In Pursuit of a Life Plan
by Randy Pope
The Journey: In Pursuit of a Life Plan
Copyright © 2000 by Randy Pope. All rights reserved.
No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.
Request for further information should be addressed to:
Perimeter Church, 9500 Medlock Bridge Road, Duluth, GA 30097.
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Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………..………..3
Writing Your Life Purpose and Vision……….4
Writing Your Life Mission……………………...7
Writing Your Life Values and Beliefs……….12
Writing Your Personal and Family Goals….15
Writing Your Life Schedule…………………..18
My Life Plan……………………………………..21
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Introduction
This workbook has been created to help you develop a Personal Life Plan. God is a God
of purpose, design and order and He has created you for the praise of His glory. He wants
His people to have life and have it abundantly. With that in mind, we encourage you to
enter into this process with prayer, with an understanding of the fact that you have been
adopted into God’s family and with a sense of adventure. God does not want you to have
a boring life while you wait for eternity to come. He wants you to have great joy now as
you live out the life He so graciously died for on the cross.
Further Reading and Listening
You can complete your Personal Life Plan by using this workbook and the Bible. For
further study we recommend the following:
Tapes:
1. Choosing a Life Purpose by Randy Pope
2. The Ultimate Search by Randy Pope
Books:
1. Macdonald, Gordon Ordering Your Private World
2. Buford, Bob Half Time
3. Hummel, Charles Tyranny of the Urgent
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Writing Your Life Purpose and Vision
Every person chooses a purpose for living -- either an eternal one or a temporal one. An
eternal life purpose expresses the desire to glorify God. The very first question of the
Westminster Shorter Catechism asks: “What is the chief end of man?” Answer: “Man’s
chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” It is important to note that there is
a difference between a Life Purpose and a Life Vision.
1. A Life Purpose answers the question, “Why do I exist?”
2. A Life Vision answers the question, “What am I trying to accomplish?”
God has uniquely created you. No one has been, or ever will be, just like you. Out of
His infinite love for you, He called you to be His son or daughter, made you righteous
through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, adopted you into His family, forgave you of
all of your sins, gave you the free gift of eternal life…and much more! He has given you
the absolute best. The question is, " How will you respond?"
God made you for a purpose. There is a reason for your existence, a response for you to
make during your brief stay on the earth. As a believer, you are not to fall into the trap
that Henry David Thoreau said most people do: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet
desperation.” No. You are to be about your Father’s business, fulfilling His purposes for
His glory.
Consider these Scripture passages:
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
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Life Purpose Worksheet
To help you develop your Life Purpose, ask yourself the question, “Why do I exist?”
Write below what you believe your Life Purpose is today:
Now, write what you believe your Life Purpose should be:
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Life Vision Worksheet
Having completed your purpose statement, let’s now think about your Life Vision.
A Life Vision is something big. It is the picture you have of yourself – what you believe
God wants you to be and achieve.
Writing your Life Vision will force you to do some careful reflection about who you are,
how He has made you, and why you are alive at this time in human history. When you
complete it, you will have a clearer vision of your overall reason for living.
Practical Guidelines
1. Get alone so you can spend time with God in prayer. Seek His face before you write
your vision statement.
2. Study God’s Word so your Life Vision lines up with His revealed will (the Bible).
3. Keep your focus broad and general. Later on you will be working on your goals. For
now, concentrate on the big picture.
Use the box below to complete a rough draft of your Life Vision. To help you on your
way, consider these three examples:
“To be a mature follower of Christ, a godly husband and father, and a
faithful pastor.”
“To know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of
sharing in his sufferings as a husband, father and employee.”
“To be a disciple-maker, disciple-trainer and sincere worshiper of God.”
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Writing Your Life Mission
As you continue working through the process of ordering or re-ordering your life
according to biblical principles, your next challenge is to write your Life Mission.
To clarify the terms: purpose, vision, and mission, take a minute to review. Remember,
first of all, that a Purpose Statement asks the question, “Why do I exist?” The answer
should include bringing glory to God. The Vision Statement asks a totally different
question: “What am I trying to accomplish?” Everyone’s purpose in life ought to be “to
glorify God” (having an eternal rather than a temporal purpose); however, your Life
Vision is unique to you. It is the picture you have of yourself – what you believe God
wants you to be and to do.
What is a Life Mission? A life mission answers the question, “How do I plan to
accomplish my life vision?”
You may be tempted by this time to think that you do not need to go any further. Your
question may sound something like this: “Isn’t it sufficient that I have a life purpose and
life vision? Do I really need anything more?”
John Haggai addresses this very issue in his excellent book entitled Lead On! Listen, for
a moment, to his thoughts on the subject:
“Having a vision is not enough. There must be a commitment to act on
the vision. That is called a mission.”
He then provides an illustration that will probably help you get a handle on the difference
between the two. See if this makes sense to you:
“In 1960, President John Kennedy challenged the American people with
his dream of an American on the moon by 1970. That was a vision.
Almost immediately, the government launched a program designed to
accomplish that vision – the Apollo mission. The president
communicated his vision to the American people. The people, through
the government, then committed to the fulfillment of that vision with a
mission.”
Does that help you?
Can you now see that many people have visions for their lives, but not everyone has a
mission by which to accomplish their vision and to turn their dreams into reality? Having
a Life Mission means a serious commitment has been made to act on the vision.
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Here are three examples of a Life Mission:
Example #1
I plan to accomplish my Life Vision of being:
A man passionate for God:
I plan to live a life of passion for God and gripped by His grace by being nourished by
the truths of scripture and communing with God in prayer, by viewing life’s difficulties
as opportunities to exhibit faith in God, and by using my resources to exhibit my love for
God.
A godly husband:
I plan to make a godly impact on my wife by leading her in a way that causes her to feel
loved, cared for, and beautiful, by praying for her, and by knowing her and being
involved with her emotionally, so that she can become the trophy of God’s grace that He
intends.
A godly father:
I plan to make a godly impact on my child(ren) by knowing them, their points of
excellence and temptation, by disciplining them in such a way that they understand God’s
character, and by praying for them, so that they grow up to love the Lord and feel secure
in my love for them.
A faithful member of God’s Church:
I plan to make a godly impact on my world by fulfilling my call to the Gospel ministry,
by being involved in the lives of those outside the family of God, in order that I may
share the love, power, and existence of God with them, and by being involved in the lives
of those inside the family of God, in order that I may lead, counsel, and disciple them to
live a life that pleases God.
Example #2:
I plan to accomplish my Life Vision of being:
A Christian woman:
I plan to become a mature follower of Christ by commitment to growth through prayer,
regular devotional reading, study of the Bible and accountability to put truth into my life
with other believers through my Discipleship Team. As a woman of God, I will be aware
of my witness to those in need of a relationship with Christ, both verbally and through
life-style.
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A godly wife:
I plan to be a helper to my husband by loving and respecting him, and by submitting to
his headship in all situations and circumstances. I will help him fulfill his Life Vision by
supporting and encouraging his endeavors and praying for and with him on a regular
basis.
A godly mother:
I plan to teach and lead my teenage daughters by role model and example and by
respecting their individuality in order to shepherd their lives. I will shepherd their lives
by loving and respecting their father, by keeping my relationship with Christ as priority,
and by leading them to Him as difficulties arise.
A godly homemaker:
I plan to create a home that is a haven from the stresses of the world for my family and
friends by keeping order, practicing hospitality, and providing a place of rest and
refreshment for them.
Example #3
I plan to accomplish my Life Vision of being:
A mature follower of Christ:
Lord, I desire to be continually growing in my understanding of who You are and my
dependence on You! I want to walk in obedience to Your ways out of a love relationship
with You knowing that You have my best in mind.
A daughter, sister and aunt:
I plan to be a daughter, sister and aunt that brings honor to my family: Lord, I thank you
for a family that is committed to this whole process of sanctification. I desire to bring
You greater glory through my interaction with them. This requires spending more time
with them, serving them, and involving them in my life. I also desire to be an example
and encouragement to my precious niece.
A diligent servant:
I plan to be a diligent servant in the work place: I will exercise discipline in the way I
spend my days in order that my work will be productive and pleasing to the Lord. I want
to succeed by serving others and building others up – not just completing my agenda.
A caring friend:
I plan to be a caring friend that radiates the truth and love of Christ to all with whom I
come in contact. I want my Life Purpose to be genuine and authentic so that my
relationship with Christ is an infectious blessing to those around me.
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Life Mission Worksheet
Write your Life Vision statement here in preparation for developing your Life Mission.
What am I trying to accomplish?
My Roles in Life
As you prepare to write your mission, here is a tip to help you get started. Look at the
roles you have in life and write something about each one of them. For instance, if you
have a vision for being a certain kind of father or mother (e.g., a godly father or mother),
expand on your thoughts in your mission statement.
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My Life Mission
How Do I Plan to Accomplish My Life Vision?
How Do I Plan to Accomplish My Life Vision?
(Abbreviated Statement)
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Writing Your Life Values and Beliefs
Webster defines value as “the quality of a thing according to which it is thought of as
being more or less desirable, useful, estimable, important, etc.” The verbal form of the
word means “to place a certain estimate of worth on in a scale of values; as, I value
health above wealth” (New Twentieth Century Dictionary).
One question can easily cut through to the heart of the meaning of the word value: What
is most important to me? When you get up in the morning; when you go about your day;
when you are ready to go to bed at night – what has your attention? What do you think
about? What motivates you to place one thing, event, or person above another? For
whom or what are you willing to sacrifice? Who or what has your heart?
Ultimately, there are only a handful of commitments or values that a person can live by
on a regular basis – notice this concept carefully. Sure, it’s possible to live by a single
value or multiple values for the short run. But no one can live consistently where
everything is equally important. That’s why we are asking you to focus on the values
that are most important to you.
Writing your values can be one of the most fruitful exercises you will ever do in life. For
as you reflect on your life in general – your relationship with God, family, neighbors,
etc., and the things that are really, really important to you – you are actually beginning to
discard those values that no longer have meaning and significance for you. Do you
remember Paul’s words: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child,
I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me” (I
Corinthians 13:11). The values that remain through and after the process – if they are
based upon God and His Word – form a foundation as firm and strong as any steel and
concrete one that is poured for a high-rise office tower. A life built on God-centered
values will be a life that will never be shaken.
On the following page is sample list of Life Values with a definition for each life value
under the heading. These definitions are defined as Life Beliefs. After reviewing this
chart, prayerfully begin the process of writing out your own Life Values and Beliefs by
answering the question, “What is most important to me as I seek to accomplish my
vision?”
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Life Values Worksheet
What is most important to me as I seek to accomplish my vision?
Life Values Life Beliefs
Giving
That giving glorifies God. It is an act of love
Faith
That God really is the only one who is completely trustworthy
and I have nothing to lose by trusting Him
Worship
That I am created for the praise of His glory and He is worthy
of worship that I can enjoy
Bible
It is the best book and one that I should read daily, meditate
on and memorize passages from
Repentance
That I need to identify areas to repent of regularly and if I find
myself not repenting, I need to pray for a spirit of repentance
Work
Possessions
Disciplemaking
Prayer
Education
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My Life Values and Beliefs
What is most important to me as I seek to accomplish my vision?
Life Values Life Beliefs
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Writing Your Personal and Family Goals
Moms have “to do” lists, kids have chores, companies have them, even churches have
them. Goals. In fact we are a very goal-oriented society. Whether it is to win the Super
Bowl, make a sale, issue an IPO, lose some weight, exercise, or get our kids into a good
college, we have many goals that we set for ourselves each year with varying degrees of
success. Have you ever stopped to consider the goals you have as a family and as an
individual? What are the five things you want to accomplish this year, individually
and/or as a family?
In this section we want to teach you about goals that matter, in time and eternity and help
you to begin the process of developing a list of goals that you and your family can work
toward.
Jesus Had Goals
You may be asking if it is biblical, that is, does the Bible command that we do such a
thing as have goals? Think for a moment in a broad way about the word of God. God is
goal oriented. He creates, He sustains, He redeems all with the goal of the glorification
of His person. He seeks glory for Himself in “conformity with the purpose of His will, in
order that we who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory”
(Ephesians 1:11-12).
Paul says it well in Galatians 1:4 - Jesus “gave Himself for our sins, to rescue us from the
present evil age.” His goal was to glorify the Father and die on the cross for our sins.
And as He was leaving the earth, He gave His disciples a goal, “Go, and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.” (Mathew 28:19)
Developing Personal Goals
The acrostic S.M.A.R.T. has been used to help people remember the qualifications of
well-written goals. They are called S.M.A.R.T. goals, in that they are:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-dated
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Before you begin the process of writing your goals, consider the following guidelines to
assist you:
Be wise. Pray for wisdom as you seek to set your goals in accordance with God’s
will for your life.
Be specific. Goals should be measurable so you can determine whether or not you
are on track.
Be realistic. Setting unusually high goals can be exciting, but may discourage you in
the long run. Establish goals that are challenging, but ones that you can attain with
effort and prayer.
Be faithful. That is, be full of faith. Every goal established should be a faith goal.
The Scriptures tell us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
Be patient. You may need some time to accomplish this task of writing your goals;
especially if it is the first time you have tried it.
Be diligent. One of the easiest tasks to postpone or procrastinate is the setting of
personal goals. Go at it with a passion, knowing that “if you fail to plan, you can plan
to fail.”
Be creative. You may have a tendency to continue doing the same things year after
year. Try something new; set a new goal that will challenge you.
Examples of Personal Goals
1. To spend a minimum of ___ hours alone with God per week in personal, private
worship.
2. Memorize ____ verses of scripture per month.
3. To maintain my weight at ____ and to exercise ____ times a week.
4. To give ____% of income to the church and other kingdom causes.
5. Pray with my spouse _____ times per week and have a date night monthly.
6. Have devotions with the family ____ times a week.
7. To start a discipleship team.
8. Go on a short-term mission trip this year.
9. To develop a prayer list of people who are unchurched
10. Share the gospel with ____ people this year.
11. Serve in the church nursery ____ days this year.
Goals, Primary Motivators For Life
Ted Engstrom summarized his thoughts on goal setting in the book Strategy for Living,
by saying, “Goals, then, are primary motivators for life. If we understand our goals, we
will better understand our life. If we change our goals, we change our lives.”
Remember to be patient. Do not think you can pull this together in an hour. If you are
willing to be patient and remember it is a process, the long-term benefits could be
enormous. Once you have your goals listed, you may amend them at any time.
Though this assignment may be difficult for you, be encouraged to follow through until
you have completed it. Your labor will not be in vain. Remember: If we change our
goals, we change our lives. Use the following page to record your personal goals.
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Personal Goals for the Year ________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Family Goals for the Year ________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Writing Your Life Schedule
Now it is time to move on to the next step: developing your Life Schedule. When we
work on our personal schedules, we are recognizing and affirming how valuable and
precious time is. God made it clear to us through the Apostle Paul that time is a valuable
– perhaps our most valuable – commodity and is to be used wisely: Be very careful, the,
how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because
the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is
(Ephesians 5:15-16). The New American Standard Bible reads: Making the most of your
time, because the days are evil. “In the light of the entire context the opportunity referred
to is that of showing by means of their life and conduct the power and the glory of the
gospel, thus exposing evil, abounding in good works, obtaining assurance of salvation for
themselves, strengthening the fellowship, winning the neighbor for Christ, and through it
all glorifying God.” The opportunity missed will never return (William Hendriksen,
italics Ephesians and mine). In short, time is too precious to waste and squander.
Careful planning will ensure that we use our time appropriately. Every goal we set must
be translated into time. John Alexander, author of Managing Our Work, writes, “To set a
goal but allow no time to work toward it is counterproductive. A person’s schedule
should be congruent with his objectives, goals, and standards.” A person may have the
most wonderful and awe-inspiring Life Plan, but if he fails to indicate when he plans to
accomplish his goals, the plan becomes nothing more than a hopeful dream.
In time management, a schedule is nothing more than a time budget. You have been
given the same amount of time that every other human being has – 168 hours per week.
In this respect, every person is on a level playing field. But not every person uses
wisdom in budgeting their time. Like preparing a financial budget, your judgment is
needed. To say “yes” to a certain time commitment is to say “no” to perhaps 10 other
things – and vice versa.
Making an effective and efficient time budget (or schedule) will help ensure, with God’s
blessing, that you will fulfill your Life Vision and Mission. To use an old saying, “This is
where the rubber meets the road.” Show me a person who has a well-thought-out
schedule and is attempting to live it each day, and I will show you a person who is on his
way to reaching his vision and accomplishing his mission. (Note: If you have written
your goals, but cannot find the time for implementation, you should either delete those
goals or revise both the goals and your schedule. These goals would be considered
“unrealistic” because you will not be able to reach them without the available time.
Should you fail to make the necessary changes, you will probably carry a burden of guilt
and frustration). Now let’s begin to think together about how to schedule your time.
Once again, John Alexander provides some very helpful insights for you: “Your plan for
a week…consists of two types of entries: those without fixed times and those which are
scheduled for specific times.”
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In the space provided below, make a list of all non-negotiable activities, things you
will/must do, and then the list of negotiable activities, things you might do. Rank these
unscheduled entries in order of priority. Next, lay out a weekly time budget – a grid in
which there are seven vertical columns (one for each day) and several horizontal rows
corresponding to hours. Enter into this schematic all of your scheduled events (in
specific hour-boxes on specific days). Then proceed to fill in the “open” times by
working your way down through the priority listing of unscheduled events.”
We have provided two such grids for you on the following pages. Complete the first grid
by filling in how you currently spend your time. Complete the second grid as mentioned
above. When you have finished filling them in, ask yourself this question:
If Jesus Christ were sitting in the room with me, and I handed Him my schedule,
would He approve of the way I budgeted my time?
If you are married, ask yourself this additional question:
If my spouse were sitting in the room with me, and I handed him/her my schedule,
would he/she approve of the way I budgeted my time?
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Weekly Schedule
My Current Schedule
Time
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
5:00 a.m.
6:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
12:00 a.m.
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Weekly Schedule
My Desired Schedule
Time
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
5:00 a.m.
6:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
12:00 a.m.
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My Life Plan
My Life Purpose
Why do I exist?
My Life Vision
What am I trying to accomplish?
My Life Mission
How do I plan to accomplish my life vision?
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My Life Values and Beliefs
What is most important as I seek to accomplish my vision?
Life Values Life Beliefs
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My Life Goals
What are the five things you want to accomplish individually and as a family in the
next year?
Personal Goals for the year ___________:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Family Goals for the year ___________:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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My Weekly Schedule
Time
Sun
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Fri
Sat
5:00 a.m.
6:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
8:00 p.m.
9:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
12:00 a.m.