Welcome back! If you started last week you are now on D-Day plus 8. You should have been seeking God’s guidance on your life’s purpose. Why are you here? God has a plan for your life and the sooner you discover it, the more fulfilling and meaningful your life will be.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Write up your personal mission statement or what I call an Ethos statement. This is the root of who you are in the flesh. If you have not captured that much your motivation for the warrior disciplines that we will discuss later will seem pointless. Even if you start the disciplines and think that will power will maintain you through them, you will quit. Purpose is what pushes us when the bed magnet is on, when we don’t feel up to it or are simply fed up with life. Discover your purpose first.
Once you have written your draft, share this with your friends and family. Let them give you feedback so that it can be fine tuned. I realize this is scary. They might laugh at you. Have courage, don’t be afraid. It has often happened that the heroes of history were laughed at, until they weren’t.
You should also have a mission for this year. What will be your focus for this year? This should not be too much detail. You want just enough detail to be inspiring. You are defining an ultimate objective and not spending time right now developing the plan to get there. The key here is where will you focus your time and energy?
NOTE: This mission might not be large or even work related. This might be fixing a relationship with a spouse or children or parents. This might be moving to a new city or maybe some educational or health related mission.
For this to be effective you must ask God to be the author of these statements. Ask Him to confirm his call and direction. Listen carefully and watch and listen.
As I mentioned last week, you should also have a secret ambition. This one you keep to yourself and wait for God to confirm it. This must be bold and daring and seem impossible from where you are currently sitting.
What you have created is purpose and focus. With these you will be able to find the motivation to do these things when you don’t feel like it. I can guarantee you that there will be days and even weeks where you will not want to live the warrior life. There are days when it seems that it would be easier just to stay in bed and hide from the world. That is not the warrior way. But when you think of your purpose you can push though the sleepy eyes and the voice in your head that is saying to stay in bed for just a few more minutes. That demon that is saying that today you don’t need to go for a run because it is raining outside must be silenced. Your purpose can speak for you.
This week you should work on refining and putting together the words that will inspire you. Again here is mine.
Personal Ethos Statement
I am a warrior monk and will live my life with integrity. I will live in wisdom, in endurance and in great health. I will leave no one behind whether that is family, friend or foe. My heart will be forever trained in the ways of the Christ.
Current Mission 2019 Rise, be the Storm!
- I will lead efforts to serve the poor of my community.
- I will partner with others in my community to cause it to reflect Godly principles.
- I will partner with others toward helping as many people as possible to get above the poverty line.
- I will be the be the voice of reform.
Be the Leader
The first person you lead is you. You must discipline yourself and call yourself to rise above the mediocrity that our world finds so acceptable today.
Our world needs you to live the warrior lifestyle. There will be a day when the warriors will be called upon to save our nation and our world. Would you be ready?
There may be a day of persecution. Would you be able to stand up for your faith? The great heroes of the faith were willing to pay any price. Check out Hebrews 11. After giving specific heroic and very warrior like acts of faith the writer gives us this
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11: 32- 40
How many men or women of faith do you know that would be willing to live in caves or holes in the ground due to their faith? Look around your church. How many have that kind of faith? Be that person. Lead others to build a sure foundation. But before you can lead them there you must lead yourself. That is what we are aiming for here.
The warrior life is not about violence or learning martial arts (though that might very well be part of your mission.) The warrior life is about taking all that the world can throw at you and rising above the fray.
Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. –Sun Tzu
Your mission this week:
This week look for a Bible verse that might define your mission. For me that verse is Micah 6:8
He has shown you oh man what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
This is building your foundation. The Word of God is same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Stand on it. Let it shape you. It will outlast the worst of circumstances.
The second part of your mission this week is to write down those non-negotiable values that you have. Really think about them. Again it is a discipline to record your non-negotiable. This will give you structure.
NOTE: You most likely think you know these. I have been amazed how often I justify breaking my own value statements. Writing them and reflecting on them and reviewing them have kept me from violating them as much.
Here is my example:
Personal Values
- Above all honor Christ in all that I do. (Do all things as unto the Lord.)
- Succeed at home, before I attempt to succeed elsewhere.
- Seek divine help constantly.
- Never, Never, Never compromise my integrity.
- Remember the people over the tasks.
- Hear all sides before making a final judgment.
- Don’t make a judgment until you must make it, but then make it.
- Consistently obtain the counsel of others.
- Laugh out loud daily
- Live your life as a change agent. Rock the boat.
- Be orderly in person and work.
- Never fear mistakes- learn from them.
- Embrace Fear
- Must have balance
Email me what your verse is and why. Also send me your value statements.
Legend holds that 300 Spartans held back the Persian hordes. The hordes are still out there. The Spartans were ready. Will you be?
