My Personal Mission Statement

Mission statements are extremely important. Any business, church, or organization that’s moving forward has one and sticks to it.

A mission statement is like a compass.  It keeps you heading in the right direction when distractions or hard times come.  It keeps you focused on the main thing and urges you onward when passion wanes and feelings just aren’t there.

Since mission statements are so vital to organizations, I think they should be important to individuals as well.  After all, a stated ideal and standard for living helps to keep us moving toward the life God has for us when circumstances are draining our focus and passion.

A few years ago, I developed a personal mission statement that I could hang on the wall as a reminder when the going gets tough.  Needless to say, I reread it A LOT to keep me committed to what matters most.

Maybe it will inspire you to prayerfully write one.  What do you think?

I commit to always strive to grow in The Lord until the end of my days here on earth.  I commit to cultivating intimacy with God, communicating to Him through sincere prayer, passionate worship, and acts of service to Him and His people.  I will not give begrudgingly or sparingly, but I will give all of myself in relationship to Him because He worthy of this and far more.  I will read, listen, and run hard after Him with all of my soul, mind, and strength.

I commit to loving my wife with undying faithfulness, unrelenting commitment, and tender affection.  I will strive to treat her with great understanding knowing that she is my equal partner and God’s gift of new life according to 1st Peter 3:7.  I will raise my children in the way they should go and teach them to choose the right path according to Proverbs 22:6.  I will love them, protect them, care for their needs, and be a godly father to them.  I will be patient, gentle, nurturing, and honoring to my family.  I will refuse to allow work, hobbies, relationships, ministry, or the cares of this world to come between my family and me.

I commit to God’s calling on my life to creatively communicate His love and hope, to invest and lead those He gives me the privilege to do so with, and to be a blessing to those around me and abroad.  I will not forsake my calling because my calling will not forsake me according to Romans 11:29.  I promise to give, love, pray, sing, build, work, serve, and go beyond my limits for the sake of the call because His love compels me and my love for Him is beyond words!

Always and Forever,
Lee


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I’m Blessed

Blessed

I work one day a week for an organization that feeds the poor and homeless.  As they walk past me, it’s not unusual to make small talk and ask, “How you doing?” (A question which has become more of a greeting than something that you really expect an answer from.)

What surprises me, when I ask this question, is the number of people who smile wide and answer, “I’m blessed!”

Blessed“!  They have very little.  Some of them proclaim that they’re blessed and then sleep in a shelter, not knowing if they’ll have a warm meal or a bed the next day.

Contrast that with the answer I receive from those with plenty, “My back’s been bothering me”, “My son dented my car”, or “Not horrible I guess”.

How is it that those of us with so much can’t see how blessed we truly are?

It’s just something I was pondering and thought I might be able to get some insight from you.

What do you think?

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Totally Worth It!

Life is hard.

Let me be more specific; life is hard if you want to live it.  NOT living life is easy.  Just grab the remote, game controller, magazine, drink, or whatever other escape device you prefer and… cease.  Stop engaging.  Stop trying.  Just vegetate.  You have no idea how attractive that sounds to me at times.

The big lesson I’ve learned over the years is that living, REALLY living, is difficult.

Want a great marriage?  WORK for it!  Read books, attend conferences, talk to each other.

Want to raise great kids?  Put your back into it!  Take parenting classes, read, spend time with your kids.  For Pete’s sake your hobbies can wait!

Want to be in better shape?  Complaining about being fat won’t get you there.  Get up earlier and hit the gym.  It’s a pain.  It’s a struggle.  It can be a total drag but it is so worth it!

Almost two years ago I started my own business.  I can’t even tell you how many times I wanted to give up.  It wasn’t unusual to go for weeks without work.  IT WAS SO HARD!  But you know what?  It was totally worth it! If I would have taken the easy way, I would not be nearly as happy as I am today.

Choosing the difficult thing is not only immensely rewarding, but it also strengthens us.

As I move into the next big phase of my life (planting a church) I’m acutely aware that it’s going to be one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever undertaken, but I also know it’s going to be worth it.  Lives are going to be changed, eternities decided, and needs met.  I’m confident that it will be worth it and, five years from now, I’ll be glad I decided to do the hard thing.

So what about you? What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?  Was it worth it?

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D21 Challenge: MRE Madness

OK, the challenge officially begins!

In my last post I issued a challenge to get rid of some of the “stuff” that clutters our homes and our lives; to travel lite so that, when God calls, we can be available and not be weighed down by possessions we don’t need.

I called the challenge “Down to One” (D21) and the idea is to take things you have several boxes of, and narrow those things down to only one box.

My first self-challenge is an unusual one.  I have several boxes of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat).  I started stocking up on them a while back because they make great camping food.  They’re also convenient when the power goes out for more than a day.  All you have to do is add water, wait for them to warm up, and eat them.  They’re not too bad either.

Well, I haven’t camped in forever and it’s been three years since we’ve lost power for more than a day so they’re outta here!  The director of a local homeless shelter told me they would be massively appreciated there so I’m hauling them over on Friday.  So long MREs!

How about you?  Have you started positioning yourself to be used by God?  Have you been storing food that other people could use?

Tell me how it’s coming!

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We All Have One…

A quick fill-in-the-blank for you.

I’d really like to _______________, but I ________________.

I think we all have something sitting on the backburner of our life.  Let’s talk about it.

Just type your completed sentence in the comments section below.  I’ll start it off by adding the first comment.

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