Schroer: My mission statement

Published 5:00 am Sunday, June 2, 2024

In the 1996 movie, “Jerry Maguire,” the title character, played by Tom Cruise, had an epiphany. Disillusioned by the cutthroat world of his chosen profession as a sports agent, Cruise sat down one night and wrote a 25-page document about how to make their business better.

He called it a “Mission Statement.”

Most businesses and organizations have mission statements. Though the majority aren’t 25 pages long, they are meant for the same purpose. A mission statement says why you exist. A mission statement gives you direction. A mission statement focuses you on your mission.

This last week, I looked up the mission statements of a number of companies and organizations. I found that the strongest organizations often have the most powerful and succinct mission statements.

For example, Coca-Cola’s mission statement is: “To refresh the world … To inspire moments of optimism and happiness … To create value and make a difference.” The mission statement for the AARP is: “To enhance quality of life for all as we age.” The mission statement for Microsoft is: “To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

Does your place of business have a mission statement? Does your church? Do you?

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, made a statement. I don’t know if he considered it his personal mission statement, but I have adopted it as mine. As Paul sat as a prisoner, chained to a Roman soldier, he didn’t know what God had planned for him. One of two possible outcomes could result from his imprisonment.

Either they would set him free or kill him.

And Paul couldn’t decide which outcome he preferred. If he stayed here on earth, that would mean he could continue to serve the Philippians and others by sharing with them the good news of God’s Word. But if they killed him, that would be even better, because then he would truly be free. He would be with his Savior. He would be in heaven.

“For to me,” Paul wrote, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

For Paul, if he stayed here on earth, that meant God still had things for him to do. If he stayed here on earth, that meant he could serve his Savior who sacrificed everything for him.

Life here on earth has a purpose. God has given us a mission as Christians – to live for him who lived and died for us.

We live for him because we know one day we will live with him. For a Christian, death is always gain. When we die, we receive the victory of heaven Jesus won for us. In heaven, we will be free of all the pains and problems of this world. In heaven, we will be perfectly happy forever.

Organizational gurus and life coaches all agree that you should never copy somebody else’s mission statement. Your mission statement should be original to you. But I can’t help myself. Paul’s mission statement is my mission statement. I hope it is yours as well.

As Christians, we are here – we exist – to live for our Savior who lived and died for us. That is our mission. We live for him here with the confidence that we have a perfect home waiting for us in the hereafter.

That is why we exist. That is our mission statement.