Download MP3 Audio Track
“He who wishes to fulfill his mission in the world must be a man of one idea, that is, of one great overmastering purpose, overshadowing all his aims, and guiding and controlling his entire life” (William Bate).
NOT EVERYONE HAS GONE THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF WRITING OUT A “MISSION STATEMENT,” BUT EVERYONE HAS A MISSION NEVERTHELESS. Our mission is our main purpose for living. It is the one thing we would most like to accomplish or achieve while we’re alive. All of us have some such goal or reason for living. We may not have thought about it much. In fact, we may not even be honest enough to admit to ourselves what the real motivation is behind our day-to-day actions. But whether it is written or unwritten, and whether it is conscious or unconscious, all of us have a motive and we have a mission. There is always some goal or interest that guides our doings.
It pays, then, to be careful about our mission. Rather than drift through life with a mission that is handed over to us by our surrounding circumstances, we ought to define our mission deliberately and make it as worthy a mission as possible. Out of all the things that we might live our lives for, we ought to decide what we’re going to live for. Our mission ought to be one that we’ve consciously chosen after considering the alternatives before us. Virtually everything else about our lives will be determined by this choice, so we ought to be careful. One reason to think about our mission is that we hurt those around us, especially our loved ones, when we live aimlessly. Having a well-defined and worthy sense of purpose within ourselves is one of the most positive steps we can take to improve our relationships.
But what about achieving our mission? What can we do to help ourselves? Well, most of those who have fulfilled their mission would say that single-mindedness is the key ingredient. We must be in passionate possession “of one idea, that is, of one great overmastering purpose,” as William Bate put it. Rather than dabbling, we must focus ourselves and live with concentrated energy. And that is not likely to happen if we don’t choose for it to happen. So as to your mission, what choices have you made? Are you pleased with your choices?
“Make your life a mission — not an intermission” (Arnold H. Glasow).
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
