ANSWERING THE CALL
Then I heard the Lord Asking, “whom should I send as a messenger to the People?” I said, “Here I am. Send Me.” Isaiah 6:8
As men, we all know the overwhelming feeling inside us that there is more. A mission or operation that we are supposed to be on and leading. I know that I always feel that there is something more, something bigger than me, that I am supposed to be doing and striving towards. The question is, how do we figure that out. What is this purpose that we feel drawn to, and how do we implement and execute a way to reach it.
The first place that we have to look is God’s word.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT.
God already has a plan for our lives; our mission is to understand and live it out. So how do we do that?
When I served in the Marine Corps and as a chef. Each time we either went to the field for training or I was getting ready for dinner service, there were four things that we did. Plan, prepare, execute, and assess.
Planning – This is vital to the success of any mission. In the planning stage, you will not only identify the objective, but you are setting the key results. If you don’t know where you are going, you will never get there.
Preparation – in the kitchen, we use the French term Mise en Place, which translates into everything in its place. When your life and focus is in order you are prepared to take on what’s ahead. As men of God we need to be prepared on three different levels, spiritually, physically and mentally. Before we accept God’s call to speak for him to those around us we must be cleansed, confessing our sins and submitting to God’s control. This is the process of growth and how we get better. So that we can truly represent our Heavenly Father.
Execution – This is where the rubber meets the road. We have spent time creating a plan for a target that we want to reach. We have prepared ourselves spiritually, physically and mentally. So now we have to take the first step. The great thing about this is that we dont have to make it to the end on the first go at it. Our goal is to get to our first milestone. Then we can look back and….
Assess – This is honestly the hardest part and the most important part. When we are able to look back over a set period of time and expectations. It allows us to see not only the things we accomplished. It also allows us the ability to evaluate how we did and make decisions on how we can do them better, make changes, or even stop something that may not be working. This is hard because we have to be willing to embrace the possibility of failure, but not failure like the world looks at it, but with the mindset that without failure I will never get better.
