Mission For Men (Part 1 of 2)

Every godly man needs a mission

His mission is a purpose that God has wired him to accomplish through his skills, passions, and responsibilities. It is practical, worthwhile, and unique to each man.

How Do You Find Your Mission? 

Many young men want a significant mission and feel pressure to get it right. With the
future wide open and options abounding, how can a young man choose his life purpose
well? 

1. Begin with your ultimate purpose.

Buy into your ultimate purpose. You are made for God’s glory. Don’t be foolish by
spending your life chasing wealth, power, pleasure, or safety as your purpose for
living. Don’t be the man who gains the world yet forfeits his soul. With that
resolved, many vain mission options are eliminated, and good options remain.

2. Consider how God has made you.

Consider what unique giftings and desires God has built into you.

What do you like to do?

What are you good at?

What is a problem that you can fix?

What do people need that you can provide?

When you die, what is the one thing you hope to have accomplished?

You’re trying to figure out how God has made you uniquely fit for some purpose.

3. See the wisdom of older men.

Ask older men for their guidance.

What do they see in you?

How can they help you?

Older men can help you gain a wiser perspective. They can tell you where you are strong and weak. Listen and gain effectiveness.

4. Write your mission statement.

As you gather answers, write them down and organize them into a mission
statement.  Your mission statement will give you clarity and intentionality, helping
you not be distracted in the years of your life to come.

What Does A Mission Statement Look Like?

Here is my mission statement:

Chris Surface exists to glorify God by leading his family, serving FBC Wheeling, and improving Wheeling by alleviating suffering and modeling professionalism and integrity.

Note that family and work are parts of my mission, reflecting that it is larger than
family or work. My mission statement lists my responsibilities, my areas of authority, my
duty to people who depend on me, and my goals.

My mission is ambitious, specific, and unique to me. Ultimately my mission statement says that I do these things so that God would be glorified. Feel free to use it as a template to create your own mission statement.

Two final pieces of advice for young men:

1. Your mission may change as life changes. God may take you in a different direction than you expect.
2. Your mission should be long-term and obtainable. There is a temptation to seek new passions and greater missions, while never accomplishing anything lasting or worthwhile.

Plodding and dedication are essential to accomplish your mission without leaving a trail of started-but-never-finished missions behind.

 Part two of Chris's series Men on Mission: Older Men! We still need YOU! (Will be posted 8/26/26).