Just What Is My Mission?
This is the 4th installment in a series on starting a Business as Mission company.
“Mission” used here is not the usual “mission statement” that most companies craft and post (regardless of whether they mean it or execute it). In this series, “mission” refers to the specific assignment within God’s great mission (aka, the Great Commission”) that He is calling you to. We’ll unpack this a bit.
You Are Called
Part of the core theology of Business as Mission is that all believers are called by God. In general, we are called to know Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9) and to live a life that honors Him (Ephesians 4:1). But within that, each of us has gifting and ministries to which we are also called. A calling is not the sole privilege of the professional Christian; it is for all of us.
There are General and Specific Aspects of a Call or Mission
An example of a “general” call would be that a believer senses that God wants him to be a teacher or that He is leading her into business. But beyond that, what kind of business should she pursue? Where should this business be located geographically? These are fairly broad questions and generally receive broad answers. Of course, these questions should be laid before the Master in prayer.
But there are even more specific questions to ask and one of these is how can my business in this place honor God and make real impact for the Kingdom here? How can my work be directly engaged in disciplemaking? (Matthew 28: 18-20)
So How?
There is no shortage of books, articles, sermons, videos, etc. claiming to teach us how to seek and know the will of God. Frankly, a part of me is frustrated with the endless answers to a question that matters so much but another part of me says it’s all probably equally true and useful. God moves in a multitude of “mysterious ways” and refuses to be catalogued. He will never be put in a box—He’s not a tame lion, you know.
Let’s agree on this: the revelation of God to His people is that He will guide us and we can trust Him to do what He has promised. Spend time enjoying the Twenty Third Psalm for a start and learn to rest in the Shepherd’s care and guidance. He will lead you in His way for you.
What are the Specifics?
All that has been written above leads to these vital questions, regardless of how God gives you the answers. Wrestling with them is healthy and can only assist us in starting an effective BAM company.
1. What is the need for the business in the market? We covered that in the last article.
2. Where shall I launch? At home? Across the country? Internationally? Among the unreached people groups of the world?
3. What will be the “kingdom purpose?” In what specific ways will your business align with God’s eternal purpose? Understanding this will likely change, mature, and grow. Still, to start with no sense of direction in this most vital topic is foolish.
4. Who will join me? Who will be part of my team? Who will I hire? Will they be local expatriates?
Conclusion
I like the mantra of the old American frontier: go west, young man! Sometimes that’s all we need to start but it’s certainly essential. Many early pioneers launched out with little more direction than that. If you’re not going “west” don’t leave yet. But if you are, then take the next step as it unfolds before you.
For more information on Business as Mission, we recommend the online course, “Business as Mission Strategies” at this link— https://thirdpathinitiative.com/all-courses . It is available in 6 languages: English, Spanish, Azeri, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian. Other resources include https://businessasmission.com and Business as Mission by Michael R. Baer available at https://www.ywampublishing.com/p-961-business-as-missionbrthe-power-of-business-in-the-kingdom-of-god.aspx
