Our Mission in Life

We have heard of the importance of having a purpose or mission in life. But how can we know what it is?
 
First, our mission is to know the One who gave us the urge to find a mission. In other words, know God. We came from Him and shall return to Him. During our short time here, our foremost mission is to know our Father in heaven and enjoy Him.
 
Second, our mission is to make this world a better place—make earth more like heaven. Life is foggy. We can only see the path right in front of us. At every fork, trust God and follow His guidance. Try to take the one that will bring more gratitude, justice, kindness, forgiveness, love, and courage into the world. Try to take the right path not just on big things, but on little things also. If we are not faithful in handling small things, how will we be able to handle larger ones?
 
Third, our mission is to spend time in areas that (a) we can exercise our greatest talent (the talents we are most delighted to use), (b) are most appealing to us, and (c) are most needed by the world. They should be where our deepest gladness meets the world’s deepest hunger. Try to find them by identifying, classifying, and prioritizing our talents and skills. They should be written in our hearts. God will help us.
 
Do not think too much. We will be wrong sometimes, so be prepared to adjust as we go.
 
Also, do not worry or be anxious. We may think that our life has no purpose or that we’ve done nothing meaningful. But we won’t know the effects of what we have done until the day we see Him. When we think we have accomplished something meaningful, we should thank God for His guidance and help.
 
To summarize, our missions are to know God, make the world a better place to live, and use our talents to happily meet the world’s needs.
 
Summarized from “Finding your mission in life,” a chapter in the 2017 edition of What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles.

 

人生的使命
 
我们都听说过人生目的或使命的重要性，但如何知道它们是什么呢？
 
首先，我们的使命是认识给我们渴望寻找使命的那一位，换句话说就是认识上帝。我们来自祂，也会归于祂。 在一生短暂的时间内，首要任务是认识天父并享受祂。
 
第二，我们的使命是使这个世界变得更美好，使这世界更像天堂。 生活是浓雾弥漫的，只能看到眼前的路径。在每一个三叉路口中，都当相信上帝, 遵循祂的指导。 尽量尝试带给世界更多的感恩、正义、善良、宽恕、仁爱和勇气。
 
不仅在大事上努力走正道，在小事上也要这样。如果处理小事不忠心，怎能忠心地处理大事呢？
 
最后，我们的使命应该是发挥自己最大的恩赐。这些恩赐既是我们最喜欢使用、对我们最有吸引力的，同时也是世界最需要的。它们是我们最深的喜乐，也能满足世界最深的饥渴。尝试通过对我们的天赋和技能进行识别、分类、列出优先次序来发现这些恩赐。它们应该是写在我们心上的，上帝会帮助我们发掘出来。
 
不要想太多。我们有时会犯错误，预备好不断调整要走的道路。
 
不必担心或忧虑。我们可能认为自己的生活漫无目的，又或者没有做出任何有意义的事。但是我们直到见到祂的那天并不知道所有做过的事的果效。如果认为成就了某些事，就要感谢上帝的引导和帮助。
 
总而言之，我们的使命应该是认识上帝，使世界成为一个更美好的地方，并利用我们的恩赐快乐地满足世界的需要。