Mission In Life

[Flatliner]

Do you have a mission in life? A purpose for being here?

I actually mean something 'in particular' that you think/believe/feel you are here on earth to do?

 

I'm just chewing on that one at the moment because my faith is changing and shifting and at one time, I believed (and was told) that I had been 'saved' for a reason, to do something for God. I've moved a long way from that style/approach/faith/belief/paradigm now and am thinking more along the line of being vs doing. It may sound funny, but at the moment, my mission in life is to slow down and breathe. To me that's not as superficial as it might sound.

 

Anyone got a particular 'mission'? - Does it change over time?

Is there really any such thing at all? - If there is, how do you come to know what it is?

[JosephM]

Do you have a mission in life? A purpose for being here?

I actually mean something 'in particular' that you think/believe/feel you are here on earth to do?

 

I'm just chewing on that one at the moment because my faith is changing and shifting and at one time, I believed (and was told) that I had been 'saved' for a reason, to do something for God. I've moved a long way from that style/approach/faith/belief/paradigm now and am thinking more along the line of being vs doing. It may sound funny, but at the moment, my mission in life is to slow down and breathe. To me that's not as superficial as it might sound.

 

Anyone got a particular 'mission'? - Does it change over time?

Is there really any such thing at all? - If there is, how do you come to know what it is?

 

Hi Flatliner,

 

In my view, of course, everyone has a purpose for being here. Everyone has something 'in particular' that they are here to do. The strange thing of couse is that the particular thing is not often related to religion. Everything is related to spiritually but not necessarily to religion which is a creation of man.

 

We would all like to think that we are here to do something for God as you had believed and were told. But it seems to me that 'God' is already complete, all present, all knowing and all powerful and doesn't need something done for him. It seems more to me like it is 'us' who need to do something for ourselves to make us complete. And this doing something may be no more than surrendering to that which is already complete. Perhaps this individual experience of 'world' is more of a creation of our own individual mind which has disidentified with that which is already complete.

 

It seems to me that it is good that you are taking time to slow down and breathe. I have a particuliar mission but it is meaningless to you. It seems to change but it really doesn't. It only appears to change when one focuses on content instead of context.

 

Love in Christ,

JM

[Jeannot]

SOMETIMES, people who think they have a mission from God can be very, very dangerous people, as we can see in the world around us today.

 

But yes, each of us does have a mission. At the very least, we are meant to be all that we can be, even though this may take a liftime to work out. Each person is unique. But if your "mission" involves harming others, it cannot be from God. As St Paul said, "Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Love moves us toward God, since God is Love.

 

Most of the time, a person's mission is not something dramatic, or even seemingly well-defined. It may be only doing the duty which lies nearest you. If you are married, then loving, honoring, and respecting your spouse and children is your mission.

 

"If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (I Cor 13:2)

[soma]

I think our purpose changes sometimes doing, sometimes just breathing, but most of the time doing both at the same time. I feel by just being we are making contact with God the Father that is an undivided and indivisible Whole, a pure consciousness that fills all time and permeates all space. This makes our purpose not to find God, but to realize God's presence and to understand that this all pervading consciousness is always with us. To do this we have to quiet the mind, one good way is to meditate or watch the breath. Life flows up from the inside where the Divine Presence is springing up from within us. When we realize this, we recognize that this all-pervading consciousness is responding to us from every person, thing or event that transpires. The Divine Presence is everywhere so our mission is to awaken to the realization of this Presence. God's presence will make know everything. It is an individual mission that one has to find on one's own in their particular relationship with the Lord. Good luck on the journey.

[Jeannot]

I think our purpose changes sometimes doing, sometimes just breathing, but most of the time doing both at the same time. I feel by just being we are making contact with God the Father that is an undivided and indivisible Whole, a pure consciousness that fills all time and permeates all space. This makes our purpose not to find God, but to realize God's presence and to understand that this all pervading consciousness is always with us. To do this we have to quiet the mind, one good way is to meditate or watch the breath. Life flows up from the inside where the Divine Presence is springing up from within us. When we realize this, we recognize that this all-pervading consciousness is responding to us from every person, thing or event that transpires. The Divine Presence is everywhere so our mission is to awaken to the realization of this Presence. God's presence will make know everything. It is an individual mission that one has to find on one's own in their particular relationship with the Lord. Good luck on the journey.

 

Well said.

[October's Autumn]

I believe we all have the same mission: to make the world a better place. How we go about doing it depends on the individual. Currently I do it through teaching children. At one time I did it by driving children who were in foster care to visits with their biological families.

[Jeannot]

I believe we all have the same mission: to make the world a better place. How we go about doing it depends on the individual. Currently I do it through teaching children. At one time I did it by driving children who were in foster care to visits with their biological families.

 

Well done.

[flowperson]

My favorite mission story and metaphor is the original Blues Brothers film. It may be one of the twentieth century's most effective religious stories, even though, on the surface, it is a frolicsome romp through the life and times of down and out blues musicians. But think about the premise.

 

Two failed musicians, down on their luck, one of them just out of the "big house" visit their boyhood home, a Catholic orphanage in Calumet City, Illinois, where they tried to learn discipline from the "penguin" and did learn the blues from the black janitor in the building's basement. (You know, the blues is that music that makes you feel good just by listening to it when you feel bad.) They find out that the county is about to seize the orphanage for back taxes, and are sent to a church service by the janitor where James Brown is the pastor who delivers a fiery musical sermon replete with acrobatic dancing, causing the Brothers "to see the light".

 

Whereupon they embark upon their "mission from G-d" by putting their old R&B band back together, raising the money to pay the back taxes just in time, all the while pursued by the Illinois State Police, The Chicago Police Department, The Illinois National Guard, and The Chicago Fire Department. I don't know about any of you, but the story and the music still speaks to my spirit about what the least of us have the ability to do through the use of our talents when we feel empowered by the "mission" that we find ourselves involved in. We need more believers to just go out there and "do it".

 

But before any of you go out on your missions, rent the movie and enjoy it. See if it doesn't affect you in positive ways regarding the pursuit of your personal "missions". If it doesn't do for you what it does for me, you'll only have lost two hours and the rental fee. IMHO we all can get too serious about life's road, and that's probably just what the "enemy" wants.

 

P.S. "The enemy" REALLY hates music, so crank up the volume.

 

Peace

 

flow....

[Cynthia]

Wayne Dyer has a new book out called, "Inspiration". I caught part of the PBS special based on it. He defines inspiration as in-spirit... in other words, no matter what you are doing (in a small or large sense), to be aware of your connection to God and to allow that to shape and guide your behavior. Love God, Love your neighbor then allow those to enter into all that you do.

 

A wide variety of writers seem to agree with this - I'd include Phillip Yancey, Deepok Choprah, Joesph Campbell, CS Lewis, John Eldridge, and Marcus Borg.

 

It's a varied group - perhaps they're onto something!

 

I do feel that I am doing what I was meant to do. There is a sense of ease, of syncronicity, of "I couldn't have planned to end up here" and validation from the people I interact with that I have influenced their lives in a positive way. I don't think this is something you can force; it's more of an allowing or trusting.

 

The best metaphor I can think of is floating in the ocean. If you get worried and struggle, you will soon be exhausted and drown. If you relax, you just float.

 

You're on the right track. Relax, breathe, float. No rush. You're on God's time.

[Kay]

to be aware of your connection to God and to allow that to shape and guide your behavior

 

I just came across a book called "When God Winks" that basically says the same thing. I haven't read it though.

[Flatliner]

We would all like to think that we are here to do something for God as you had believed and were told. But it seems to me that 'God' is already complete, all present, all knowing and all powerful and doesn't need something done for him. It seems more to me like it is 'us' who need to do something for ourselves to make us complete.

 

I think you're probably right. It is always good to feel 'useful' and (in my case) I've been very involved with and centred on a denomination/expression of faith that has put a lot of value on 'doing' (and being seen to be doing). It is an interesting transition for me to go from a 'doing and therefore useful' paradigm to another place/stage, made more interesting of course, because I don't quite know where I'm going.

 

 

And this doing something may be no more than surrendering to that which is already complete. Perhaps this individual experience of 'world' is more of a creation of our own individual mind which has disidentified with that which is already complete.

 

I like the sound of that. Let me think on that one for a bit.

 

 

My favorite mission story and metaphor is the original Blues Brothers film.

 

YES! Great movie.

thanks flow.

[Realspiritik]

I do feel that I am doing what I was meant to do. There is a sense of ease, of syncronicity, of "I couldn't have planned to end up here" and validation from the people I interact with that I have influenced their lives in a positive way. I don't think this is something you can force; it's more of an allowing or trusting.

 

Nicely put, Cynthia. Love Jen

[flowperson]

Jen-Cynthia

 

So good to hear from you both again! I do so appreciate your viewpoints and always learn from them both.

 

flow....

[jerryb]

Do you have a mission in life? A purpose for being here?

I actually mean something 'in particular' that you think/believe/feel you are here on earth to do?

 

I'm just chewing on that one at the moment because my faith is changing and shifting and at one time, I believed (and was told) that I had been 'saved' for a reason, to do something for God. I've moved a long way from that style/approach/faith/belief/paradigm now and am thinking more along the line of being vs doing. It may sound funny, but at the moment, my mission in life is to slow down and breathe. To me that's not as superficial as it might sound.

 

Anyone got a particular 'mission'? - Does it change over time?

Is there really any such thing at all? - If there is, how do you come to know what it is?

 

 

I'm with you on this one Flatliner......."being rather than doing" is, in my opinion,the very essence of what is meant by the biblical term"The kingdom of God is WITHIN you".So BEING rather than doing makes so much sense to me.

Like you, my faith has undergone a radical transformation in the past five years. The change has come slowly, but dramatically. And today....I rest in the warm glow of newly discovered wells of spiritual truth...not MY truth,but truth nevertheless.

I am appalled at how I missed the simple message of that verse..."The kingdom of God IS within you" I now notice that it was PRESENT TENSE! It is saying that the kingdom of God has ALWAYS been within, and will ALWAYS be within. What do you think?

 

Blessings to you my friend,

 

jerryB

[jerryb]

Wayne Dyer has a new book out called, "Inspiration". I caught part of the PBS special based on it. He defines inspiration as in-spirit... in other words, no matter what you are doing (in a small or large sense), to be aware of your connection to God and to allow that to shape and guide your behavior. Love God, Love your neighbor then allow those to enter into all that you do.

 

A wide variety of writers seem to agree with this - I'd include Phillip Yancey, Deepok Choprah, Joesph Campbell, CS Lewis, John Eldridge, and Marcus Borg.

 

It's a varied group - perhaps they're onto something!

 

I do feel that I am doing what I was meant to do. There is a sense of ease, of syncronicity, of "I couldn't have planned to end up here" and validation from the people I interact with that I have influenced their lives in a positive way. I don't think this is something you can force; it's more of an allowing or trusting.

 

The best metaphor I can think of is floating in the ocean. If you get worried and struggle, you will soon be exhausted and drown. If you relax, you just float.

 

You're on the right track. Relax, breathe, float. No rush. You're on God's time.

 

Cynthia,

 

You expressed my feelings exactly.."I couldn't have planned to end up here". I have read all the authors you mentioned except Eldridge.

 

I am so content at this moment to be IN this moment. And the great inspiration of the authors you mentioned have guided me on my spiritual quest. I am just now reading Yancey's new book,"RUMORS",and so far, it is really breathtaking.

Bon Voyage fellow traveler.

 

 

Blessings,

 

jerryB

[rivanna]

I agree that God doesn't "need" anything from us, but wants us to feel and share his/her love in some way.

 

About Yancey's latest book, thought he said it all so much better in his two previous books.

 

About having a mission or not, this is something I've often wondered about...if there has been a God given purpose for my life, it probably has to do with learning the real meaning of the gospel --and the Old testament-- as opposed to the superficial occasional churchgoing I grew up with in my non-believing Protestant family--closer to Stoicism than Christianity. It's been a direction of accepting grace, learning humility and gratitude instead of relying on my own performance or background. I've learned a lot in an intellectual sense, though how much I've applied is not clear. Alongside this challenge has been learning how to maintain a committed caring relationship without turning it into an addiction. Maybe using art or writing to express faith has also been part of this direction. Whether I'm supposed to ever go back to church (if there's one I'd feel at home in) remains to be seen :-)