STEP 1 in Life Planning is to Understand Your Mission. We have considered a number of things to help us get a better handle on our mission: a mission statement, core values, personal vision, prophetic directives, our unique SHAPE, a SWOT analysis, and some personal shifts. These all work together to show us different aspects or perspectives of our life mission.
Let’s move on to Step 2 now.
STEP 2 – Identify Your Roles
After encouraging each believer to understand God’s will for their life (Eph.5:15-17), the Apostle Paul then identified a number of specific roles or responsibilities that a believer may have. As a family member, you may be a wife (Eph.5:22-24) or a husband (5:25-33), a child (6:1-3) or a parent (6:4). In the workplace you may be a servant (6:5-8) or a master (6:9). Of course, each believer is a soldier in God’s army, which is involved in a spiritual battle (6:10-18).
In the same way, God’s mission for your life will be outworked through a variety of roles that he has called you to fulfill. These will change as you move through the various seasons of your life. For example, right now you may be a student, a daughter, a sister, a church member, and a part time employee. In a few years time you may be an employer, a wife, and a church member. Later on you may be a wife, a mother, and a worship leader.
Identify all the roles that you have right now. Think through each one and ensure that you keep perspective and maintain balance in your overall life. True success is doing well at each of the roles God has given you for this moment in your life. Success in one area to the detriment of other areas is not God’s intention for your life. He wants you to succeed in business, and as a church leader, and to have a fulfilling marriage, etc.
What are your roles? Make a list of them all. Then reduce, combine, or consolidate them into a list of no more than 7 roles.
We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.