A Life Vision

Every year when the first of January rolls around, the local gyms are filled with people committed to make this year the year of transformation. They want to get in shape, to lose the extra pounds, and so they lift and run and bike and sweat their way through a few weeks. But then a strange thing happens. Inevitably, by February, the numbers of new people in the gym have dropped. Why is this? Sometimes it's because people see how much hard work it's going to take, and so they decide it's easier to be out of shape than to labor for such slow results. I would offer, however, that more times than not, the issue is not the work, but the goal. What does "get in shape" mean? What does "lose the extra pounds" mean? When we aim at something that general, it's hard to know if we've made it or not. However, when people say, "I want to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks", they now have a goal - a clear, measurable goal.

So how does this connect to Christianity? As an organization, InterVarsity at UNH is now spending some time thinking and praying about what our goals are as a fellowship. We want more than to roll into the month of May and say, "It was a good year." What is "good"? Thus, we have been meeting as a fellowship to hear what is that God has been doing in people's lives and then together, as the Body of Christ, we are putting our hearts and ideas together to seek God's direction. Of course, this is nothing new for organizations or businesses. Almost all businesses, colleges, and organizations have a purpose or mission statement. It gives them a sense of what they are striving towards, and it allows them to focus their energies in the right direction.

But how about you and me? Do we have a clear sense of where we are going in life? Do we have a mission statement, goals, and means to achieve them? "But Tim," you might say, "isn't that a bit much - a mission statement for life?" Maybe, but consider this. A few years ago, a graduating class at Harvard was surveyed to see how they "turned out" in life. Those who had written down their goals were notably more successful than those who had not. Why? Perhaps it is because they knew what they were striving for; they knew the ends to which they were laboring.

In his book The Life God Blesses, author Gordon McDonald (former national president of InterVaristy Christian Fellowship) notes that people with a mission are able to eliminate those things that are not connected to their end goals. How helpful would that be for many of us? With so many good things to choose in life, a mission statement for life would allow people to say, "That's good, but I have other goals, and it seems that investing my time in X would just be a distraction from my purpose."

Now in all of this, Christ followers must submit to the call of God. Prayer and submission are keys to this whole process. My advice: make plans for your life, but be prayerful and write them in pencil. My life has turned out differently than I had planned, but I remain committed to setting and pursuing goals.

How about you? Do you have a mission? Consider the gift this might be in your life and how it might bless God as you focus your energies for His purposes.

- Tim Carpenter, Campus Ministry, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at UNH