Welcome to this weeks blog, I took a week off last week as I had a lot on and didn't want to put out something that I didn't think wasn’t ready. In this weeks blog we are going to finish 'The Reset' series with the final part; Respond.
If you haven't already, check out the previous two blogs to catch up with the context behind this one. We have looked at refocussing and releasing, so now with those things in mind we should be ready to respond.
It is really easy for us to get caught up in doing stuff, like we looked at in the previous blog, sometimes the things we get caught up doing aren't what we are meant to be doing and don't particularly add anything to our lives. So, it's really important we measure our action against our mission statement. This way, we can help to assure that we stay on track with completing the work that God has set out for us.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
I love this verse in Colossians and I think it's really key for understanding the 'doing' or 'responding' in our lives. I once spoke with an ex military man who told me that he always operated by the idea that he would put his best effort into whatever it was he was doing. Whether that was washing his hands, tying his shoelaces or doing his job. It really stuck with me. I'd never considered before that I should put my best effort into something as simple as tying my shoelaces. This verse encapsulates the sense of a heartfelt and honest dedication to the works that God has set before us.
It's also really important to acknowledge that, no matter what God has given you as your 'mission', we should all give our utmost and best effort to that task, as each and every persons assignment is as important as the next. Whether you are called to serve by cleaning dishes or called to serve by preaching to thousands of people, each task is of equal value to the building of the kingdom of God.
Take some time to consider how you are going to live out your mission statement this week. Pray about what it is God wants you to do to fulfil the assignment he has given you and give it your absolute dedication.
One final thing to finish this short series off. The three part process that I've covered isn't an answer to everything! I quite frequently go backwards and forwards between steps within this process and over time my mission statement has changed. There isn't a special formula that will make these ideas super easy, but the key to it all is to pray for clarity, measure against scripture and test it out with others. None of the things we have covered can be done without God's guidance and blessing over them all.
I pray that we would be ready to respond to the mission that God has set out for each of us. That we might be willing to serve him whole heartedly in the ways that he has put before us and that through this we might build His kingdom and glorify His name.
Amen.