What is Your Purpose Statement?

What is your Purpose Statement? In a business context, one’s Purpose Statement succinctly defines a person’s life focus, typically addressing career, charity, and sphere of influence. I’ve heard dozens of keynote addresses that encourage us to define our life’s purpose in some fashion:

Develop your personal brand.

You are your CEO.

Write your purpose statement.

Set your goals.

These are all worthy and admirable. As a Christian in business, my Purpose Statement is simple. Its focus is not on me, my career, or my sphere of influence. No. My Purpose Statement comes straight from Scripture in the words of the Lord Jesus. And its focus is on Him.

Matthew 5:16

What does this look like at work? For starters, let’s consider the Scripture on my home page:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…

Colossians 3:23

I work with some very good and smart people. Their approach to running our business is truly impressive, and working alongside them naturally ups my game. But – when I consider my work as being God’s work, my purpose at work is repositioned. Yes, I serve my leaders. But nothing gives me greater satisfaction than leaving the office for the day feeling like God is pleased with my efforts.

God plants His children in places at which we can minister by our attitude, conduct and work ethic as we interact with coworkers and business leaders in the routine course of the work day. This is not about walking around the office, hands in the air, singing “Amazing Grace” for all to hear. This is about seeking a Godly focus in all that we do, even in completing the most ordinary or mundane tasks. It’s about seeking excellence in quality of work. It’s about being available to coworkers and helping solve problems or address challenges. It’s about honesty and integrity. It’s about seeking to honor Jesus’ command to let our lights shine – not to gain glory for ourselves, but to let others see Him through me. It’s about Him.

How do we position ourselves for His service? Here are a few things I do to help stay focused on Him:

• My Church – Regular participation in worship and engaging with my church family helps shore up my foundation. I miss church when I miss church. It is my weekly booster shot, if you will. At church, I worship, serve and learn alongside many others in the same position as me – a Christian earning his living in the secular world. If you haven’t been to church in a while, I encourage you to reengage. And, if you have no church home, ask God to help you seek one out. I believe this to be incredibly important.
• My Morning – I am an early riser. My favorite time of day is the predawn, when the house is quiet and I can focus. After that first cup of coffee helps me wake up, I go into God’s Word and ask Him for wisdom to take me through my day. This is an important time for me; I notice that my day is different when I miss this morning time with God.
• My Journal – There are many planners and journals on the market these days. I use a planner called “Faith & Focus” published by Christian Planner. In this book, I plan my day each morning and log notes and future follow-ups through the course of the day. This helps me keep my focus while also helping me stay organized.
• My Pause – I schedule a 15-minute pause each morning and afternoon. This is time set aside to clear my mind, offer prayer, and reenergize. Sometimes I take a walk. Sometimes I find an empty conference room. I sometimes give it up on particularly busy days. That’s fine. The purpose of the pause is to invite God into my day and remind myself Whom it is that I ultimately serve.

A few years ago, God planted the seed for me to start workisministry.com. My ministry is to encourage and inspire Christians working in the secular world to view and execute their work, first and foremost, to the glory of God. If we seek this objective as our primary purpose, we will very effectively serve our employers, coworkers, and shareholders. We will be a valued asset to the company. We will have personal satisfaction in our chosen vocation. And we will honor Jesus’ commandment to let our lights shine, that others would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. That, my friend, is my Purpose Statement.

What is your Purpose Statement?

Soli DEO Gloria!

(c) workisministry 2021

Trust Amid the Storm

My family and I were directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey. More accurately, we were impacted afterward when the US Army Corps of Engineers opened the flood gates of the Barker Reservoir sending a deluge of flood waters into my neighborhood and many, many others in the City of Houston. For thousands of Houstonians, the impact of Harvey began as the storm itself moved from our area.

“But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”

Psalm 13:5 NASB

The days, weeks, and even months after we evacuated our home are somewhat of a blur, but I remember them vividly. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but the statement is accurate. Evacuating with no advance warning, we had to make quick decisions about what we took with us, heeding the instructions of the boat pilots to take as little as possible. We didn’t have time to worry about where we would go or what we would do; we just knew we had to leave.

You know what? As I look back on what I call our “Harvey Story”, my heart fills with gratitude. For through everything, from evacuation to fostering pets, from accepting vehicles on loan to a fully furnished home to live in as we cleaned ours out, from dealing with the federal government for a low-interest loan to managing through repairs (which still aren’t fully completed), we experienced God’s provision. God worked through the volunteers who helped us evacuate and later clean out our home. He worked through so many who donated cash, gift cards, cars and even a house. He honored the prayers of many friends as He offered clarity to my sometimes rather dazed mind. Indeed, amidst the tumult of the storm, God never left us. He was always there, and more importantly, He was directing everything.

As David wrote this psalm, and many others, his life was in turmoil. He sometimes felt that God had forgotten him, leaving him on his own to deal with his thoughts and circumstances (Ps 13:1-3). But, while God sometimes allowed David to experience trials and tribulations, He never left Him. And through it all, David was reminded of that which is truly important: “…my heart rejoices in Your salvation.”

I wish I could tell you that my attitude throughout the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey was always positive. I wish I could tell you that I consistently maintained my disciplines of study, worship and prayer. I wish I could tell you that I never worried, never doubted, never feared. I wish I could, but I cannot. But here is what I can tell you. I can tell you that through my lows, through my lack of discipline, through my worries, my doubts and my fears, God was always faithful. He met every single need we had as the need presented itself. God directly intervened in our lives to see us through the disaster.

Now we are faced with a sizable loan that must be repaid. I drive part time for Uber and Lyft to help make the payments. I’m sometimes tempted to worry about our financial future. Then, in the quiet of the morning, God gives me His Word. He offers this reminder that, no matter what, my eternity is sealed. My salvation is sure, thanks to His grace and mercy through His Son, Jesus. And, with that reality and His blessing, I can face anything.

What storms are you facing today? Is there turmoil in your life that you’re struggling to manage through? Do you wonder where the next paycheck will come from? Is work stressful and overwhelming? Take a moment today and read Psalm 13. It’s short, but packed with meaning. Let God remind you of that which is supremely important. And know that He hasn’t forgotten you, nor has He abandoned you. He is there. He loves you. He cares. He will see you through.

Soli DEO Gloria!

Image Credit: YouVersion Bible App

(c) workisministry.com 2019