The 5 Things

God has plans for you… work that will make a difference for Him in this fallen world.

As followers of Christ, we all want to bring God glory in our efforts. We hope to listen well, follow well and serve well. There are a lot of things that happen in life that make that hard. If you’ve prayed and surrendered, you’ve laid a solid foundation. But our hearts are such that we need to renew that posture daily.

Here are 5 more things that can help you stay on track with your commitment to Go, Do, Say and Give as God leads you.

Kingdom Vision

The church and/or ministry you’ve been apart of have helped shape the vision you have for fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. What you’ve learned about sharing your faith, helping others grow, understanding what it means to have a kingdom impact, these things have laid the foundation for a lifetime of fruitfulness. That’s really what kingdom vision is. It’s this idea of understanding God’s big picture, seeing how you fit into what He’s doing, and then letting that influence your decisions and choices now and in the years to come.

So… Where has He called you to invest your time, your talent and your treasure in reaching others for Christ? Is it your workplace, your neighborhood or is it a nearby high school or your dormitory? Is it planting a church across town or halfway around the world? Are there people you already have natural connections with like hobbies or skills?

Team

Without a compelling community to surround you, it’s unlikely you’ll fulfill your kingdom vision. Ecclesiastes 4 says, “It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work…and if one falls down, the other helps.” So don’t, “go it alone.” A “team” is two or more people coming together who share a common kingdom vision. We all need people who will encourage us to stay on mission. People we can pray with and put some plans in place. People we can live out our kingdom vision with.

Who shares your heart in that they too are surrendered to Jesus and has a similar vision for reaching the people you’re called to reach? Who in your church, ministry or community can you team up with?

Plan

“If you aim at nothing you’ll hit it every time.” Passion and tenacity will only get you so far. If you’re going to fulfill the vision God has given you, you’re going to need to take some strategic and tactical steps to get you there. When we talk about a plan we’re simply talking about your team putting together a thoughtful strategy to advance God’s love through purposeful actions. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but the plan should have simple, doable steps. Plan with the end in mind. Having some sort of plan is all about being intentional with how you move toward your Kingdom vision.

As your team contemplates the vision God has given you, what specific steps of faith can you take to move you toward that end? What sort of training will we need? What will we need in terms of manpower and funding? Dream big.

Ongoing Equipping

Successful people are always growing and developing. Effective organizations are always adapting. Championship teams are always improving. Ongoing equipping is anything you need in order to help fulfill your kingdom vision. This can include further education, skills, tools, training and resources. These things will help you in your journey of walking with God and serving Him for a lifetime.

Ask yourself regularly, “What areas of my life need to be developed to better fulfill my calling?” What three areas do we (as a team) need to develop or grow in? What do we need to learn about the context or people we’ll be ministering to? Are there any conferences or other training sessions that will help?

Coaching

Proverbs stresses the importance of gaining wisdom from others. We can never underestimate the blessing of another who has gone before us and learned a thing or two along the way. A coach is just that person: someone to answer your questions, help you and your “team” when you are stuck, and encourage you when the going gets tough.

If there is someone already out there doing what you have a vision for, what can you learn from them? Is there someone who can mentor you and help you accomplish your vision? 

What’s Next?

• Print out a discussion starter and take some time to talk with a mentor or ministry leader about these ideas.
• Pray and journal a bit, thinking about where God might be leading you the next 6-12 months

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