Luke 4:18-19 –

God's Spirit is on me;
he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to
the poor,

Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and

recovery of sight to the blind,

To set the burdened and the battered free,

to announce, "This is God's year to act!" (MSG)

Years ago, when I was working for one of our largest corporations, a new concept was introduced to its management. We were all to set down our "Mission Statement", our "raison d'être", our reason for being. The idea was to help us to focus on our essential purpose. Since then, I have seen "Mission Statements" in hospitals, prisons, and many sundry places. At one point, I tried to have the elders of the congregation I served as pastor write one.

What is the "Mission Statement" of the Christian church? Perhaps it was in the first declaration of the angels at Christ's birth: "Peace on earth", or in today's Scripture: freedom and recovery for all.

In our pursuit of the eternal life Jesus promised, have we lost sight of the real goal? Have we not used Christianity for our own purposes instead of letting God use us for His purpose? Wouldn't it be wonderful if our own nation, the United Nations, and all peoples would say that our reason for being is "Peace on earth, good will among men"? If this is to be, I'm sure it must start with us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, in Your earthly life You suffered ridicule, torture and death so that we might have freedom. You left, as Your legacy to us, Your peace. As we enjoy these gifts, give us strength to live that all others might have them as well. Amen.

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