Back in March, I wrote a post
about mission statements. Not only do
companies and corporations have mission statements, but a pastor who visited
our church explained that he had his own personal mission statement. If you want to see that post, click here. Well gang, I promised that I would share my
mission statement with you once I was able to discover it, and after a handful
of months, I have finally found it:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…” (Psalm
23:1).
I don’t know why it took me
so long to come to this very familiar verse.
I scoured my devotions, ran word and topic searches on BibleGateway.com,
and reviewed all my favorite stories and passages in the Bible. But I could never quite commit to
anything. I knew, however, that patience
was my best ally, and one day the right verse would emerge. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a
terrible memory, but a few years ago I endeavored to memorize Psalm 23, and
after practicing each morning and night during my travels to and from work, I
was able to accomplish my goal. But let’s
be honest: A mission statement is
supposed to be concise and focused, and even though the 23rd Psalm
is only 6 verses long, it was too long to claim for my mission statement. So I settled on verse one because it
encapsulates truths of the entire Psalm.
I want my mission statement
to be, first and foremost, a guiding light for myself. When days are hard, I want to lean on the
words for strength; when days are great, I want to lift up those words in
thanksgiving. But I also want to share
the words with others when they need encouragement or a bit of light on their
path.
Let’s break the verse down a
little bit….The first two words, “The Lord,” are important. They remind me what should be first in my
life. An online dictionary defines “Lord”
as, “someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or
ruler.” Two words jump out at me from
this definition: First, God is power.
He has power that is vast (total world creation, for starters) and power
that is personal and gentle (reaching into our everyday lives and loving us, among
others). Second, is the idea that
lordship is influence. God is active in our lives every day. From small things to big, He guides our
steps, shapes our futures, heals our wounds, and shines His light into our
hearts.
Okay, let’s move on to the
next words of my brand-new mission statement:
“The Lord is my shepherd.” A shepherd is watchful, protective, and
careful with his flock. Sheep are
adorable little fluffballs, but they are often considered dumb. My stupidity often gets me into trouble, and
I am glad that I have a Good Shepherd to reach down and pluck me out of trouble. Shepherds live with their flock and are therefore
very aware of each sheep’s strengths, weaknesses, and personality quirks. God knows each of us intimately, perhaps even
better than we know ourselves, and He loves and cares for us. When we need correction or redirection, He
reaches out with his shepherd’s crook to guide us to the better path. When sheep stray or become lost, the shepherd
searches them out in order to bring them back into the fold.
The last part of the verse is
“I shall not want.” God truly is concerned with the little things
as well as the big. If I am struggling,
it is often then that the perfect words come to me through an email, devotion,
or trusted friend…at just the right time. That’s not coincidence, in my book; that is
provision by a faithful God. Nor is our
God distant, looking at our lives from a long way off; He is close – in fact
His Spirit is within us. You can’t get any closer than that! The idea of not being in want is tricky….please
don’t think that I believe God is some kind of omniscient slot machine, dolling
out my heart’s desires when I hit the right combination of prayers and
petitions. God has ensured that I have
what I need by also not answering my
prayers. There have been many heartfelt,
long-enduring prayers that have remained unanswered, or answered with a
resounding “no.” Looking back on my
life, there were many things I thought I needed (perhaps thought I would die
without), that were actually not the best things for me. So this “I shall not want” coin has two sides. It also reassures me that I have a loving,
powerful, influential Lord ruling over my life and providing for me at every
curve and crossroad.
So there you have it: “The
Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want."
It has been fun searching out
my words. If you haven’t yet chosen your
life’s mission statement, start digging around to see if there are some words
that speak to you and might act as your guiding light. May the truth of those words inspire and
encourage you each and every day!
