The Life Equation:

"Living Out LeaderTreks"  - A series on the core values and leadership principles of LeaderTreks. I'll share how they are lived out in the company and in my own life.  To start from the beginning click here  

or "What is my Purpose?"

If I had a quarter for every time I got asked this question, I'd be a millionare by now.

It starts in Kindergarten - "What do you want to be when you grow up?" 

Echoed in high school - "What are you going to college for?"

Thrown at you in college - "What are going to do after college?"

Even now at LeaderTreks I get asked - "Oh, it's a two year position, what are you going to do after?"

Different questions all centered around the same idea 

What is my Purpose?

What should I be doing with my life?

I believe the answer to this question is a simple statement by Jesus right before He left the earth after his resurrection:

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..."

The problem with this is not the WHAT do I do... but HOW!

Thus I want to introduce to you the first of 10 Leadership Principles that LeaderTreks teaches -

   Burden 

+ Passion 

+    Vision 

= Mission

I first heard this Principle on my very first LeaderTreks mission trip to the Navajo WAY back in the summer of 2002. Since then it has helped me discover how God wants me to go and make disciples for His Name.

Let's unpack this and I'll explain how it has driven my life over the past 10 years.

Burden = 

What breaks your heart? 

What sort of things fire you up?

There are plenty of things in this world that breaks my heart, but God especially tugs at my heart when I see students who live in comfort and have the opportunity for a deep daily relationship with Christ, but don't feel urgency to to act upon it. In one word I'd say Apathy breaks my heart to the core - apathy in my own life as well as others.

Passion = 

What you love to do? 

What excites you most?

We often tell students that this doesn't have to be spiritual.

This list could go on and on, but my biggest passions are:

relationships, reading, music, and baking

Vision = 

What God is telling you to do?

This develops over time and is constantly changing depending on what God has you doing at this point in your life. We tell students that in order to allow God to talk to you about His vision for your life you must first give him your time. When we give him time and listen to him living out this vision will give us true joy.
There are both short-term and long-term visions. The same summer that I heard this equation as a 14-year-old girl heading into my Freshman year of High School, God gave me a very clear long-term vision 

- to start a youth center.

As I've continued to deepen my relationship with God he has continued to clarify and mold that vision, and he has continually provided short-term visions that are equipping me to accomplish the long-term.

Short-term visions have included:

- going on 3 additional LT mission trips

- heading off to JBU for a B.S. in Business Management

- studying abroad in Ireland

- working as an Extreme Serve staff member at Camp War Eagle (Office Staff + Counselor)

- taking an extra 9 hours of Youth Ministry classes my final college semester

- becoming full-time staff at LeaderTreks

Mission = Burden + Passion + Vision

All of these three things together help you create a personal mission statement. This is like having your own personal compass that directs you in all your decision making. 

"Living Intentionally, While in ALL Things Pointing Others to Christ"

A leader can't lead if they don't know where they are going -
So I encourage you to take some time and think over this life equation.

What is the Mission that God is sending you on in your life?