Notable Bible teacher and author John Piper recently advised Christians on how to organize their short-term and long-term mission statements for the new year.
In an episode of the “Ask Pastor John” podcast that was posted to the Desiring God website on New Year’s Day, a listener named Paul asked about a “personal mission statement.”
“So, how do I, as an average Christian layperson, go about coming up with personal mission statements? Should we be strengths/talents-oriented about it? Focus on roles? Should we most focus on spiritual needs in the church, both locally and globally?” asked Paul.
“And how do we avoid letting this statement grow so broad that we get overwhelmed to the point that such a statement does nothing to actually help us focus our energies? Any help would be greatly appreciated.”
Piper, chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who pastored Bethlehem Baptist Church for over 30 years, responded by noting that “when I read the Bible, I cannot escape the relentless teaching that God has purposes” and that “He has goals in everything he does.”
“I don’t think there would be any Gospel, any salvation, any eternal joy if God were not a planner — one who lived with purposes and goals,” Piper said. “I’m sure He has millions of sub-goals and sub-purposes in everything He does. I like to say God is doing ten thousand things we don’t know anything about.”
While saying personal mission statements “keep me focused on the great things of life,” Piper warned that “the particularities of life are too variable for our mission statement to be very detailed.”
“The more particularities about yourself and about your circumstances that you include, the more short-term your statement is going to be, because so much changes,” he continued.
“If you want your mission statement to last more than a few years, it will need to be high-level and general. And that’s mainly what I have in mind when I think of my own statements that guide my life.”
Piper offered what he called a “whirlwind process” for crafting a statement, noting that a key component is recognizing that “God’s ultimate purpose is to be seen and savored and shown.”
He cited Isaiah 43:6–7, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth — everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
“Everything we should be doing with our bodies, our minds, and our hearts should make God look glorious,” said Piper. “We’re helping people see Him, savor Him, show Him for what He’s really like.”
Piper tied this to the biblical call of being a servant to others, adding that “when we joyfully rely on God in all that we do in the service of others, God looks glorious in our lives.”
“God is infinitely glorious. God means to communicate that glory to his people — to see it, savor it, show it. He means for us to join Him in that purpose. That applies to absolutely everything we do,” he said.
“And we do it in humble reliance upon His grace and power, which come through Jesus Christ, in the service of others. That will make Him look great.”
Piper concluded by noting that “when you have crafted an overarching mission statement built on those purposes of God, then you can make some short-term mission statements.”
In an op-ed published by The Christian Post in late December, Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, president of GFA World, also offered advice on how Christians should approach the new year.
“If you’re a Christian, always remember that you are an integral part of a worldwide movement and a large family answering the call of Christ and walking in His footsteps,” he wrote.
“Whatever we do — whether in our daily activities, our work, or our home life with our families — it is all for the glory of God. As we head into a new year, I have great confidence that the Lord has many more answers to prayer in store for us.”
