I’m not much for New Year’s resolutions. But I love talking about mission. The very word brings up energy, desire, focus, and great hope. It’s also a reminder that Jesus was on a mission with His life and gives that same mission to all of His followers. As a ministry, we periodically refocus on the specific mission that He has given us. So what is the mission for 2022 for Landmark Journey? Here it is:
Mission #1: Find your guide.
Every man longs for a mentor, a guide through the potholes and pitfalls of this life. He needs a sure guide who can show him how to be a man and tell him he is so much more than he can imagine. He needs someone to encourage him, challenge him, and love him all through the winding path ahead. Without such a guide, a man gets easily confused. Thrown into the washing machine of this world, he becomes disoriented. Anger and despair begin to have the upper hand.
Landmark Journey exists to help men find that very guide in the person of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. The Lord is called the good Shepherd for that very reason. He is speaking to us in countless ways in our lives. I love helping men learn to discern His voice and guidance through the work of spiritual direction. And facilitating silent retreats only accelerates the process. Once a man sees that he can really hear from God and follow that leading, all sorts of amazing things start to happen!
Mission #2: Own your identity.
Most men try to find their identity in their accomplishments or work. No wonder that the fear of failure is so paralyzing! Another problem is that a man’s identity is often tethered to what he does, not who he is. There is no real rest here, only pressure and finally exhaustion. A final issue to consider is that one’s identity can never be discovered by individual effort. It is always bestowed by another.
Jesus loves to bestow on us our true identity. Who better knows us than the One who created us? Who better sees our hearts than the One from whom no heart is hidden? When a man discovers how to listen to God and how deeply he is loved the Father, he discovers who he is in the Father’s eyes as a beloved son. He is something unique and special, unlike any other man. His identity is grounded in the love that will never let him go. I have seen this happen to men countless times in the process of spiritual direction. It transforms them from the ground up.
Mission #3: Discover your quest.
Without a quest, a man degenerates into seeking the next titillation. He feels formless and void with no consuming purpose. He wilts before hardships and seeks the easy path in life. Imagine a man lost in a wilderness jungle, forever wandering and never finding his way out. That’s what a man feels like without a quest.
But along with an identity, Jesus will sooner or later give a man a quest to spread His kingdom in word, deed, and power. How that will come is a different story for each man, but it will come. He can refuse the quest of course, but to take it up will set him on a grand adventure.
Conclusion
There is no better life for a man than finding his guide, owning his identity, and discovering his quest. We have the unique privilege here at Landmark Journey of helping men do just that. That’s our mission in 2022 and beyond. If you want to hear more about the work of spiritual direction, click here. If you want to see upcoming silent retreats, click here. And if you have any questions you would like me to field, reply back to this post or send me an email. I would be happy to start the conversation with you.
On a mission in 2022,
Bill
Image credit Nghia-Le on Wunderstock (license)
