Core values and mission statements
What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. Those who obey God’s commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us. (verses 23,24)
Read 1 John 3:19 – 4:6
Many organisations have a statement of their core values, which is a simple summary of what they stand for, and a mission statement, which sets out how they aim to live up to their core values and put them into action.
If a sporting club had as one of its core values ‘Winning is all important’, we could safely assume that caring and fair play wouldn’t figure strongly in their mission statement.
Just before he was crucified Christ commanded his disciples, ‘As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples’ (John 13:34b,35).
For us as Christians, people who belong to Christ, our core values statement is that we believe in Jesus Christ, who loves us. Our mission statement follows from that: as believers in Christ, we will love one another. Now that’s a mission statement!
Jesus Christ, I belong to you and believe in you. Please, help me to live up to the Christian’s mission statement. Amen.
By Grace Bock, in “Refreshment for each day” (LCA, Openbook Publishers (2003)
Visit the Daily Devotion archives page.
