Where are you going?
How are you going to get there?
How will you know when you’re there?
Good Morning Brothers,
This past March I received a newsletter from Len Sykes. Len is a godly man who mentors, teaches, disciples, coaches, and leads men up in the Atlanta area. He’s also an associate with Ken Boa, the man who mentored me while I was in seminary. (While I’m thinking of it, you can learn more about Len or sign up for his newsletter by clicking here.)
In this particular newsletter, Len shared a little about his ministry. I’m always encouraged when he shares what he’s doing and what God is doing through him because it reminds me so much of my own ministry… and there’s so much I can learn from what Len shares.
Len talked a little about his passion, mission, and vision for his ministry. He commented that these are the three main areas that he encourages the men that he works with to focus on. The three questions that I listed at the top of this post are my version of what Len is talking about. These are important questions to ask because, as the old saying goes, ”If you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will get you there.” There are a lot of men who have no idea where they’re going… and their making great time getting there.
These issues of passion, mission, and vision are very important, in my opinion. I think most men want to live for something bigger than themselves. Part of their frustration is that they either don’t know what that something is… or they have an idea, but don’t know how to pursue it.
Passion. This is the “why” question. What drives you? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Len says that passion is “the emotional/inspirational element of our desire. It’s that which energizes us.
What’s your passion? For yourself as a man of God? For your family? For you work setting? For your church? For your personal ministry? For your community? What’s that something that’s bigger than you that you want to live your life pursuing in each of these areas?
Mission. Len next points out that mission “relates to how we carry out our desires to serve the Lord and his people.” In other words, how are you going to fulfill your passion? How are you going to get there? What’s your plan?
Vision. This last component “relates to what the end result” of your passion and mission will look like. In other words, how will you know that you’ve fulfilled your mission (or that you’re making progress in the right direction)? Lots of aimless activity is not the same thing as moving toward your goal. Having a vision of what it will look like will help you focus and persevere as you move toward your goal…your dream of that something bigger than yourself.
My prayer is that each of you will not only have, but will also spend your life pursuing a passion, mission, and vision for who you are as a man of God – for your own spiritual growth, for yourselves as husbands, fathers, employees/employers, churchmen, neighbors, for every sphere of your lives. To be sure, this is a huge undertaking. But can you imagine anything more worthy of your time and energy?
My family’s life-verse is 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” From the extremely important to the utterly mundane, all of life is to be lived for God’s glory. This is the idea behind the phrase, “living life on purpose” or “living intentionally.”
Having a passion, a mission, and a vision will help you glorify God in all the spheres of your life. If I can help you discover, develop, and pursue your “something bigger than yourself,” please do not hesitate to let me know. It would be a joy, an honor, and a blessing to travel along side you as you seek and follow God’s call in your life.
Your Brother,
Dale
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Come join us for a brief excursion into fatherhood. Together we’ll take a look at a few of the key ideas and practices that can help every dad love and lead his children well.
