Live Life as a Mission with a Vision

Olyotya,

Today I was reminded of a very important concept from my business school at Carson-Newman College. In several classes, we learned about the importance of mission statements and vision statements. These are two subjects that are not discussed as widely as they should be. These are foundational to any business. Before you can use them, you must understand what they are.

Mission statements and vision statements are not the same. Mission statements are meant to direct what you want to do now. For a business, it would include your target market, products, marketing, and other business elements. Vision statements are meant to give you a goal to strive towards. For a business, vision statements would include future endeavors such as market share, profitability, stock valuation, etc. (PLEASE HANG WITH ME...THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE A BUSINESS LECTURE).

Taking into account the importance of mission statements and vision statements, why can't we use these as individuals? I mean, if these are good enough for Fortune 500 companies to use time, energy, and money to develop, why can't we use these in our church, homes, and most importantly--our personal lives.

We, as Christians, should develop our own mission and vision statements according to God's purposes. Let me illustrate... My mission statement is to "love God and love others" and it's taken from Matthew 22:37-39(NIV). When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replied:

³⁷ ...“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

If my mission in life is to "love God and love others", I can avoid a lot of the heartaches that Christians suffer from. If I gauge all of my actions against this metric, then I should be able to decide what would be God honoring and what wouldn't. Suddenly, all of the things I thought were important aren't so important when judged against this mission statement.

My vision is something completely different. My vision statement requires me to think ahead and develop what, or better yet who, I want to become. This requires me to set clear objectives for my life. To be effective, your vision statement should include things that can be measured.

Good vision statement: "I want to be a missionary living abroad by the age of 29."

• That is measurable and completely objective.

Bad vision statement: "I want to be the best Christian I can be in this one life that God has given me."

• That sounds good, but it cannot be measured. It's subject to your biases.

By using mission/vision statements, you can focus your life to accomplish what's important to you. You can run your thoughts and actions through the filter of the mission/vision statements and hope they come out unscathed. No matter if you run a church, run your home, or are a single adult, you can benefit from applying a mission/vision statement to your life. More than anything else, you will be able to live your life as a mission with a vision.

Nkwagala,

Adam

Good Times...

Man....God is so GOOD!!!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to stand in the very building that I gave my ALL to Jesus. God captured my heart at a church on the campus of a drug/alcohol rehab center in Bessemer, AL. (And, no...I was not enrolled in the rehab program.)

It happened 4 years, 13 weeks, and 3 days ago, and I just thought I was going to visit a family member in AL and come home. God had other plans though. God knew I had a divine appointment 300 miles away from home at a drug rehab center. God knew all along...

It felt so good to walk back into that building yesterday. During the church service, I began to reflect on how God has changed me in 4 short years. I'm not the same man I was 4 years ago.

I once was lost...BUT NOW I'M FOUND!!!
I once was blind...BUT NOW I SEE!!!
I once was dead...BUT NOW I LIVE!!!

In the Bible, altars were built as a memorial to God and for what He did for the children of Israel. That church will forever be an altar in my life. I can't wait until God lets me visit again in the years to come and reflect on all that He has done for me.

Check out the picture of the church below.

Adam F.

First Things First

Hello friends,

Have you ever been attacked by the enemy so much that you know you are the verge of a breakthrough?? Well, I do. I've experienced it the last few weeks. I've experienced the attacks and the breakthrough. I'm gonna try to keep this short and simple, but bear with me...

Coming back from Uganda, I knew I had to do something. I didn't (and still don't) know what that something is yet. When I landed back in the U.S. from Uganda, I knew that God sent me over there to do something about what I saw. I know he didn't let me touch some of the poorest people on the Earth just so I could come back to the U.S. and not do anything. He is going to require an action out of me sooner or later.

But, when I got back from Uganda, I wasn't seeing any doors open up yet. I got frustrated and felt distanced from God. I felt His presence so HEAVY in Uganda and felt it so little when I got back. I felt the enemy attacking me in ways that I wasn't even expecting. I wish I could go into it all, but I just got blindsided several times.

Here's what I've learned though. God has an order that He follows. He entrusts you with small things before He entrusts you with larger things. Coming to work today, I was praying about doing something about helping the orphans of Africa. I felt God speak to my heart and tell me to "hold up" (okay, maybe I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea). I'm so ready to do all these big things for God, but I felt Him say that I've gotta be trusted with little before He trusts me with much. I wanna change the world, but the changing has to start in my own heart. I want to lead the world to Christ, but I've gotta lead my friends and family first. I've gotta walk through small doors, before God will open BIG doors.

My pastor spoke two weeks agao, about being trusted with little before God trusts you with much. It really hit home to me and I've been trying to meditate on it since I heard that. God just confirmed it for me this morning.

So, what have I done? Well, I followed through with something that I felt God telling me to do in the fall of 2010. I enrolled in M.A. classes at Liberty University's Seminary program. I know that is my starting point. I don't know what lies ahead. I do know that God is the "lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) A lamp shines just enough light to show you your next step or maybe next two steps. I like to know what my whole path looks like, but God doesn't operate like that. He wants to know that you are going to take the first step before He shows you the second, third, and fourth steps.

So, I'm sure you want to change the world too. But what can you do in your own life to put first things first?

Adam F.

FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!

What catches your heart on fire? This is a good question for many of us to answer. Truth is, something is going to light your heart on fire. Something will ignite a passion in your life. For some, it may be your child(ren), wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfiend, etc etc. For me, it's the look in a student's eyes as they learn about God's Word. That's what lights a fire in my heart. I love it.

Last Sunday, I was teaching a small group of about 10 boys on Acts 7. Our main point in KidzPlayce was standing up for what is right. In Acts 7, Stephen has been arrested based on the false testimonies of others. Stephen did not deny his faith and stood up for his beliefs. As I was talking to the kids about this, they seemed only slightly engaged. Then, I threw them a curveball. I asked one of the boys to read Acts 7:55-56...

⁵⁵But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ⁵⁶ And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Acts 7:55-56 (NLT)

As soon as the boys heard that, many of them started saying "Whoa", "Awesome", and "Cool" . They couldn't believe that Stephen had actually looked up towards Heaven and seen the Risen Savior standing at God's right hand. After that, they wanted to keep learning. They were totally engaged. They all wanted to keep reading. At that moment, I saw a fire in their eyes that I envy at times. They were hungry for what God has to say in His Word.

I know what I'm about to say may seem selfish, but please understand the context in which it is meant. I pray that God would use me right here in Sevier County, TN for the next 10-15 years. I know that God likes to relocate people to introduce them into new environments. But, I want to see what those boys grow up to be in 5-10-15 years. I want to be able to walk with those boys for as long as they'll let me. I've seen a fire in those boys that's just unbelievable. I look forward to talking with those boys every Sunday. Those boys will need more guidance than anyone before them to deal with what the world throws at them.

So, I'll ask again...What catches your heart on fire?

Emirembe,

Adam Farragut

Muwanguzi

Hello friends,

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. This is new for me so please be patient with me!

Many of you know that I just got back from my very first mission trip to Uganda, Africa. Words cannot describe how awesome that trip was. There were about 40 of us that went. God definitely showed up and showed off in Africa. If you've never been overseas, I dare you to go to Uganda. It will be both an inspiring and heartbreaking experience for you.

While in Uganda, God dropped the verse Romans 8:37 into my heart. The NIV version reads "...we are more than CONQUERORS through him who loved us." I asked one of the local men what their Luganda word for "conqueror" is. He told me Muwanguzi. That just has a nice ring to it doesn't it? I thought so. I began thinking that Uganda needs conquerors for God in the land. They need people who will not settle until they possess full control of the land for Jesus Christ. When I think about conquerors, I think about powerful men who will not stop until their objective has been achieved. I think about men who cannot be stopped. Shouldn't we do that with God's work? We are not strong enough to do it on our own. As the verse says, we are conquerors through Him. God can give us the power to conquer the land in Uganda. I can't do it all, but I'm not going to do nothing. I have to do something. God hasn't showed me what that's going to be yet.

I've had many people ask me about my trip. Truth is, I cannot give you details of how it has affected my life because I have yet to see what my life will be like now that I've returned. I know what God dropped in me while I was there, but I'm still trying to figure out how it is going to change my life in the U.S. The natural reaction after a mission trip is to sell everything you have, move to Uganda, live in a mud hut in the jungle, and help the people that you saw while there. That is just not practical for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd do it if God asked me to (He would probably have to give me a burning bush to tell me though). The task I'm struggling through now is balancing my compassion for the children of Uganda with my sometimes selfish lifestyle in the U.S.

I can honestly admit that I've been selfish prior to this trip. I have had a tendency to think that this life is all about me. God showed me in Uganda that it's not. I am just a mere background actor in this movie called life. My role is to stay small while making the main actor (God) look good. It's easier said than done.

Since returning from Uganda on Sunday (9/18/11) I have awoke between 3am-4am each morning. Instantly, my mind begins thinking about the children in Uganda. While I'm laying in a warm comfy bed, those children are likely laying on a dirt floor. Don't get me wrong, I know it's not wrong that God blessed me with a bed. I'm not trying to be a Pharisee. This trip--more than anything else--has helped me to APPRECIATE the things God has blessed me with. Before this trip, I don't think I had ever thanked God for the clean, running water out of my faucet. I don't think I had ever thanked him for the warm shower in my bathroom. I don't think I had ever thanked him for the MOUND of laundry laying in my room. Fact is, those children in Uganda would love to have those. My initial reaction after returning was just to be appreciative for what God has given me. I've had to repent for not being appreciative. Are you appreciative of all that you have?? Honestly... We get so caught up in busy, American life that we forget to thank God for the small blessings He has given us. Let's start today to be more appreciative for the big and small things in our lives.

Nkwagala (Love you in Luganda)

Adam Farragut