your shadow mission

As I write this I am both humbled and overwhelmed that people might want to look inside this mind of Nate Gibbons.

I think we are all put on this earth by God for a purpose but we need to realize it is for God's purpose not ours. I have been reading a book called "Overcoming Your Shadow Mission by John Ortberg.

I love that John shares that in the book of Esther, Esther thinks that her mission was to be the queen but that was her shadow mission her mission was to save the Jews.

Since reading this book I believe that most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, have a shadow mission or something that takes us away from what God has intended for us to do with our lives.

Here are the top ten shadow missions that John gives:

1. Just give me home, health, and a hefty 401(k)
2. Busy, busy, busy.
3. I don't care who is in charge as long as it is me.
4. Show me the money.
5. It is all about me.
6. Maintaining hidden addictions.
7. I'll think about it tomorrow.
8. Looking nice by avoiding conflict.
9. Climb the ladder first, put people second.
10. Shop til you drop.

I struggle over and over with the second one. Being busy. I find that I can be totally busy all the time doing great things. I forget to slow down enough to let God go in front of me. I am learning that instead of asking God to bless my plans I should ask God to go before me as a snow plow and create the path that he wants me to travel on.

I love though that I have people that will speak the truth in love to me and tell me to slow down and listen to God. Like Esther had Mordecai who shared with her in love that she needed to take care of her people the Jews and that God had put her in a position to do this.

What is your shadow mission? What is keeping you from doing what God wants you to do?

Who do you have that can lovingly help remind you when you go after your shadow mission?

Thanks for spending your time reading this.