Personal Evaluation & Reflection As Missions Leaders

Reflection is a key spiritual discipline that helps us recalibrate to God's specific calling in our lives. Missions leaders need to regularly reevaluate and reflect on the effectiveness of their church’s global missions vision and strategy, as well as their leadership in that role. This resource will guide you as a missions leader to reflect on what is going well, what should change, and what should be discontinued for the sake of what’s most important.

The rhythms of the calendar are a gift from a good God who understands the heart and rhythms of his children. Each day provides the opportunity to start anew. Each week includes a day of Sabbath rest. Each season brings a change of pace that takes us out of our routine. Each new year is a milestone by which we can reflect on the past and look forward to what’s to come.

However, if you’re anything like me (Mike), you often do not take advantage of these changes in season to reflect. Reflection gives the Lord space to speak into our hearts. We don’t always make time for reflection in our regular ministry rhythms. Whether we’re too busy to stop and reflect, or we’re afraid of what might happen to ourselves or in our ministry if we stop. Regardless, most leaders do not take the time needed for reflection, though they desperately need it.

As a follower of Christ, one passage that motivates me to personal reflection is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15:

According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.

While these are some of my favorite verses, they are also some of the scariest to me. It’s natural for believers to drift slightly off course. While cultivating our daily walk with God helps us stay on track, we also need to practice a seasonal recalibration to reorient ourselves with what God truly desires for us. There is so much that can take us off course: our cultural norms, our worldview, the critics around us, the inner critic, our self-centeredness—all of these can cause a drift in our lives that, if not corrected, can lead us away from God’s purposes.

Getting Personal

It’s so easy to do the right thing for the wrong reasons, isn’t it? As I reflected on my personal life recently, I was reminded of all my “respectable sins.” These are the sins that are rarely seen outwardly, but that wrongly motivate the “good things” others see me do for God. I love the Lord—there is no doubt about that—but I also know myself well enough to confess that wrong intentions often motivate my actions.

I have a perfectionist personality. What’s great about this is that I will work hard at everything I do. In my best moments, I am motivated by a great God who deserves our best. I am quick to notice issues that could be improved in all aspects of my life. And I will take the initiative to make those improvements.

While there are good parts to the perfectionist personality, there is also a dark side. While what I do “for the Lord” often looks good on the outside, it is often more motivated by my addiction to accomplishment than by what the Lord is really calling me to do. When I choose a “good” thing to fulfill my need for accomplishment, it is a work of “hay, wood, and straw” that won’t last into eternity. It subtly feeds my accomplishment addiction, rather than fulfilling what God is truly asking me to do.

Another part of that dark side is that I want to complete a project to perfection to avoid more work. The lie I believe is that if I complete everything correctly, I won’t receive any questions or pushback regarding my “perfectly” finished work. I believe I can avoid more work in the future because I completed a project perfectly. But this never happens. There are always questions, clarifications, or alternative ideas to my “perfectly” finished work. And yet I do this over and over again, missing the opportunity for other people to bring their unique perspective to the work. 

In this perfectionist cycle, I often feel Paul’s lament from Romans 7:24-25:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

There is no doubt that God will still work through accomplishments done with an impure heart for his glory (see Philippians 1:15-18). God can use “good acts” done from an unclean heart. What God has revealed to me this past year is that I need to choose the right tasks and projects that he is leading me to rather than ones that feed my sense of accomplishment. In doing so, I will fight against the accomplishment addiction and work towards that which is “gold and silver” for the kingdom of God.

Taking the time to reflect on my past year of life and ministry revealed to me this “addiction to accomplishment.” It helped me chart a course for increasing purity in my motivations. What might it do for you?

Guided Reflection Questions

During a sabbatical in 2022, I was gifted with space—space to slow down, enjoy God, and honestly examine my heart. In preparation for that time, I began compiling questions to guide my self-assessment as a missions leader. These questions helped me name both the fruit and the fears in my ministry. They exposed unhealthy motivations, hidden idols, and moments when I took on burdens that Jesus never asked me to carry.

I now offer them to you with the same prayer: that God would use them as a tool for your renewal. Set aside time. Get quiet. Invite the Spirit to search your heart and mind. Don’t rush. This is not an exercise in performance, but in honesty before your Father who loves you.

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28, 30

As you reflect, ask yourself:

• Where did I experience success this past year?(Don’t overanalyze—just name what seemed to go well.)

• What can I genuinely praise God for?(Look for signs of his faithfulness, provision, or growth.)

• What felt heavy, stressful, or burdensome this past year?(Be honest about the weight you’ve carried.)

• What fears were operating under the surface?(Fear often drives us in subtle ways. Did fear influence your decisions? Examples: avoiding conflict, working overtime to avoid scrutiny, controlling situations to minimize discomfort, projecting confidence to mask insecurity.)

• How can I be set free from those fears?(What steps might God be inviting you to take—confession, counseling, delegation, spiritual retreat?)

• If one of my ministry responsibilities were taken away and given to someone else, which would be hardest to let go?(Your answer might reveal an area of identity or idolatry.)

• Where am I operating outside of my strengths or calling?(Could you delegate more? Cut certain projects? Reassess your role with a tool like Younique by Will Mancini?)

• How can I live and lead more fully from the person God uniquely made me to be?(Think about rhythms, relationships, and roles that align with your gifting.)

• What would it look like to carry the yoke of Jesus in my ministry this year?(What would change if you truly believed his burden is light?

Resolutions from Reflection

The new year naturally invites fresh resolutions. In fact, around 41% of people make New Year’s resolutions—but studies show that only about 8–9% actually keep them. For example, gym memberships spike in January (about 10.8% of all new sign-ups), but most of us know how long that momentum lasts.

Still, reflection without some form of follow-through tends to fade. So the next natural step is resolution: What will you do differently in light of what God has shown you? While this resource isn’t primarily about habit-forming or productivity, here are a few gentle reminders to help you make (and keep) meaningful resolutions:

• Remember that you’re human. We forget this all the time. We assume we should be better, stronger, faster—maybe even omni-competent. But “omni” is never a word used to describe humans, only God.

• Be self-aware and realistic. Aim for the goals God is leading you to pursue, not someone else’s. Underpromise and overdeliver. Don’t set resolutions that you admire in others but that don’t fit your season or design.

• Expect to stumble—and keep going. When your humanity shows up, don’t quit. If you miss a day, restart the next. If your Bible reading dips from seven days to five, celebrate the progress from last year’s three.

• Check your motives. Ask: Why am I making this resolution? Too often, we’re driven by vanity, people-pleasing, or comparison. A good resolution comes from freedom, not pressure.

• Create reminders and rhythms. Resolutions that matter need systems and nudges. Whether it’s calendar reminders, sticky notes, or an accountability friend, build in what helps you follow through.

As you think about what to do with the fruit of your reflection, resist the temptation to go overboard. You don’t have to start with a list as ambitious as Jonathan Edwards’s 70 resolutions. They’re inspiring—no doubt—but also intense. A few gems:

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

Wow! Read all seventy, and you might feel like a spiritual toddler next to him. But take heart: you don’t need to be Jonathan Edwards to make meaningful, Spirit-led commitments that help you live more faithfully.

I could probably rattle off a long list of things I think every missions leader should do (I have no shortage of opinions). But that’s not what this is about. It’s about listening to the Lord. It’s about allowing your reflection to become resolution—not out of guilt or pressure, but as a response to grace.

Getting Practical

Now that you’ve taken time to reflect, the next step is to let that reflection shape how you move forward. The following questions are designed to help you translate insight into action—not in a pressure-filled way, but with intentionality and grace. Think of them as a framework for healthy, Spirit-led growth in the year ahead:

• What can I resolve to do to grow healthier—physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally? (Where do you need renewal, rest, or rhythms that sustain you?)

• How can I live and work more fully from the strengths God has given me, rather than constantly reacting to the expectations of others? (What boundaries or clarity might help here?)

• How can I cultivate a posture of trust and rest, instead of hurried striving? (What rhythms, practices, or mindset shifts would help you abide?)

• What are simple, meaningful ways I can show greater personal love and care to our missionaries this year? (Think presence, prayer, encouragement, advocacy.)

• What areas of ministry is God inviting me to start, continue, or stop? (This question is key for discernment and sustainability.)

• How can I grow in having hard but healthy conversations—with those in our sending pipeline and with those already on the field? (Consider where growth in courage or clarity may be needed.)

• How can I help other leaders in our church grow a heart for the nations in a way that is winsome and not manipulative? (What might it look like to inspire rather than pressure?)

A Gospel-Centered Conclusion

Our performance and accomplishments do not change God’s love for us. Our forgiveness was secured at the cross 2,000 years ago, and the power to overcome sin is not something we muster up on our own—it’s a gift rooted in the perfect life of Christ.

There’s a quote I heard some time ago that captures this gospel reality so well: “Cheer up! You're a worse sinner than you ever dared imagine, and you're more loved than you ever dared hope.”

That’s the kind of news missions leaders need. Especially when we’re weary, striving, or feeling like our efforts just aren’t enough. This truth frees us. We don’t labor to earn God’s approval—we already have it in Christ. Our failures don’t define us. Our identity is anchored in grace.

So as you step forward from a time of reflection into a new season, do it with both great hope and great freedom—hope that God will accomplish good through you, and freedom from condemnation when you fall short (Romans 8:1).

The most essential thing to remember as you make your resolutions is this: you belong to the One who has fulfilled all righteousness for you. He loves you on your best days and your worst. He gives you the strength to obey and the grace to begin again. May your life this year bring glory to God as you work hard—not to earn love, but from the deep rest of knowing you already have it.

Next Steps

The journey toward sending well happens one step at a time. Here are three ways you can continue moving upstream:

1. What was your main personal takeaway from the personal reflection? Tell someone you are walking through life with and/or your supervisor to help provide accountability to you as you take the next step.

2. In the Members area of the Upstream website, click on the Cultivating Missions Awareness tag to explore all our resources on this topic.

3. If you feel stuck or would benefit from talking with someone outside your immediate circle, we’d love to connect. Reach out to the Upstream team at info@theupstreamcollective.org to schedule a call. It would be our joy to help you process what God might be leading you toward.