Leaders are driven by an unquenchable vision with roots that go deep into the soul. This “purpose” awakens them early in the morning and keeps them up late at night. It’s undeniable in its power to thrust leaders forward, determined to see a mission completed, a calling fulfilled, a dream realized.
If there was ever a leader who understood, and unapologetically pursued, a vision, it was Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, we see His purpose come to life and His mission come to pass. A perfect example is found in Luke 4:42-44:
“At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.’”
From this passage, we discover three qualities of Jesus’ commitment to purpose-driven leadership.
1. Unwavering Clarity: Jesus knew His purpose
Jesus’ purpose is clear when he says, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43, NIV). Jesus’ purpose wasn’t a fleeting thought. It wasn’t a hope, or a wish, or an idea. It wasn’t a hint or a hunch. Jesus’ purpose was central to His life.
Other passages confirm His purpose in an equally compelling manner. “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10, NLT). Matthew 20:28 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NLT). And John said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT) and “…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8, NIV)
Jesus’ purpose was to seek and to save lost humanity. In fact, you could boil Jesus’ purpose down to one word: Redemption.
What about you? If I were to ask you to summarize your life in one word, what would it be? In his book, Aspire, Kevin Hall says that when he’s coaching someone, he challenges them to describe their life in one word. When they distill it down to one word, it’s like turning to a page in a book with only one word on it. Kevin writes, “Instead of seeing three hundred different words on the page, the person’s attention, and intention, is focused immediately on that single word, that single gift.” Then he makes a great observation: “What the individual focuses on expands.”
Jesus had unwavering clarity when it came to His purpose in life. He was never wishy-washy about why He was on the earth. Because of His clarity, the impact of His mission expanded.
Before I move on to my second point, let me mention that Jesus understood the WHAT and the WHO of His purpose. I just described the what, but verse 43 describes the who: “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”
If you’re sent somewhere, then somebody has sent you. Jesus was on a mission that originated with His Father in Heaven. He was sent by His Father. John 20:21 says, “Again he said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you’” (NLT). And Acts 3:26 says, “When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways” (NLT).
Your purpose will never be found in a friend, your spouse, or your kids. Regardless of how great your job or how large your bank account, it will never serve as the source of your purpose. True purpose is discovered first and foremost in Christ. He is the who behind the your what.
2. Unrelenting Focus: Jesus avoided distractions to His purpose
Once Jesus understood His purpose, He refused to let anything, or anyone, distract Him. He was unrelenting in his focus. Luke 4:42 says, “At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them” (NIV).
Notice that last phrase: “…they tried to keep him from leaving them.” Verses 40 and 41 tells us why. Jesus was healing the sick and casting out demons. If Jesus was doing that for you, you’d open a spare bedroom in your house and ask him to stay.
Not Jesus! He was on a mission, and regardless of how well intentioned the people might have been, He refused to be distracted. Therein lies an important lesson for us today: The good intentions of others can cause you to live unintentionally.
[bctt tweet=”The good intentions of others can cause you to live unintentionally.”]
If you’re going to pursue your purpose with unrelenting focus, you’re going to have to avoid the distractions, ignore the naysayers, and focus on what matters most. That’s what Jesus did. His Father sent Him on mission with a message, and that message needed to spread throughout the region, and eventually the world.
3. Unyielding Fulfillment: Jesus completed His purpose
This passage concludes with these words: “And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea” (Luke 4:44, NIV). Because Jesus had unwavering clarity of His purpose, and because Jesus exhibited unrelenting focus on his purpose, He was able to complete the mission for which His Father had sent him.
Vicktor Frankl, the Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who spent three years of his life in concentration camps, developed an extraordinary understanding of one’s life mission during and after his horrific experience. Frankl said:
“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life. Everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.”
What is your task? What is your mission? What is it that God has sent you to complete? John Maxwell observes, “Once you find your why, you will be able to find your way… Why is your purpose. Way is your path…Your why is fuel for your strengths. And your strengths are the way to fulfill your why.”
[bctt tweet=”Once you find your why, you will be able to find your way.” John Maxwell]
So why is understanding and fulfilling your purpose so important? I believe Jesus gives us the answer. In John 17:4, He prays to His Father, “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (NLT). The greatest way Jesus glorified God was by fulfilling the purpose He sent Him to fulfill. Maybe the same is true for you and me. Perhaps the greatest way we can glorify God is by completing the mission He is sending us to fulfill.
Three Questions to Consider:
So let’s get practical. Here are three questions to help you apply the insights from Jesus’ life on leading with purpose.
- What’s your purpose? Be as specific as possible by writing your purpose in a succinct and clear sentence. Could you state it in one word?
- Who or what is distracting you from your purpose? Name your distraction and then determine what steps you need to take to deal with the distraction. Is someone else’s good intentions causing you to live unintentionally?
- What must you do to complete your purpose? Map out an action plan that will help you move forward.
