Tag: Purpose

Purpose or career driven searches that might use vocation, job search, calling, passion, or direction as descriptors.

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Standing in the Gap

Ezekiel 22:30, “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.”

When I read this statement, I couldn’t help but feel sad. Imagine a point in time when you, and only you, stood between total destruction and life for a fellow human being. Think of what is going on in Ukraine, the destruction of property, families, and the destruction of cultures. Think of the lives of unbelievers who desperately need hope and salvation. Think of the most disreputable people in your life who don’t know Christ and imagine them existing for an eternity separated from Christ. Are you the person for which God is looking? Can you stand in the gap?

1 Peter 3:9, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

We live our lives thinking that there will always be another day. We see risk around us, but it doesn’t deter us. We believe we will go on until someday in the distant future when we don’t. If we are honest with ourselves, we live a relative laissez-faire existence. We are so wrapped up in our issues and opportunities that we live a life of non-interference in the affairs of others. We pop in and pop out as time allows.

Romans 5:19, “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

We do good and provide aid when it’s part of our plan. But, even when the moment is spontaneous, the decision to help is deterministic. We weigh the cost-benefit and decide how to spend our time. Time is precious, not to be spent on the undeserving or those who can help themselves but don’t.

2 John 1:6, “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”

We all have people in our lives that need salvation. Those we love we take on as “projects for their good.” We don’t always recognize that God may be telling us not now or not us. We stand in the gap for someone we love, even when the gap doesn’t exist at the moment. I want to address the person we don’t like because of their demeanor or lifestyle. The person we know is separated from God, but it is their decision, and frankly, we don’t care. We don’t have a personal relationship and don’t want one.

Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

What I am asking is, if this was your moment to change eternity for someone, even an enemy, would you step into the gap? It kind of sounds like a Jonah question, doesn’t it. Jonah understood who God was and what He could do, but it was the wrong people for him. So he would not stand in the gap for the Ninevites.

One of the lessons I remember from the story of Esther was not just all that she went through as God prepared her for her moment to step into the gap, but when the time arose for her to act, God reminded her that His plan would prevail even if she didn’t do her part. Therefore, even if she does not choose to stand in the gap for those God puts in front of her, God will act. But God will act to her detriment.

Esther 4:14, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

“The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – Thomas S. Monson

We need to live our spiritual lives with a sense of urgency. It is God who saves, not us. But we should want to be part of His plan for others, even those we don’t want in our worldly sphere. They are God’s children, not yours. If you do your part, He will always do His, and even if you don’t, He will.

Stand firm in the gap.

Romans 2:6-8, “God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good, seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

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Apocalypse No(w)

On October 25, 1962, I was sitting in the den of our home on Lawrence Ave in Marseilles, Illinois, with my mother, father, and two sisters staring at a small black and white TV. We were all transfixed as the announcer gave us the play-by-play of the events in front of us. We were in the middle of a Cold War raging between the United States and the Soviet Union. Visceral, nasty interrogatories and accusations had been flying between the world’s two major nuclear powers since World War Two. We had Nikita Khrushchev, the shoe-pounding head of the Soviet Union, and on the other side John F. Kennedy of the United States. In the fall of 1962, the Soviet Union had started building medium-range ballistic nuclear missile sites in Cuba, just 90 miles off of the Florida coast. We had all seen the aerial photos from the U-2 spy plane, so we knew the threat was real.

Now it was coming to a head, right before our eyes. President Kennedy had enacted a quarantine (the interesting use of “quarantine” in place of “blockade” technically averted a declaration of war) of Cuba and made it clear that the US intended to use military force if necessary to neutralize this perceived threat to national security. He raised our nuclear readiness to DEFCON 2; it was the only confirmed time in US history. It was reported that one-eighth of SAC’s over 1,400 bombers were airborne, and 145 intercontinental ballistic missiles stood on ready alert, some of which targeted Cuba, others at the Soviet Union.

What we were watching wasn’t an “unscripted” reality show with volunteer contestants, it was real life, and we watched it as it unfolded. The Soviet cargo ship Kislovodsk approached the quarantine zone. It was like watching paint dry as the end of the world slowly crept forward. If the Kislovodsk crossed into the zone, it was game on or the end of life as we knew it. At the last minute, the Kislovodsk discontinued its route and turned back. Nuclear war was averted. In my mind, this was yesterday. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my childhood. Less than twenty years after Hiroshima, my dad, a WWII veteran, knew the devastation of one nuclear bomb and couldn’t fathom the effect of hundreds of them exploding in rapid sequence. My fear was an extrapolation of his but amplified through youth and ignorance.

I get overwhelmed at times by cultural change and world politics. It seems that, as a world, we have passed the tipping point of dystopia. But we haven’t. God is still in control, and we are right on plan. Just because I don’t know the plan doesn’t mean it isn’t happening right on schedule. I remember October 24, but I no longer fear it. Age gives me the wisdom of hindsight.

Matthew 24:6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

If you woke up today, and I assume you did because you are reading this, God has something specific He wants you to do. There is someone in your world that needs you. There is a person whose life is on a collision course with yours. Don’t be consumed with tomorrow when today is so important. Don’t lose the joy of living today because you fear tomorrow. God has created a great life for you; you need to live it. You can’t do that when you lose focus. Life becomes complex and distracting when you major in the temporal and minor in the eternal.

Matthew 24:14, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Remember, God loves you unconditionally. It is the very essence of His nature to love you. God created you for His pleasure. He does not get pleasure out of you living in fear. Problems will come, and problems will go, but God’s love for you is unchanging, rock-solid, and eternal.

I am studying the book “Gently and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.” Several of the chapters emphasize that the very nature of God is to show mercy out of His heart. Not mercy in a detached, rules-based, unemotional sense, but a deeply caring, love-based desire for us. A dysfunctional world, or a dysfunctional life, can hide or shadow how amazingly God loves us and pursues us for His pleasure.

Revelations 4:11, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory, honor, and power, for you created all things, and for your pleasure, they were created and exist.”

There is a lot of work to be done. Our work is to be obedient to what God has put in front of us. Because he loves us, we know that He does not want us to live in fear. When we fear, we have taken our eye off the one who holds us in His hand. We have forgotten the security gained through His death on the cross. I know there will be tough times, but remember you are loved by the God of the universe who created you for His pleasure.

Daniel 12:13, “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.”

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Are You Valued the Right Way?

1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'”

I was told this story by someone who didn’t know who originated it; if you do, let me know, and I will amend this post. It’s a perfect parable for defining personal value.

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A father said to his daughter, “You have graduated with honors; here is a car I bought many years ago.

It is a bit older now, but before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them you want to sell it and see how much they offer you.

The daughter went to the used car lot, returned to her father, and said, “They offered me $1,000 because they said it looks pretty worn out.”

Now, the father said, “Take it to the pawnshop.” So the daughter went to the pawnshop, returned to her father, and said, “The pawnshop offered only $100 because it is an old car.”

The father asked his daughter to go to a car club and show them the car. The daughter then took the car to the club, returned, and told her father,” Some people in the club offered $100,000 because it’s a Holden Torana and an iconic car and sought by many collectors.”

The father said this to his daughter, “The right place values you the right way,” If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you. So never stay in a place where no one sees your value.

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Are you in the right place; are you valued the right way?

When I received my first promotion at work, I thought it was because I was the guy with all the answers. Luckily, I had a boss that corrected me on that. I was a command-and-control manager. It was my way or the highway. John McAlister was my boss; he was an old man of forty-five or fifty with many miles on his tires. He taught me that people needed to learn how to do things within their skill set and personality traits. They couldn’t be me anymore than I could be them. John taught me a lot for an old guy. Fifty years later, I still think of him.

When we are born, the two challenges God gives us are finding out who we are and finding where we fit. We are all God’s Holden Torana’s looking for a home. The world will put a value on you, but if you end up at a used car dealership or a pawn shop, you will never know the actual value of who you are.

Psalm 139:13-15, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. So I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.”

Never underestimate your value to God. You are more precious than gold. If others do not see that in you, do not question yourself; question where in life you are; you are in the wrong place. One of the hardest things we do is abandon what we know for what we do not know, even when what we know isn’t good for us. Spiritual maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten your peace of mind, Godly self-respect, Christian values, or self-worth. Walking away has nothing to do with weakness and everything to do with strength. You walk away not because you want others to realize your value but because you finally realize your value.

Peter 1:18-19, “Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

My Dad once told me that if I was the smartest guy in the room, I was in the wrong room. Everyone brings something unique to the table. We don’t have all the right answers; we don’t even know all the right questions. We must remind ourselves that sometimes our friends will lie to us, and sometimes our enemies will tell us the truth. Please don’t buy into the lie because it makes life more comfortable; always seek the truth. Those we travel with must see the unique value created within us by Christ. When you recognize your value, you will find it harder to be around people who don’t.

John C. Maxwell says, “Your core value is the deeply held beliefs that authentically describe your soul.” When you doubt your value go to scripture; God will reinforce your value to Him.  Always remember that you are God’s ambassador to the world.

1 Peter 3:4, “But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”

Never settle for a life that is less than the one God created for you.

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Doing Nothing Accomplishes Nothing

Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

It is interesting that as I open my eyes to the people around me, I see the greatness that God has put in each of us. I can see the light in their eyes come on whenever we touch on their passion; they sit taller; their back is straighter, and they’re more alert and engaged. It is true even when they do not know their passion. The person inside of them comes alive.

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

The person God wants you to be is alive and well. But it is kept in chains because we are afraid of being everything we were meant to be. Somehow, we confuse serving with servitude. We confuse the free desire to be a benefit to others with the worldly view of being subordinate. We have this innate desire to be something more significant, but we somehow are afraid of actually being that person.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” – Francis Chan

It is not you but the Holy Spirit in you who will guide you. The first fear you have to let go of is the fear of failure. The freedom you seek is not the freedom to chase worldly ambition but the freedom of allowing Christ to pick your path. With obedience, we eliminate the worry of failure; it’s God’s plan, and He never fails.

Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

ASK

Everything starts with prayer. Ask that your real passion be made visible and complete. Set aside your worldly needs, God knows you have them, and He will meet those needs.

Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Concentrate on asking for guidance for living your life with the highest level of joy and obedience.

I sincerely believe that one of two things will happen in your life; either the passion revealed to you will become your vocation, or God will give you a tentmaking vocation that also supports your passion. God will always connect the two. God does not expect you to survive on air while chasing your God-given passion. God is enormous on sustainability.

John 6:27 “Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him, God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

DO

Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

“You can’t steer a stationary ship” – I don’t know who initially said it; I assume a pirate; seems fitting. You cannot get anywhere without movement. The most remarkable ideas and plans in life fail for lack of execution. Sometimes making the wrong decision helps you find the right decision. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing.

In some miracles, Jesus asked the receiver to do something. First, turning water into wine required them to “fill the jars with water” (John 2:1-11). Next, there was a blind man who was asked to “go to the pool of Siloam” (John 9:6-10). Next, a grown man healed of leprosy after dipping seven times in a river (2 Kings 5:11-14). Finally, Jesus made a coin appear in a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27). Please don’t wait for an answer; start searching for it. God will direct your steps if you ask. The best place to start is to inventory what God has already done through you up to this point.

James 2:17-18, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

I am always surprised by the number of people that discount their experiences. Things that we try and don’t like or are not good at doing open the door for what we enjoy and can do well. Things we enjoyed doing but didn’t seem to have an objective are discounted as leisure-time activities with no material value other than to entertain us. Everything that happens is part of God’s master plan for your life; every moment has a message; each experience is a guidepost.

Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

ENJOY

Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Once you have a rough idea of what God has already done in your life, you can start moving toward the future. He will build off of your past to create your future. You don’t have to create the person God made you be; it is already there. Instead, you need to find that person and coax them out of the darkness.

God has never wanted His people to live stressful, uneventful lives. He understands how He has made each of us and understands that joy brings us both physical and mental health. That is how He created us. We will receive our highest fulfillment and satisfaction from living the life God has prepared for us.

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

It is your life; it is your shot at happiness. You can focus on worldly success, knowing that in the end, it will not matter, or you can focus on chasing the pure passion of God’s desire for you. That desire will last for eternity.

Isaiah 55:12, “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

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Joy Before the Angels

We remember from Sunday School the remarkable story of Jonah and the whale. We know how Jonah ran from God because he did not want the Ninevites to be allowed to repent. This story brings to our attention that just as God has shown us mercy, he will show it to those we don’t feel deserve mercy. It also shows the extent to which God will go to pursue us for His purpose.

Jonah 1:1-3, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because its wickedness has come up before Me.” Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So, he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”

Few of us remember the story of Nahum. Nahum came along well after Jonah. After the Ninevites first repented, they again returned to their sinful ways. This time it was Nahum who brought them the message. However, the message was quite different.

Nahum 1:3, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”

The Ninevites’ sin was so entrenched there was nowhere for them to turn. Our God is merciful, long-suffering, and gracious, but He has His limits. God’s judgment will fall on the unrepentant.

We forget that sometimes. We want to dwell on all the richness of God’s love for us to the point that we shy away from what happens when we become unrepentant. We love that God is patient, kind, long-suffering, and willing to bear with our sinfulness. We find comfort in that if we are willing to repent and turn from our ways, He is quick to forgive.

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

But what happens if we harbor unrepentant sin? What is the judgment for those that hold back certain sins as personal property? You know, the sin that we can not shake. The sin that we feel is not destructive; the victimless sin in our lives. The sin we hide in the darkness of our lives? There is no victimless sin. There is no sin that God deems trivial or meaningless.

James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”

I’m not trying to shame anyone, just bringing to our attention that we all have unrepentant sin. We all have sins that we don’t recognize as harmful or, worse, don’t recognize as sins. I’m not talking about unintentional sin, although that also is an issue, but unresolved sin. We live in a dysfunctional world that has normalized sin. In the last 50 years, we have normalized most of the sins mentioned in the Ten Commandments. Our quest for personal freedom has made it unacceptable to criticize someone else’s lifestyle choices. This passive acceptance tends to water down our perception of sin. Comparatively speaking, we feel we live less sinful lives as Christians. We don’t do the things that others do.

Isaiah 1, 18-20, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land. But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.”’

This blog does have a happy ending. Just because we have sins in our lives that have become entrenched or unrecognized doesn’t mean we will face the wrath of God. It does not disqualify us from salvation.

Psalm 62:1, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It is not our behavior that determines our salvation; it is the redeeming grace of Christ.

Acts 16:31, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”

This blog reminds you to periodically quiet your mind and think about those things that have transpired. Think not just of the significant issues but the minor sins that pop up now and then. Maybe the habitual way you address specific issues or the bias and prejudges that have developed over time. We all have them, and they hurt God as much as the significant issues. Sometimes I think they hurt more because they are unacknowledged and unrepentant. Think of the joy you will bring to God by caring enough about His happiness to seek forgiveness for even the little sins in your life.

Luke 15:10, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

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Battle for Our Soul

We live in a crazy world. When I think it has become as dysfunctional as possible, we find a new level. I was in my teens during the ’60s. The ‘60s in the United States was about anti-war movements, free love, and following your bliss. It was a time of anti-everything. The “Man” was in charge; he needed to be taken down a peg or two. My parents thought our generation would amount to nothing and destroy the world. You see, my parents were part of the “Greatest Generation.” As I grew older and wiser, I began to understand how right that was. Their sense of duty and sacrifice was beyond anything we see today.

Maybe my parents were right about who we were. Many of the unacceptable things in the ‘60s are not only typical today; the law protects them. The book of Revelations warns us about the march of time. It describes the Seven Seals that mark the second coming of Christ. Revelations is clear that no man can determine the time of Jesus’ return. But the battle rages on.

Matthew 24:6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

The actual battle is for our soul, and it will never end in a loss for those in Christ. They will not surrender to the evil of this world. They have an army of thousand-thousand angels fighting at their side; they have the King of all creation covering their back. He guides them with love, compassion, and grace. He wrote their story before the universe came into existence; the ending was there for them to choose.

Deuteronomy 20:4, “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

It is so easy to become bogged down in everyday life that we forget our true purpose. Our purpose is not to gather worldly wealth or achieve worldly acclaim; our purpose is to glorify and serve Christ. But, unfortunately, there will always be those who do not know Christ and will choose the things of the world. They are the ones who will suffer the loss. They are the ones who are losing sleep over political aspirations, economic woes, and social stigmas. They are the ones who fruitlessly pursue peace by forcing acceptance of worldly pleasures.

Romans 8:37, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

We stand on the bedrock of Christ’s salvation. Although we can not escape the effects of those who do not know Christ, we can rise above it by focusing on God’s plan for eternity. When worry overcomes us, we need to do nothing more than speak with our Father. He will comfort us in our time of need.

Romans 8:35, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

It is tricky, especially when we are younger, not to focus on all the world before us. Life seems like a long time; we have dreams, plans, and dragons to slay. We want to make our mark. We want to leave a legacy. We want to rise above the hum of everyday life to make our voice heard. Our focus is on the next project, the next promotion, the next pay raise, the next anything. We forget that our existence is for eternity.

Luke 10:19, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.”

We have an inner strength that can sustain us when the world does not make sense. As much as we should try to overcome evil in the world, there is only One who can, not us. The battle is for our souls. The world will do what the world will do; The Garden of Eden sealed its fate. But we each have the opportunity to escape that natural end. We have a chance to focus on eternity.

Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Every worldly endeavor has an eternal component to it. Therefore, you can use any passion to glorify Christ. Consequently, it is not so much what you choose to do with your life that is important as how you choose to do it. Who do you choose to glorify? Is your purpose focused on the near future or eternity?

Matthew 12:20, “A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out until He leads justice to victory.”

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Godliness with Contentment

King Solomon was not only favored by God; he was considered one of the wisest men ever to walk the earth.  He made this statement:

Ecclesiastes 9:11, “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”

We all struggle with insecurity.  That insecurity can be job security, basic provisions, self-worth, or purpose.  We live in a marketing-driven world that demands that we strive for perfection.  We are continually comparing ourselves to others.  It is not always vanity that drives us; sometimes, it is pure competition, the need to matter,  or the need to stand out in a noisy world.

Galatians 6:4, “Each one should test their own actions.  Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”

When I think about what Solomon said, I sometimes go to Hugh Heffner.  That is right, Mr. Playboy.  Hugh Heffner lived a bohemian lifestyle, devoid of a moral foundation by almost any standard.  He promoted a completely hedonistic lifestyle, not just for himself but also for everyone; He carried the banner for Godlessness, yet he was a multi-millionaire.  The Playboy Enterprise was called an Empire.  What killed his business model was their success.  Pornography has become so widespread and accessible; Playboy could no longer make money.

If the measure of Godliness is worldly wealth and fame, why do the Hugh Heffner’s exist?  Just as Job’s friends tried to explain, we should be able to look at the material value of a person and see their Godliness.  But it doesn’t work that way.

 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

King Solomon reminds us that we are not in control of our future.  We can do everything right, and it still can go wrong.  We can watch others do everything wrong and prosper.  Timothy tells us to be content with whatever happens.  He reminds us that we should seek Godliness with contentment.

Romans 14:17, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

As Christians, our purpose in life is to know God and bring Him glory.  Therefore, we should first seek His glory and be content with the outcome in everything.  Larry Crabb talks about making the first things first.  He warns us about putting worldly issues in front of God’s glory.  He states, “The forces of darkness value blessings; they call them life, they feel entitled to them, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get them.”

Augustine said, “There can be only two basic loves, the love of God -unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self-unto the forgetfulness of God.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Do our words and deeds glorify God, or do they glorify ourselves?  If we live a life focused on praising God, are we content with the outcome?  God knows what we need as aliens on the earth.  He understands the environment in which we live.  He wants us to live a life that is attractive to others so that we can share the Gospel.  Therefore, everything we have or experience should glorify His name to attract non-believers to the contentment within us.

We should use the gifts that God gave us in the environment that He has put us in to succeed in what He has set before us.  But we do this for His glory, not ours.  We are working for Him, not for our gratification.

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

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Performance-Based Faith

I have just returned from a trip to Honduras, where we were vetting a potential future project to help locals create micro-businesses.  These trips present a cadre of potential conflicts.  First, we have the friction created by my obedience to God’s call.  It conflicts because I am responding to what I believe to be God’s vision for my life, but I am also judging my effectiveness; how much good am I doing.  The second has to do with what we are teaching.  We are teaching people to use Godly principles to create for-profit businesses.  Most of us see the potential conflict in that.  We must balance living in a performance-based world with grace-based salvation.  It is tough to keep the two separate.

Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”

Christ modeled our relationships here on earth after our relationship with Himself.  He wants us to learn from Him and grow closer to Him through involvement with Him. But, we are to honor the originator of all things in the process.

Ephesians 2:19, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.  “

TRANSACTIONAL FAITH

In a performance-based world, we become obsessed with goal orientation.  We, through constant reinforcement, fixate on achievement.  Our parents remind us that results do matter.  So when we take on a task, we want to know why.  Is it the best use of our time?  Is it within our calling, aptitude, and gifts?  We somehow can’t take our hands off the wheel; if we can’t drive, we want to navigate; even when we don’t know the destination.   

Colossians 3: 23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

The key to this statement is “as working for the Lord.” God was very clear from the beginning that we needed to be active while living the life He has created for us.  That activity must have a purpose, and with it comes achievement.  Our part is to be obedient in doing the task before us, not the outcome.  The outcome is the exclusive domain of God, not us.  Whatever God puts before us is part of His plan for our lives.  We must do it with peace and joy.  God does not get His highest pleasure from our achievements; He gets it from our obedience.

Ephesians 3: 12-13, “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.”

In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren writes, “Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of his presence.”

The implication here is not that we get satisfaction from what we accumulate or accomplish but from the tasks that God puts before us because it is a gift from God.  Being the person God has made you be isn’t about creating something; it is about discovering something.  The pursuit is progressed not by the honors that we accumulate but by our obedience to God’s plan for us.

BUT PERFORMANCE COUNTS

Work is one of the ways we demonstrate God to non-believers.  But, if non-believers cannot trust us with the worldly endeavors one can see, how can we be trusted with spiritual works that require faith?

1 Peter 2:12, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

So, we endeavor to meet a high level of performance not to please God but to glorify God to non-believers.  We are held responsible for our results; we need to take that seriously.  God created us to work; setting and meeting goals is part of the responsibility.  From a worldly perspective, this responsibility produces the most anxiety in our lives.  It not only affects the way we perceive the nature of our work, but it also affects other aspects of our worldly existence.  It affects our self-perception and self-image and our drive to have better material goods and living standards.  One of our obligations as Christians is to be a good team member, employer, parent, child, and spouse.

2 Thessalonians 3:12 “such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.”

BUT NOT TO GOD

Ephesians 2: 8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

For most of us, it is hard to turn that switch off.  Somehow, we still try to do good works as if they are the keys to salvation; they aren’t.  That is not to say that we should not strive to do good works; it is just that those good works will not get us to heaven.

Matthew 7:16-20, ” By their fruit, you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.”

It is when we start to believe we can be good enough, fruitful enough, holy enough that we lose sight of the beautiful gift of God; eternal life with Him in heaven through grace.  The balance we need to strike is to understand that while the world requires performance as a means of measuring worth, God does not.  Spiritual performance is a by-product of grace, not a goal.

Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

We need to get back to helping our Father with His business.  We are to be obedient to His will.  We cannot control the outcome or the timing; we can only enjoy working in His presence.

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A Gift Worthy for a King

I was loading more music for my car today and fell down a rabbit hole. I have a media server with more than 60,000 songs collected over the last 60 years; it went from records to cassettes to compact discs to solid-state drives. It is about every genre. I listened to the song In Christ Alone by Christina Grimmie, and the rabbit hole opened up.

She was about 15 when she recorded it. She was a neat kid and a great Christian. Initially, she only performed on YouTube with almost 4 million followers. Later on, she stared on The Voice and rose to an acceptable level of fame. Then, on June 10, 2016, Christina Grimmie was fatally shot at the age of 22 while signing autographs following a concert performance at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida. Her assailant committed suicide, leaving no evidence of motive, only speculation.

Every time I hear this song, I can’t help but think about what could have been. I do not doubt that God cried on that day. Not because it was unexpected or unknown, but because the world would lose out on an extraordinary talent. I understand that God uses all things for His glory. We, the ones left behind, lose a light illuminating the darkness. Six years after her death, people like me are still affected. People like me ask this one fundamental question.

If my life was asked of me today, and my greatest passion in life was laid at the feet of Christ would He weep because of a life cut short or because of a life lived unfulfilled?

When Jesus heard that Lazarus had died, He wept.

John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”

As He was entering Jerusalem before His crucifixion, He wept.

Luke 19:41, “And when he came near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.”

When I look at the passions of my heart, what do I see? How do I invest my time, money, and gifts? What do I think about when I go to sleep at night? What books do I read, what podcast do I listen to, and what discussions do I gravitate toward? What’s my passion?

When I lay that passion at the feet of Christ, how would he react? Is it a worthy gift for a King?

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” – Anonymous 1926 Methodist church announcement.

Isaiah 1:17, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

We all have a desire to have meaning and worth. We all create a unique sphere of influence to leave our mark. If we don’t have purposeful intent, we will be part of someone else’s meaning and worth. Chart your course. Through prayer, scripture, and Godly counsel, find your path. Once you have found it, own it; make it meaningful. Don’t worry about results, only obedience. It’s not about creating a ripple through eternity; it’s about creating a tsunami. Never sell yourself short. Never let the world determine your worth. You are more than the sum of your experiences.

Some people, maybe even most, would equate passion with calling. They might say that we are called to something by God, which becomes our passion. I add a slight nuance to that. I believe our calling is to a people group; it might be children, young adults, inner-city or a foreign country. Our passion is the gifting we use to execute our calling; we may be teachers, artists, musicians, or leaders. Our calling may change over time as we mature. God will send us in a different direction. Our gifting, and passion, may vary when we are younger as we experience new things, but at some point, it comes to rest on something. The problem is that we often don’t know how to use our passion to make a living and minimize its importance. We see the value of God’s calling on our life, but not necessarily our passion.

J. I. Packer, in his book “A Quest for Godliness,” stated, “a half-truth masquerading as the whole truth becomes a complete untruth.” Therefore, don’t deceive yourself concerning who you are. When you lie to yourself about any aspect of who God made you, you degrade all of who God said you are.

1 Corinthians 7:17, “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.”

My greatest hope is that we all find our passion that glorifies God and chase it all the days of our life; that we take the riches that God has created within us and use them to praise Him. My primary passion is small business development. My current calling is to help impoverished third-world Christians rise above their poverty. I have secondary passions like black and white photography, the outdoors, and listening to music. All of our passions should be to glorify our King. Secondary passions are the ones we hold with an open hand. Our primary passion is the gift we set as His feet; it is the first fruits of our existence. It is what gets us up in the morning and lulls us to sleep at night.

Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Christina Grimmie found and chased her passion throughout her short life. She did not wait for a better time or more clear direction. She didn’t wait for her passion to be discovered; she put herself out there. Her life was cut short by what still seems like a senseless act, but her impact continues. People like me, and maybe you, ask ourselves; Do we use our passion to present a worthy gift to our King? She did. Will you? If you do, the ground will shift on the ocean floor and the tsunami will rise.

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What Is Godly Purpose?

Most Christians want to serve Christ. Once we admit that to ourselves, we immediately say, but. We want to help in our way, to the people we choose, using our disposable resources within our timetable. We do not wish to serve ungrateful people in a faraway land, using up our hard-earned vacation time. Thinking this is not the same as saying it, so we’re good. Right?

How often do we fit the Gospel into our situation; rather than fit our circumstances into the Gospel?

PURPOSE

Mother Teresa, in her book, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living, wrote, “I am a little pencil in God’s hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything, and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil, and He has to sharpen it a little more.”

Paul reminds us that if we genuinely pursue the will of God, no matter the outcome, we can count on it serving God’s purpose. It is not for us to determine the time or method God will choose to use us for His Kingdom.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

God created us to do good works predestine for us to accomplish. Preparation does not mean just our time and money but also our gifts, passions, education, experiences, and even where we are. God will sometimes send you; mostly, He will use you exactly where you are.

Ephesians 1:11 “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”

I have a purpose. I was created as a unique creature with specific skills and afforded specific resources to accomplish an individual task. But I have free will in choosing both if and how I will respond. So I can accept that I have this unique purpose without actually working to advance it.

Tom Shuler wrote an excellent book entitled “Metaporphyx.” He tries to clarify the process of both understanding and fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives. It looks at this purpose as not a thing or a single event but a continuous process that repeats itself, each cycle building on the last. A pivot point punctuates each cycle or season. A pivot point is a critical event that causes us to both reassess and redefine our direction. However, the redefinition of our direction does not alter our purpose. The purpose remains the same, but the direction constantly changes based on the seasons of our lives.

 So again, what is our purpose?

HINT

John 15:1-27,“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. “

Our purpose has to do with bearing fruit. So, what does the Bible say about fruit?

James 2:14-26, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. …”

First of all, the fruit we are looking for comes from the Spirit. Not every good work qualifies, just those that are created out of an abiding love and obedience to the Spirit. Second, it is active and not passive. We must do something. We can not just say, “God loves you, go in peace.” We must minister to their actual needs. “So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Dead, as in entirely worthless.

To summarize up to this point, I have a unique and specific purpose for which I was created, and that purpose requires that I do something material. We also know.

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

I end this thought knowing that whatever my purpose, I will be successful if I abide in Christ and diligently search. As I’m still working on the whole purpose, God has assured me that I will eventually succeed.

Psalm 67, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.”

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