In the military, we generally live somewhere within the MDMP (Military Decision-Making Process)…and a whole lot of admin time. The reality, though, even the admin time can fit somewhere in the cycle because all of the appropriate boxes need to be checked before we can get to step one. The MDMP process consists of seven steps. AI defines them thusly:
The seven steps of MDMP
Receipt of Mission:
The process begins with the staff receiving and understanding the new mission.
Mission Analysis:
The staff analyzes the mission in detail, identifying the constraints, tasks, and other critical factors.
Course of Action (COA) Development:
Multiple, distinct, and feasible courses of action are developed to meet the mission’s requirements.
COA Analysis (War-Gaming):
Each COA is “war-gamed” to assess its strengths and weaknesses.
COA Comparison:
The different COAs are compared against each other based on specific evaluation criteria.
COA Approval:
The commander reviews the comparison and selects a course of action to pursue.
Orders Production:
A detailed operation plan or order is created based on the approved COA and disseminated to subordinate units.
For the official Pub on MDMP, you can go here.
The truth is, we all, no matter what job we do, perform some variation of this every day. I have watched my wife expertly navigate this literally hundreds of times. A client calls, she analyzes the request, develops menus, and the staff comes together to ‘war game,’ plan, and assign taskings… All the way through completion. She, like the Military, also conducts a version of the After Action Report (AAR) to see what went well and identify areas for improvement. The only thing she doesn’t have is the cool acronym.
The purpose of this post is not to explain the MDMP process, but to perhaps change your perspective and introduce something new. Imagine, if you will, that we put Jesus, or God’s Kingdom, as part of our everyday mission. How would our day change if we fully accepted that we, as Christians, were on mission or part of the ministry… or lit for purpose every day in everything we do?
(For more on my faith journey, you can go here, here, here, and here. And as a reminder, the framework for this post is the discussion guide provided by our church about this Sunday’s service. As the discussion facilitator, I ask the questions, and in this post, you provide the answers.)
(Editor’s Note: When you see ‘Note’ below, these are not entirely my words but are largely derived from my Life Application Study Bible’s note section. I cannot take credit for them and am not that smart.)
We, the church – Lit for purpose
Colossians 3:1-17 (NLT)
Living the New Life
3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your[a] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,[c] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,[d] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Note: We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us so that he can shape us into what we should be. Setting our sights on the realities of heaven means striving to put heaven’s priorities into daily practice. Letting heaven fill our thoughts means concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporal.
- How can your everyday words and actions reflect the light of Christ in the places where you live, work, and play? What practical steps can you take this week to let your light shine before others?
Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)
23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.[a]
Note: If we could regard our work as an act of worship to God, such an attitude would take some of the drudgery and boredom out of it. We could work without complaining or resentment if we would treat our job and job problems as the cost of discipleship.
3 Things to Live out Lit for purpose- our everyday mission / ministry.
- We should carry Christ-like purpose into our everyday ministry.
- We should carry Christ-like composure into everyday challenges. – Self-control, patience, forbearance
- We should carry Christ-like compassion into our everyday relationships.
- When you think about your daily work or responsibilities, what motivates you most — what you do, or why you do it? How can aligning your “why” with God’s purpose change the way you approach your day?
Matthew 9:35-37 (NLT)
The Need for Workers
35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
Note: Jesus was overwhelmed with compassionate pity for the people. Many people are ready to give their lives to Christ if someone would show them how. Jesus commands us to pray for people to respond to this need for workers.
- Jesus was known for compassion that moved Him to action. Who in your life might need the type of compassion that Jesus showed? What would it look like for you to stop and care the way Jesus did?
Matthew 16:18
New Living Translation
18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[a] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[b] will not conquer it.
Note: Later, Peter reminds Christians that they are the church built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the cornerstone.
The truth is, we don’t always believe that we are Lit for a purpose.
Don’t believe the lies of:
-Just in case,
-A better time,
-Someone else can do this better than me, or
I’m not ready.
- How do your time, talents, and treasure contribute to the bigger story God is writing through the church? If you knew you couldn’t fail, what big dream would you step into that would benefit the Kingdom?
Here is a link to this week’s service: