A Strategy for Understanding Our Personal Mission

It can be thought that the only way that we can gain a sense of our personal mission is through a dramatic encounter with God. It is true that many people have gained a strong sense of mission through a personal encounter with God. The Bible shows many examples of this, including people like Abraham, Isaiah, Mary, and Paul. However, this is not the only way that God uses in order to reveal our personal mission to us. There are personal disciplines in which we can invest that will help to build a strong sense of personal mission within our lives. If we wish to "reap" a life that has a strong sense of personal mission, we need to "sow into" personal disciplines that will deepen our understanding of God"s purposes for us.

Another misconception about personal mission is that it involves a single revelation from God that will last us throughout our lives. This is not the case. In fact, discovering our personal mission is a journey of seeking and revelation that lasts a lifetime. Dr. J. Robert Clinton highlights four stages of preparation that a leader goes through in his or her development:

1. Ministry Foundations
2. General Ministry
3. Focused Ministry
4. Convergent Ministry

The model is based on research into the development of 900 leaders and 750 Biblical characters. The final stage of "Convergent Ministry", where the leader has reached a stage of maturity and is functioning in his or her ideal role, is often not reached until the leader is in their fifties or sixties! We need to be prepared to invest in a lifetime of personal disciplines in order that we may discover and fulfil our personal mission.

The process of discovering our personal mission is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The first stage involves gathering the pieces of the puzzle, and then sorting them e.g. placing all the border pieces together. Once this is done, work can begin on forming the border of the puzzle and then working slowly inwards towards the centre of the puzzle. The picture does not emerge until we have completed a major portion of the puzzle. In the same way, our strategy for discovering our personal mission should include identifying the areas that comprise our personal mission and seeking to understand how they fit together. Some of the pieces will strengthen our sense of personal mission; others will highlight unique methodologies. The unique methodologies are the methods, forms, systems, and structures that we can see that God is blessing in our ministry. For example, one person may see that whenever they are involved in teaching small groups that they see great fruitfulness and have a sense of fulfilment. This may indicate that this is a unique methodology that God is blessing in the individual"s ministry. Over time, we will begin to see that our life is converging towards a major role that will combine our sense of mission with the unique methodologies. In this role, we will be able to make the ultimate contribution that God has determined for our lives.

As we reflect upon our lives we will discover that God"s sovereign hand has been over us and he has guided and influenced our decisions, even though we were not aware of it. Joseph"s life is a clear example of this principle. When looking back over his life, he could see the hand of God at work:

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)

As we seek to discover God"s purposes for our lives, we need to seek to recognise the times and the situations in which we have seen God at work in our lives. These experiences and events may well reveal something of the future plans and purposes that he has for us. As we look back at those experiences we will be able to see the ways in which God has led us, formed our characters, and shaped our thinking in order that we may live effective lives. To live an effective life is to become all that God wants us to be and to fulfil all that he wants us to do.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

In the past studies we have seen the importance of investing in private disciplines in four key areas: our spiritual lives, our mental lives, our relational lives, and our physical capacity. Investing in these four areas will sharpen our effectiveness and our sense of personal mission. In addition, there are some specific private disciplines that we can invest in that will heighten our sense of personal mission, and will clarify the ultimate contribution that God desires from our lives. The next section investigates these private disciplines. As with all the private disciplines, we recommend that you start small, and seek to invest in these areas in a regular, consistent manner.