Setting the Direction for Your Business

Glorifying God with Your Mission and Vision

10 min readApr 8, 2025

The old saying goes “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do.” But, probably more accurate is Yogi Berra’s version: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Whether leaders have written it down or not, there’s a deeper reason behind every company’s existence. If you haven’t thought about what that is for your company, then you’re likely to be disappointed with what the business becomes.

Too many businesses define their purpose or mission in purely functional terms. We exist to make this. We exist to serve these customers. We exist to maximize shareholder returns (i.e. make money). Those details about your business are important, but they don’t provide the compelling reason for you and your team to fight for the company’s survival through the tough times that inevitably come for all businesses.

Who needs for your business to have a clear mission and vision?

You do. Leading a business is hard. Without meaning and a vision for the future, it’s not worth the effort. And when you stop caring and trying, the business dies.

Your managers do. Managers make important decisions that will either consistently move the business in the right direction, or cripple the business with contradictory and value destroying randomness.

Your employees do. If you want employees to bring their best to their jobs, they need to care about why the company exists. Otherwise, there’s a good chance they will view their jobs and the company with cynicism and will dread coming to work.

Your customers do. Without a sense of shared values and vision, customers will view you merely as a transactional provider, buying from you when you provide the best functional value, but leaving for a competitor as soon as he offers a lower price.

There are many different words and phrases used to capture what Jim Collins and Jerry Porras call a company’s “core ideology.”¹ Purpose, mission, vision, core values, etc. all seek to capture the essence of who a company is, why it exists, and where it’s going. For purposes of this article, we will use the term mission to reflect “why we exist” and vision to capture “where we are going”.

God Honoring Mission Statements

One of my favorite models for a mission statement is the Mulago Foundation Eight Word Mission Statement template, which is made up of a verb, a target population, and an outcome. Mulago works with Social Enterprises, so the examples they give reflect that:

Save kids’ lives in Uganda.
Rehabilitate coral reefs in the Western Pacific.
Prevent maternal-child transmission of HIV in Africa.
Get Zambian farmers out of poverty.

But it can work just as well for profit-oriented businesses. Here I’ve reworked the mission statements of some well known companies to fit this model. See if you can identify the companies:

Connect people with the world’s information.
Inspire athletes and improve their performance through innovation.
Refresh the world to inspire optimism and happiness.
Connect professionals to make them more productive and successful.
Enable creatives to bring their projects to life.
Save people money so they can live better.
Help people plan and have the perfect trip.
Unlock human creativity so musicians can live off their art.

Those are all powerful examples of mission statements. They encompass critical elements:

They are simple and easy to understand.
They give a sense for the way the company creates value for its customers (e.g. its products and services).
Each one points to those the company is focused on serving (i.e. its target market — these are big companies, so for some their target market is very broad).
Each at least implies a higher purpose than just making money.
Most reflect the values of the company (i.e. culture), so that the right employees are excited to work there.
The best ones communicate the unique value the company provides (i.e. differentiation), so that the right customers are drawn to it.

A good mission statement for any business should include these elements, but how do mission statements for faith-driven businesses differ? As a Christian business leader, how would your mission statement glorify God?

As with any other important decision, believers must rely on God and not just our own God-given abilities. We start with prayer, asking God for wisdom and direction. We spend time in His Word and reflect on the truths it contains that pertain to our business and how we talk about it. We ask Him to help us produce a mission statement that will glorify Him. We also examine our own hearts, testing whether our motives for why we are operating this business are pure. What are the good reasons that we are excited about what we are doing in our work?

Not until we have sought God’s wisdom and direction and searched our own motives should we begin working on a mission statement for our business. When we do, all of the guidelines described above still apply.

When we are done, we should examine our mission statement through two filters:

Does it demonstrate love for God and love for our fellow man?
Is it consistent with the nine fruit of the spirit?

Any mission statement that disrespects God or man, or that reflects the opposite of any of the fruit of the spirit (e.g. hatred vs. love, the world’s wickedness vs. God’s goodness) isn’t going to bring glory to God, and the company living by that mission similarly isn’t going to be glorifying Him.

A mission statement doesn’t need to mention God to be pleasing to Him. He created us to work, and through our work to be a blessing to others and to glorify Him. Especially if people inside and outside of the business associate your company with your faith, there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging Him in your mission statement. But most companies led by Christians will honor God through loving their neighbors without explicitly referencing their faith. In time, many employees and customers will notice a difference, which can lead to opportunities to share your faith. You can trust God to provide those opportunities in His timing and then be faithful when He does.

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Here are a few examples of well-known company mission (or related) statements that reference God:

“To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
“Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.” (From Hobby Lobby commitments.)
“To glorify God and enrich lives as we deliver the most trustworthy source of power to the world.” (Interstate Batteries)
“To honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence, and to grow profitably.” (Coca Cola Consolidated)

God Honoring Vision Statements

While a mission statement describes the current and ongoing reality of what is driving a business forward, a vision statement describes an anticipated future reality that results from the business’ pursuit of its mission. Here are some examples:

“We see a world where everybody is an athlete — united in the joy of movement.” (Nike)
“Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.” (LinkedIn)
“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” (Tesla)
“To create a better everyday life for the many people.” (IKEA)
“To help people throughout the world realize their full potential.” (Microsoft)
“We envision a cultural platform where professional creators can break free of their medium’s constraints and where everyone can enjoy an immersive artistic experience that enables us to empathize with each other and to feel part of a greater whole.” (Spotify)

Effective vision statements are:

Inspirational: They describe a dramatically better future than the present for those the company serves.
Relatable: They address factors that are particularly relevant to the target audience.
Believable: While being aspirational (well beyond current reality), the vision should be something the company can credibly help bring about within a single human lifespan.
Relevant: While the vision may require the cooperation of others to bring about, it should be directly related to the company’s business and especially its mission.
Aligned: A company’s vision should be a clear extension of the company’s identity, mission, and capabilities.
Brief: While leadership may develop a lengthy “envisioned future” document as part of the vision process, the vision statement that is broadly shared should be short enough to remember.
Sticky: The vision statement should be written in a way that it sticks with people. They naturally remember it without having to work hard to memorize it.

As with the mission statement, a vision statement should be developed in reliance on God’s wisdom and His leading. Christians developing vision statements will describe a future that is “better” as seen through a Biblical lens. For example, as Micah 6:8 tells us “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), Jesus gives us a picture of how we are to live as citizens of His Kingdom. And the ten commandments (Exodus 20) gives us the ultimate standard of righteousness. Our vision should be for a better world aligned with all of scripture.

That being said, the way that God has given us to make the world better is the work that He has called us to. By doing good work with excellence, we bless others and we strengthen the communities in which God has placed us. That is making the world a better place!

By operating with integrity, compassion and excellence, we can be a light shining in dark places, pointing people to Christ, and hopefully many will turn to Him and there will be less sin and suffering. That is making the world a better place!

We long for the day when Christ returns and redeems all of creation, and it is natural to do all that we can to reduce the presence and impact of sin in the world. However, since we still live in a fallen world, we know that we cannot fully redeem even our little corner of creation. That is for Christ to do in His unknowable timing. Our vision statement should focus on the work God has called us to, and the meaningful impact it can have on the world around us. In this present evil age, we glorify God by faithfully living as His redeemed, and by doing so, pointing to a far better age to come.

What the Bible Says

“Where there is no revelation [vision], the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law.” (Proverbs 29:18)
“Then the Lord answered me and said: ‘Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.’ ” (Habakuk 2:2)
“Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 24:3,4)
“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Timothy 4:15)
“Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ ” (Matthew 4:19 — Jesus clearly communicated the mission)
“Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel — that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor — it is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:12,13)
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor — this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18–20)
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23,24)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8)
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” (Colossians 4:5)
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15,16)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15)