instead of sitting around letting life just happen to you.
Below you will find some resources to help you get started on this life system of purpose. Renovating Life will be developing this area over the next couple months with more tools and resources for you to explore. So be sure to check back with us.
-John Kotter, Professor, Harvard Business School
Many people approach their lives very passively. They simply react as things in life roll their way. Life is lived as though they are standing against the wall in dodgeball. They only move when the ball comes flying their way. But is this how life is to lived? Or is it to be pursued with a passion that causes you to be proactive and to chase after what God has placed in your heart?
For the Christ follower, God has a plan for your life. One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11-13:
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (NIV)
God has a plan for your life. One that contributes to the building of his purposes here on earth. Part of the reason you are here is to discover your calling and pursue it with all that is within you. For some, God's mission may be a call to be missionaries, pastors, to build orphanages or other great works. But God can also call you to a more quiet life. Maybe he has called you simply to build his character in your life and influence your family and friends to love God and those around them. Not everyone is called to go on mission trips or teach before a class. But you can produce fruit for the kingdom of Christ in ways that will not put you in the limelight.
The key is to find what God has called you to do and how it contributes to His kingdom. Our mission isn't going to be about us, but about expanding His influence in the lives of others. This can be done around the family dinner table as well as in the food kitchen across the world. What is important is that you pursue what God has placed in your heart. Choose to be proactive by chasing after him instead of sitting around letting life just happen to you.
Below you will find some resources to help you get started on this life system of purpose. Renovating Life will be developing this area over the next couple months with more tools and resources for you to explore. So be sure to check back with us.
Purpose Driven Life
This 40 day devotional is one of the best selling books of all-time. Written by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, this book focuses on five key purposes for life.
I encourage you take the time to read this excellent book.
I encourage you take the time to read this excellent book.
Read the first seven chapters of THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE.
| pdl_1st_7_chapters.pdf |
Key Questions to Discovering Your Mission
Print out these questions. Spend some quiet time over the next few days dealing with them very honestly. Wrap your thoughts in prayer. Ask God to provide you insight into his desire and will for you. As the Spirit begins to speak to you grab a pen and paper and journal the answer to these questions. Then spend more time in prayer about them and ask God to guide you to two or three people that you can discuss these questions with to see if they provide any insight into your missional path.
- What cause or people group do you feel most drawn to? (Most likely, you think about it/them quite often)
- What do you want to help others do, achieve or experience?
- How do you want to help people?
- What message do you want to deliver?
- How do you intend to serve or have an impact on those around you or in the world?