Do you have a personal mission statement? I’d describe it as a general life guideline or a purpose that you would like to fulfill, not necessarily a specific job. Your statement could apply in every area of your life or you could create specific ones for each area. You can even write statements for your marriage and family. I encourage you to take some time this week to write one. Many people have put wonderful materials together on this subject, so there are links at the bottom of this page with guides that can help.
Looking at the big picture of your life can feel a little daunting. I know it did for me the first time I sat down to write a statement in high school. I was 14 or 15 years old and thought, “how could I possibly know my mission in life?” But as I sat and considered [the little] I already knew about myself and my core faith beliefs, I was able to make a few bullet points. Nothing fancy. It has evolved through the years but has kept two fundamentals: following Jesus and serving the church to help others follow Jesus.
Here is my current statement:
I will be part of making the Church a place of health. That all people would feel welcome to join the community of faith following Jesus. And as we walk together, every person would find healing and feel whole. That focus would be on expanding personal mental, emotional, physical, and financial health through deep spiritual growth, in order to support a flourishing community.
Here is the breakdown of how I see this applying to every area of my own life:
First, it may look as though I am focused on the Church, but in order for me to be part of this mission, I have to be actively pursuing healing for myself. All of these areas apply to me first and foremost. I must expand my knowledge in and practice each area personally so that I can contribute to the community.
To grow in the areas listed above, I always have to be learning and implementing. Just a few examples are: Mentally, I do things to stimulate my brain and expand my knowledge like reading and exploring new topics. For emotional health, I journal and have gone to counseling. To stay physically fit, I try to make good food choices and exercise daily. I follow a budget to keep my finances in check. I do all of these things with God’s help, as I deepen my relationship with Him through prayer and studying scripture.
I believe that the healthier that individuals are, the healthier the whole community becomes. When each member takes responsibility of growing personally AND helping others grow, we can flourish together. Luke 2:52 has always been my aspiration; “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” He grew personally and in his relationships with God and people.
For the Church to truly be a place of health, I believe that we have to raise healthy children to become healthy adults. I have a passion for children’s ministry and actively participate in the children’s ministry of my local church to be part of the village. When I have a family of my own, we will grow together at home, and serve the Church together to be our part of the body (1 Corinthians 12).
In order to raise healthy children, we have to have healthy adults to do so. Can you see the circle created? To try and do my part, I chose to pursue more education in counseling to help me better interact and communicate with others. I do my best to share my healthy habits and have life-giving conversations. I allow others to speak into my life to inspire and confront me. I am a forever student, never having it all figured out. I’m on a life long adventure of following God’s leading and asking Him to use me.
I will always put focus and effort into my local church. The more that I participate in my community, the more that I am challenged to personally improve. The more that I participate in improving my community, the larger that it grows. The larger that the community grows, the more I am challenged. It’s a beautiful ecosystem to be part of.
I also want to be part of the global Church. I can do that by helping my local church be a quality partner to other churches. The healthier that each local church is AND the more it commits to helping others grow, the more the global community flourishes. I can also contribute through personal projects. I always pray that this blog is helping individuals heal. I hope to put more materials into the world that promote growth in personal wisdom and stature that reflect Jesus and inspire love for others. I do my best to be a teacher and a leader in every area of my life.
Ultimately, I want to love myself and love people. I believe that I can do that best in a community that is following Jesus. And I believe that a great community starts with me.
What are you passionate about? What makes your heartbeat? Where do you find inspiration? Do you find yourself gravitating to a role no matter your setting? Have you identified your natural talents? Are there skills that you are working to develop? Is there a scripture that you stand on?
Personal Mission Statement Resources:
Success.com – John C. Maxwell: How to Live out Your Mission Statement
JMU.edu – Crafting Your Personal Mission Statement
DaveRamsey.com – How to Write a Personal Mission Statement
Franklin Covey – Mission Statement Builder
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