John Byl and Dianne E. Moroz

God’s Purpose and Your Life’s Mission

2chapter

Learning Objectives

• Understand how life choices and practices are affected by external pressures.

• Understand how to live all areas of your life with your own choices.

• Write a personal mission statement.• Understand how to methodically change

certain aspects of your lifestyle through goal setting.

Alice’s Mission. And Yours?

Alice went on. “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.“I don’t much care where—” said Alice.“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.“—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added.“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk enough” (Carroll 1960, p. 62).

How Focused is Your Life Mission?

• Free flowing or focused impact (Hoke, Mayes & Walling 2011)?

Our Culture

• “Unprecedented affluence beside skyrocketing depression” (Myers, 2006).

• Comparing 1985 to 2004, “the number of people saying there is no one with whom they discuss important matters nearly tripled” (McPherson, Smith-Lovin, & Brashears, 2006, p. 353).

How to Live

• Be deliberate.• Be discerning.

© John Byl

God’s Mission

• God has a mission.– Jeremiah 29:11– Isaiah 9:2-7

• Wonderful Counselor• Mighty God• Everlasting Father• Prince of Peace

• Jesus had a mission: Luke 4:18-19.– Restore sight to the blind– Release the oppressed

Your Mission: Making God’s Purposes Your Purposes

• Deeply transcending vision (Covey, Merrill, & Merrill, 1994)

• Questions to ask:– What are the biggest areas of suffering in the world?– What can God’s mission bring to that suffering?– What role can I play as God’s agent?– What role can I play in God’s kingdom coming?– What sin should I get disentangled from?– Where do I shop, what do I wear, where do I vacation, what do I

drive, what do I spend money on, and how do I care for my body?

(continued)

Your Mission: Making God’s Purposes Your Purposes (continued)

• How does the Bible speak to those purposes?– “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be

also” (Luke 12:34).– “We are God’s workmanship, created… to do good

works” (Ephesians 2:10).

• The place God calls his people to is the place where our deep gladness and the world’s deep sadness meet.

Pressures That Shape Life’s Mission

• Peer pressure– How is it positive?– How is it negative?

• Mass media– How are they positive?– How are they negative?

• Positive or negative peer/media pressure?– www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz0N-

jVrRWU&feature=related

Mission Statement

1. Begin with a central theme. – How does God want me to make a difference in

this world?• Lord’s purposes• Following a dynamic shepherd

– Find stillness to listen to God.• www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxx-c4dII7c

– Determine some practical ways to make a difference.• Reconcile all things.• “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only

Son” (John 3:16).– Make a positive impact.

(continued)

Mission Statement (continued)

2. Write the mission statement.

– Be realistic.– Be positive.

(continued)

3. Refine your mission statement: Keep it short and simple.

4. Build excitement and inspire action. Build wings that help you soar, and use inspiring and strong verbs and adverbs.

Mission Statement (continued)

5. Get others’ input on your mission statement.– Talk to others.– Live prayerfully.– Listen to your heart.

6. Make your mission statement visible. Post it where?

(continued)

Mission Statement (continued)

© Catherine Byl

7. Revisit and evaluate your mission statement.

Transtheoretical Model of Stages of Change

Stages Activity

Pre-contemplation

Contemplation

Preparation

Action

Maintenance

Termination

Designing a Plan for a Permanent Lifestyle Change

1. State the goal.– Write it down.– Be positive.– Be realistic.– Components of goals: Doing something specifically

under special conditions

(continued)

Designing a Plan for a Permanent Lifestyle Change (continued)

2. Assess your present lifestyle: Chart your lifestyle.

Barriers to Change

Barrier Effect Solutions

Procrastination

Success or failure attitude

Education

Instant gratification

Nonindividualized plan

Short-term vs. permanent change

Designing a Plan for a Permanent Lifestyle Change (continued)

3. Design a specific plan.– The more specific the better– Begin with easily achievable, measurable, and

realistic steps.

4. Predict obstacles.– Decide ahead of time how you’ll overcome them.– Your plan will require modification as you go.– Change is difficult:

• Switch seats example• Hand folding example

Designing a Plan for a Permanent Lifestyle Change (continued)

5. Plan intervention strategies.– Write a behavior contract.– Use positive and negative reinforcements.– Get a support group.– Use behavior shaping.– Keep a journal or diary.– Graph or chart your results.

(continued)

Designing a Plan for a Permanent Lifestyle Change (continued)

6. Assess compliance with the plan.

7. Assess progress of your overall goal.

© Charis Byl

Example of Developing a Goal

• State your goal.• Assess your present lifestyle.• Design a specific plan.• Predict obstacles.• Plan intervention strategies.• Assess compliance with the plan.• Assess progress of overall goal.

Application Questions

• Reflect on the song “Today.” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFs1d32K_ro.

• Imagine that you are 70 years old and are reflecting on the most important things that happened in your life as you write a letter to someone you love. What are those things?

• Write your personal mission statement.