The Hebrew Scriptures include these incredible lines from a psalm written by King David: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14). You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hands of a loving Creator. That creative process didn’t stop at birth. God has continued to mold and shape you over the years with a care that exceeds the most meticulous craftsman. He gave you a unique personality. He has given you unique abilities. You have unique passions. God made you absolutely unique for a purpose.
Bob Buford addresses the issue of purpose in his book, Halftime. He states, “Most of us spend the first half of our lives becoming adults, getting an education and seeking our own version of ‘success.’” However, the truth is, most of us don’t pursue significance and purposeful living. That’s why my personal mission statement is to “inspire transformissional living in adults over 50.”
If you are going to write a personal mission statement, it is important to know your passion, your greatest God-given abilities and spiritual gifts. I’m quite sure you have a pretty good idea what your top strengths are. If not, there are many excellent assessment tools to assist you. Strengths Finder 2.0 is one I suggest. If you are committed to seeking after God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, you have at least one spiritual gift that is an extraordinary ability intended by God to be used to serve others. There are also many good spiritual gift assessment tools you can us such as Uniquely You.
The bottom line, if you are going to be clear about your mission, you should able to identify your abilities and unique gifts. For example, I know the natural strengths and abilities I’ve developed include writing, speaking, coaching, influencing others and leading teams. I also know my number one spiritual gift is exhortation – encouraging others. That’s why my mission statement includes “inspiring transformissional living” in it. I love to use a variety of my skills to encourage and exhort others to transformational and purposeful use of their time, talent and treasure.
What steps will you take this week to make sure you are getting more clarity regarding your gifts and abilities? You were made to be a uniquely created, awe-inspiring individual. Have you taken the time to discover those strengths and gifts that will help you to be clear about your mission? If not, maybe it’s time to get started.
QUESTION: What are your top two natural abilities? Share them in the comment section below so we can celebrate who God has made you to be.
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