How Do You Get Where You're Going?
Building a personal map for following Jesus.
I did this as an experiment, and it was powerful… stay with me.
Taking a break from the “Is [It] Evil?” series…
Part 1: Is [A.I.] Evil?
Part 2: Is [Yoga] Evil?
Part 3: Is [Alcohol] Evil?
Part 4: Is [Social Media] Evil?
Part 5: Is [Politics] Evil?
Part 6: Is [Doubt] Evil?
So… I love A.I.
Not as a cheat - not as a shortcut or work-around - but as a team member. I have often found, most A.I. tools are best at asking questions. Tell it who you are and what you want, and ChatGPT (or Grok or Claude or whatever you want) is well-equipped to ask probing questions to help you get there.
So, I asked ChatGPT a question…
If I tell you my life mantra is "Never perfect; rarely easy; always forward."
My life verse is John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
My “why” for ministry is, “We exist to know God and make Him known.”
What does that mean to you? What do those two things tell you about me? And what follow-up questions would you have about me?
ChatGPT had some feedback and several questions.
After some back-and-forth, it produced a 1-page document titled “Ministry North Star.”
No, there’s nothing magical about it. It’s just a large language model producing words based on all the words in its database. But the process was strangely reassuring…
I share all of this, not to brag or promote A.I. or my own philosophy… but to ask you this…
What is your life mantra? And that’s not anything mystical or complex. It’s just the words you say over and over in the absolute basement of the valley. Some have called it a mental anchor to keep you in place when the waves are high…
What is your life verse? Better if you have it memorized. Better if you have already thought deeply about what action it inspires in you. Have it, own it, internalize, and apply it.
What is your “why”? What core principle drives what you do, and how you do it?
If it helps, here’s my “Ministry North Star” (with some redactions, details that are just for me)
💬 Life Mantra
“Never perfect. Rarely easy. Always forward.”
Progress isn’t perfection. Forward isn’t fast. I’m here to obey, not impress. The work is often messy, but if I’m still aligned with Jesus, I’m still moving.
📖 Life Verse
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:30
This is about more of Him. Less of me. If the spotlight fades and Christ is more clearly seen, then I’ve done my job.
🎯 Core Purpose (WHY?)
We exist to know God and make Him known.
Whether I’m speaking to students, praying with a parent, or reading with my kids at home — this is always the point.
This calling doesn’t shrink when the audience changes.
🔥 Current Season
“Forward” right now means faithfulness.
Growth ebbs and flows. Momentum comes and goes in season. But I’m keeping the main thing the main thing: God’s will, for His glory. The calling hasn’t changed, even if the numbers or outcomes do.
I’m letting God do ego-pruning in me.
I’m naming restlessness and choosing patience and contentment.
I’m leading from my limits, not in spite of them.
🧭 Visual Anchor
“Just keep the Earth in the window.” — Apollo 13
When I don’t have navigation — no metrics, no momentum, no emotional wind — I still have a window.
Keep the “why” in the window. Burn forward.
🙏 Closing Prayer
“Lord, if I’m faithful and unseen, let it be enough.
Make me the kind of man who shows students, parents and especially my own family the Light — not through my charisma, but through my character, through my decrease.”
