If you’re feeling unsettled in any way, that is a definite sign that you’re in need of direction in discerning the mission that was yours to carry out!
We are all connected on a very basic level by our very nature as human beings. Our ultimate desire is for peace and happiness and harmony with ourselves, others, and our material world. We desire order, admire beauty, and revel in awe and wonder. These desires, instincts, and consciousness are indwelling regardless of our belief in a higher power. They are the core of our existence.
The best way to enter into this peace, happiness, and harmony is to abandon ourselves to mission! Have you ever noticed how good it feels to help another with some problem or to do something that creates beauty? Your sense of accomplishment, pride, success, etc? You feel the best about yourself when you get outside of yourself to do something for the greater good! That’s what mission is all about!
In this blog, I will give some ideas about how to discern your mission from a Christian perspective because I am a Christian but as I see it, we are all called to mission. The world can only be as good as we make it, individually and collectively.
Be aware that mission starts in your own back yard. For a Christian, our primary mission is to love God. All else flows from this love.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.(Mk 12:30)
If you are married, your mission is to love your spouse as you love yourself. If you are a parent, your mission is to raise your children with love so that they can become loving, respectful adults. If your parent is ill, you must care for him/her. As you can see, the list goes on and most of us have more than one mission in life.
As I mentioned, feeling unsettled or restless is a sure sign that you are not fulfilled at your core of existence which can only happen when you are carrying out your mission. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” – St. Augustine of Hippo from the book “St Augustine’s Confessions”.
So what is your mission in life? How do you know when you are doing what is your part to do in this world? How do you know when you are finished? Were you successful? These are just a few thoughts to consider. There is much that can be written about mission and I would love to work with you on the direction of your mission. Just contact me!
What is your mission in life?
This is a very common question and can take a lifetime to discern. For more on discernment you can read my blog on this topic here. Be of cheer, though, because everything that you do and that happens to you prepares you in some way for this mission. No experience in life is a waste of time, even if it might seem so at the time. All is meant to enrich us in some way, wether by our acquiring some skill, knowledge, relationship, etc. Sometimes the experience is a mission itself and may be short-lived or may last a life time. You will commonly have more than one mission in life depending on the circumstances of your life.
You’ll know you’re on the right track when things fall into place easily or when the mission is aligned with your particular skill set, talents, and resources. The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. (Lk 10:2 NAB)
However, you might also experience tremendous difficulties and challenges in following your mission. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. (Lk 10:3 NAB)
Some questions to consider when determining if the action is part of your mission: Does it bring peace and happiness, either to self or others? Does it effect harmony for self, others, or the material world? Does good come of it? Does it bear good fruit? Is the action legal, ethical, and moral? Remember that the ends do not justify the means so the action itself must be good. If the action is not good, you need to abandon it and get your creative juices going to come up with an action that is legal, ethical, and moral that can bear good fruit.
How do you know when you are doing what is your part to do in this world?
Clarity of mission may not be easy to discern, especially when you are experiencing difficulties. This is where mentoring, coaching, and other sources can be of help. As a Christian, prayer is a very important part of this discernment.
How do you know when you are finished?
Our entire life is a journey and mission is part of that journey so mission is never finished. You may finish one particular project or aspect of mission but there is more to do, perhaps in another area or totally different field than what you have just accomplished. Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9 NAB)
Were you successful?
Success is a good thing. It brings satisfaction and happiness in addition to the actual good that occurred. But God does not ask us to be successful. He asks us to be obedient! If you hear God call you to do a good deed, just do it! Success is in God’s hands. He will take care of the results.
Not all that we see as failure or lack of success is as we see it. There are “hidden things” that we haven’t discerned that are at work. An example: You helped an alcoholic to get a job and then you saw him at the bar that evening getting drunk. But you didn’t know that he had experienced a conversion of heart because of your kindness and was going to get treatment for his alcoholism in the morning and was just having a weak moment that night. We can’t always judge a book by its cover. Sometimes, we just have to keep on keeping on despite the evidence that seems to be contradictory! We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28 NAB)
I hope this blog has given you reason to reflect on your mission in life. May you recognize and react to your call!
Feel free to contact me to discuss your mission!
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