Lots of stuff going on – and not enough time to reflect. Yet with some of the challenges at work lately, I have been contemplating life in a variety of ways. Then one of the staff at church challenged our volunteer leadership team about our personal mission statements, and I realized I haven’t looked at mine lately. Michael Hyatt has been doing a series on leadership questions, forcing me to think. Then Lindsey Nobles posts about her reflections on who she is.

My staff calls me Ghengis Ed or Dr. Edil when I drive them too hard. I strive not to be the pointy-haired boss from Dilbert. My wife reminds me when I try to “manage” the family instead of love and lead. I need to be more consistent. I am a husband, a dad, a soccer coach, a friend, a fisherman, a kayaker, a small group leader, a teacher, a manager, an IT geek – and those roles can get confusing and confused.

So I dragged out my mission statement that I wrote several years ago. And it is still valid. This is who I am, how I want to live, and how I want to be known.

I am first and foremost a child of God, holy and righteous only by the grace and blood of Jesus Christ.  I need to put Christ first and let others see Him through me.

In all areas of life, I want to be honest, humble, patient, enthusiastic, and able to find the joy and humor in life.

I want to use my confidence and ambition to continue to learn, organize, and use my time wisely.

I want my wife and children to always look to me for love and understanding, by keeping my promises and letting them know that they are loved and important.

I want friends and students to be encouraged and empowered to move forward when interacting with me, by always pointing out strengths and possibilities.

I want business associates to know my honesty, faithfulness, and commitment to their projects.

Now I need God’s grace to help me remember that with the next difficult phone call, the next temptation to cut corners, the next time I am frustrated.

Do you have a written mission statement for your life? What is it?

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