Written by: Dr. Kim Jessie, DMin
Mission Defined
A Mission is an assignment, a calling, or a purpose that God gives you to help you accomplish the vision He has revealed (or is revealing) to you. Mission and vision go together. Vision offers the big picture of what could be, and mission identifies how to accomplish the vision. It explains how you move forward to achieve the vision by providing the means, the methods, and/or the manners in which the work will be done to accomplish the preferred future.
Importance of Identifying a Mission
Identifying a mission from God focuses our work and frees us from unnecessary exertion. Frequently, we involve ourselves in needless activity without thinking about why we are doing what we are doing. Once we have a vision and a mission, we can evaluate what is important to vision accomplishment and what will hinder mission success. This analysis allows us to say yes to the right things and no to the unessential activities.
My vision is courageous leaders fully living out their destinies, and my mission is to encourage, equip, and empower leaders to be who God created and called them to be. My role is to work in the areas of encouraging, equipping and empowering. When an opportunity comes my way, I can immediately determine if it fits within my mission. If I am asked to serve on a team to train new leaders, I can see how this fits within my God-given mission. If someone invites me to organize materials in a storage unit, I can easily determine that this is not in my mission. However, before saying yes to the first opportunity and no to the second one, I must first ask God if either is a part of His bigger plan for my life. God’s permission supersedes a good mission opportunity.
A Simple Process for Identifying Your Mission
God will never leave you nor forsake you. When He provides you with a vision, He provides you with a mission to accomplish that vision. Frequently, recognizing the vision takes prayer and time. Other times, God reveals it immediately. Likewise, the mission may take a process of prayer and time, or it can be revealed in a spiritual moment. Normally, God allows us to have Jacob moments where we wrestle with what He is calling us to do. This helps us identify what is from God and what is coming from our own personal wishes. His way will be better every time.
- Pray, ask God for verb words that are based on your gifts, talents and abilities
- Narrow your verb words to 2, 3, or 4 key words
(My words: Encourage, Equip, and Empower)
- Pray, ask God who/what you should work with
- Make a list and clearly define it
(My “who”: leaders)
- Pray, ask God for the result you are working toward
- Make this as concise as possible
(My hoped-for result: leaders living into who they were called and created to be)
- Write these up into an easy to remember statement
- Be prepared to adjust as God reveals more possibilities to you
Remember, this process takes prayer and time. The statement can be adjusted until you are confident that you have identified what God created and called you to do. Additionally, this first step may be the beginning of an adventure that will surprise and fulfill you. Watch as God reveals your true potential.
Questions for thought:
- What are your God-given gifts, talents and abilities?
- How are you using these gifts, talents and abilities to fulfill God’s mission for your life?
- How can you help others discover their mission?
More information on Mission Statements can be found in The Path by Laurie Beth Jones.
Download entire worksheet here: https://goo.gl/XWvmB5