This one thing I do…

What is the one thing you do?

The story is told of the three stone masons, doing the exact same job, working at a cathedral building site. Each was asked, “what is it you are doing?” The first replied, “I’m just doing my job, trying to make a little money to put food on the table.” The second said, “I’m cutting these stones so they can be placed in that wall over there.” But the third proclaimed, “I am building a glorious building that will connect God and man.”

He clearly understood his mission.

Do you know your mission? Do the staff and volunteers around you know their job?

Andy Stanley talks about going around and asking each of his staff to state their job description in one sentence. If you can’t understand your job in one statement, then chances are you aren’t focused in what you are doing.

There seems to be biblical wisdom in this. Look at these people, and think about their simply stated job description:

? Paul [phil.3:12-14, acts 9:15-16]
? Adam & Eve [gen.1:26-29]
? Moses [exod.3:7-10]
? David [1 sam.16]
? Jesus [luke 4:17-19, 19:10]

Jesus’ job was simple - he came to seek and to save those who were lost.

So, how can I achieve this type of job focus? It starts with the job description - JOB DESCRIPTIONS…

1. Are needed by EVERY staff member and volunteer
2. Give me success and satisfaction in my job
3. Guard against “vision creep”, the tendency for me to gravitate toward non-mission essential activities
4. Make “Focused Intensity” possible

A job description should include three parts: target, areas, tasks.

1. Job Target = one concise, clear, specific statement of what I am doing
2. Job Areas = the major responsibilities I carry as I work toward the target, maybe 3-4
3. Job Tasks = the daily activities I do to carry the major responsibilities

Jesus’ target, for example, was to seek and to save. The job areas needed to “seek and save” might be preaching, team building, and the cross. The tasks for “team building” might be personal coaching, miracles, parables, etc.

We will not be focused and effective if we do not have a clear job description.Without one, we are open game for the DEVIL, the DEMONS, and the CROWD.

In Luke 4 Jesus is first tempted by the devil. The temptations are designed to get Him off of his job target - “grab popularity, use your power, bypass the cross”.

Later in the chapter, Jesus evicts some demons out of people, and He has to muzzle them because the demons were ready to blab His identity to everyone. Why wouldn’t He want this? It would thrust Him into the spotlight of popularity and make it harder to stay on mission.

As the chapter ends, Jesus is surrounded by a crowd who wants to keep Him in their town, to meet their needs. But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” [luke 4:43]

That’s the kind of job focus I want.