Your "Personal Mission Statement"

I attended my diaconate class this weekend and the topic was ministry skills. Upon reading the assigned text, one of the main topics was making a personal mission statement. Well, at first glance, "making a personal mission statement" might seem a little like a catch phrase from a motivational speaker, but it has much more depth than that.Making a personal mission statement is really self-defining who you are, who you really want to be.Who do you really want to be?Can you think of three people in your life whom you admired? Can you describe what it was about them that you admired? Are these characteristics that you would like to possess?If someone asked you to describe yourself, what words would you use?God has made each one of us unique, He has gifted us each with special and unique talents. What are your God given talents? Are you using your talents as a ministry? What are you doing with your talents?This question makes me think of a passage from the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 25) as follows:
15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
So, now I ponder on the thoughts of what special talents (skills / abilities) that have been given and entrusted to me by God. What have I been doing with those talents? Have I buried them (Hidden Them), or have I exposed them and shared them?
Please don't take this the wrong way - But if you died tomorrow, what would people say about you? What type of life did you live? Did you utilize your God given talents for the benefits of others, has there been abundant fruit that has grown from the use and sharing of your talents, or did you keep your talents hidden for the most part (buried)?
Why don't you spend a few days thinking about writing a personal mission statement. Who do you really what to be? What characteristics and talents have been given to you by God and what are you doing with them? What should you be doing with them?
What is your mission in life?
Why were you created?
What is your unique purpose?
Many people will often say that they have difficulty identifying the answers to the previous questions, but if you look closely at your life up to this moment, God has been directing you every step of the way, trying to show you what and who He created you to be, and for what special purpose. Just open your eyes and see the wonderful person you were created to be and follow through with using your entirely unique abilities to fulfill your personal mission.
In God's peace,

Pat