Problem number 1:
Many Christians are frustrated that their faith feels disengaged from the world and disconnected from their life. We sense that a life following Jesus should make a difference in the world, but our current experience falls short of that expectation. We see glimpses of possibility for a more integrated and meaningful expression of faith, but we’re not quite sure how to get there.
The response:
Seed exists to help people discover their God-given purpose…..then live it in the world
This is what drives us and motivates us. It’s our passion. It’s the Seed of Seed.
It might sound like lofty idealism, but it is deeply rooted in a framework that helps people connect their lives to God’s purpose. Far from being pie in the sky, this is desperately needed and deeply grounded in reality.
Before founding Seed I was the National Director of Micah Challenge, a campaign seeking to eradicate extreme global poverty. I’ve had lots of conversations over the last few years with people who are experiencing this disconnect and frustration, particularly in the context of their work. I’ve been frustrated that a lot of people seem to place greater meaning and value on my work than they do their own.
My fundamental belief is that God desires each of us to play our part in his purposes. Each contribution is distinct and valuable.
What matters most is not how impressive our work seems in the eyes of the world, but the extent to which we align ourselves and our actions with God’s purposes. It’s about faithfulness.
The reality is that even in jobs like mine it’s easy to lose a connection with God’s purposes. We come up with objectives which are good and formed from an initial desire to express God’s kingdom. Over time these objectives become the primary motivation. We start to align our decisions with our objectives rather than the purposes of God. Sometimes the steps that we take to get to those objectives aren’t necessarily aligned with God’s purposes.
So, rather than try to define outcomes and objectives, Seed’s main motivation is to form people at their core. We lay a foundation. We start with purpose. We seek to help people get so connected to God and God’s purposes that they step into the world each day, embodying a different reality for their own lives and for the cultures in which they live – a reality that expresses the beauty of Jesus’ grace.
If we can teach people to live this way, then we’re confident that the change they create will be aligned with God’s purposes, because they have first aligned their own purposes with the purposes of God.
And as they learn to align their lives, we trust that the disconnects and frustrations will fade away, and they will start to experience the blessing that comes from living as God intended us to live.