Purpose Archives - Page 14 of 19

August 10, 2021August 5, 2021

Sabbatical

I am taking a little sabbatical from posting. I am about to go overseas for a few weeks on back-to-back mission trips and need the time and energy channeled toward those endeavors. I’ll start posting again in September. Thanks for reading and enjoy some of my previous posts.

Traveling Partners – “We have a traveling partner; He is always with us. He will never abandon us. Not everyone has this.”

Lessons in Love – “Love can make your brain forget to breathe.”

Impossible to Unbelievable – “God wants to take you from the mundane to the impossible to the unbelievable.”

A life Worth Living – “The reality is that God puts people in our lives as part of His plan for us. Through them, He can speak to us.”

Psalm 1:1-6, “Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God.

Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the Lord, and they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.

But evil people are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away. Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God’s own people.

The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord, but the evil are on the way to their doom.”

July 28, 2021July 28, 2021

Losing our Identity

John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

One of the biggest struggles with most humans is identity. We are constantly bombarded with messages concerning what the world thinks of our image; intellectually, occupationally, physically, environmentally, or politically. Moreover, the advent of the internet and social media has caused this internal struggle to magnify. As a result, even the most secure among us have difficulty, at times, feeling uncomfortable in our own skin.

THERAPEUTIC IDENTITY

One of the significant outcomes is postmodern thinking; you have your truth, and I have mine. I gravitate to only the media that supports my point of view; I become more comfortable in my skin. Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist coined the term “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.” They defined it as “God exist and only wants us to be nice and to be happy.” Christians fall into this trap. Philip Rieff stated it this way in “The Triumph of Therapeutics,” man no longer sees himself as a pilgrim on a meaningful journey with others, but as a tourist who travels through life according to their own self-guided itinerary, with personal happiness the ultimate goal. Many people have become so overwhelmed by the caustic and bombastic environment we live in that all they want is harmony and peace, and they are willing to give up truth to get it.

John 16:13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

A Therapeutic Culture makes it a great sin to stand in the way of the freedom of others to find happiness as they wish. This therapeutic culture is the author of ethical and gender identity politics. It demonizes dissidents by marginalizing them as people who do not care for the rights and freedoms of others. Dissidents that seek truth do not believe in a just society; they put their view of truth above the truths of others. Dissidents set themselves up to be judges.

1 John 4:6, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of falsehood.”

Happiness has the right identity. Happiness is being the right person, for the right person, in the right way. All of this is defined by the individual. The book of Judges ends with this statement “each man did what he considered right.” The good news is that we are not the first generation to deal with this problem.

TRUE IDENTITY

Milosz, and others, define ketman as a false stance adopted by a person “in order to find himself at one with others, in order not to be alone.”. Many of us assume ketman as a survival tool in our increasingly divergent society. We feel that we cannot openly state our views because of the social backlash that might permanently impact our lives. Once we are “canceled” as a source of information, any truth we might speak becomes null and void. To stay away from that future, we employ ketman.

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Our identity is in Christ and Christ alone. This concept is a fundamental building block of who we are. Because of the current state of affairs, it is imperative we reinforce our identity through bible study, Christian community, and worship. We will never be able to defend the Gospel in and of ourselves; we need the power of the Holy Spirit. God made you according to His will that you might glorify Him. As a friend of mine reminds me, “God don’t make no Trash.” Through the Holy Spirit, you have all that you need to maintain your true identity. You have to stand firm in that resolve.

HOW DO WE PROCEED?

“A man convinced against his will is of the opinion still” – Dale Carnegie.

You cannot browbeat a person into permanent change. You can get them to acquest at the moment, but they will stray when your back is turned. We need to build relationships that create an environment of permanent change. We do this by listening. You cannot accurately address the concerns of others until you understand their problems from their point of view. I guess that you will find one of the most prevalent root causes is the lack of a positive identity. People have lost what it means to be created in God’s image.

Love conquers all. Even though we may have disagreements with others’ versions of the truth, we need to treat them with compassion and respect. We do not want them to remain in a state of sin, but they have free will. Patience is in order. They have moved to a position that their happiness is more important than truth. They need to understand that they can have both.

At a societal level, we need to combat the encroachment of postmodern therapeutics into our society. We need to be active at all levels attacking the issues, not the people; stay on topic. You will be demonized; it is part of the strategy; remember, “in your anger do not sin.” Please do not stoop to their level. Instead, engage the Holy Spirit at every turn. We are not the first to fight this battle and we will not be the last. In God’s economy it is about winning people to Christ, not overcoming worldly issues.

And always remember:

Romans 8: 38-39, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

July 13, 2021July 12, 2021

How do I Compare?

This one thing I know; God has created you as a unique person with a unique purpose. God makes it perfectly clear why you and I exist. We are created to glorify Him in all that we do. He doesn’t give us vague parables, lofty words, or hidden text. He states it outright.

Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them”

Ephesians 1:4, “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love”

Galatians 1:15, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,”

God created each of us to do the will of God for a specific purpose. We are each formed uniquely to serve a unique purpose that God created no one else to achieve. Every cell, nuance, and fiber of our being is specific. We might know people more intelligent than us, prettier, more outspoken, more discipline, more together, but they are not asked do what God has asked us to accomplish.

We are set apart to be holy and blameless and consecrated for His purpose. There is nothing God forgot to give us.

MEASURING PURPOSE

I was part of a panel of speakers that talked about purpose. As I listened to the other speakers, I was humbled and a little jealous of who God made them and what they had accomplished. Their lives were full of purpose, directed by God, to achieve great things. They had compassion, grace, and wisdom. I was last to speak; their testimony left me feeling shallow and lacking. But then there was this thought:

Ephesians 1:11, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

For all of their greatness, for all of the things they have and will accomplish for Christ, they are not asked do what God has asked that I should do. I am not sitting in the second chair. I am not an extra on the movie set of life. I am not here to fill space until Christ returns. I am here to glorify God in a way that is unique to me.

I don’t want to go down a rabbit trail here, so I will say it once and move on. There is a complex interaction created by God that grants free will while still embracing predestination. The word commonly attributed to this seemingly impossible contradiction is Antinomy. To understand how God manages this contradictive construct is to know the mind of God. I don’t, so I accept that I don’t. There are a number of opinions on this issue and I am not the one to sort them out.

Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

God has predestined you and me to achieve great things, knowing our weaknesses and compensating accordingly. God is all knowing, he knows the decision we will make, of our own free will, before we do. Even if we chose not to be obedient, He knew and planned accordingly. Don’t let this distract you from your mission.

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.”

COMPARING WITH OTHERS

2 Corinthians 10:12, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”

When you look at the world around you, you can’t help but start to compare yourself with what you see and hear. You can’t help but let worldly standards erode the Godly standard under which He created you. You see the accomplishments of others and wonder how you will stack up. You are unique; they are unique—each of us with a specific purpose. We cannot compare ourselves to others and come away unblemished. There will always be someone better at something. Everything we accomplish will be superseded by those who follow.

Galatians 6:4, “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.”

STAY STEADFAST

Each of us must understand that we are created precisely the way God intended; to serve Him, not man. With the fall in Garden of Eden we inherited a sin nature. When you feel inadequate, know that it is not your potential you should reevaluate but your direction. If you feel inferior to others, see that they have their purpose, and you have yours. You cannot be them; they cannot be you. You are not asked to reach the people that God has put before them, and they are not asked to reach the ones God has for you.

If everyone had the same path, we would all have the same attributes. But that is not how God works. He wants us to be individuals; God wants us to be different. God wants us to do our part, not be part of someone else’s. God has a great future planned for you, filled with hope and prosperity.

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

July 6, 2021July 5, 2021

Influence and Purpose

When I was much younger, I marveled at the chance of my existence. I even calculated the probability of being born as a middle-class male living in a small town in the most prosperous country in the world. Incredibly, I am who I am. Every aspect of my existence is an attribute required by God to accomplish His will. Each of us has the same story with a slightly different twist. We are all uniquely qualified for what God has in store for us. None of our characteristics should be considered weaknesses because they are specific to the path God wants us to follow; each attribute a strength to be used to advance His Kingdom here on earth.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

It got me thinking about the influence God has given me in this world and how that influence interlocks with my purpose. I have a personal philosophy to have the most significant impact on God’s kingdom while here on this earth; I must stay on the path He has put before me. That path will not only enhance my salvation experience; it will also have the most significant impact on the sphere of influence I have in this world.

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.”

The foundation is my personal spiritual growth. Without that, I can neither accept salvation nor influence others to seek redemption, which we can all agree on as paramount to any plan God has for us. Much like the safety video on an airplane, we have to put the oxygen mask on ourselves before helping others.

VIRAL SALVATION

With a sound foundation, how to take our salvation viral? How do we create the most significant impact for Christ in the short time we have? I believe God wants us to work exclusively within our circle of influence; I call it my social ecosystem. The people with which I have the most commonality start with my family and very close friends. The next circlet might be people in groups or organizations to which I belong, people with whom I interact regularly, but I would not consider close. Like ripples on a pond that expand outward, the further from the center, the less amplitude to the wave. In my case, at the far reaches, where the wave is almost flat, is national influence. I certainly do not feel I have any significant global influence. The work I do in third-world countries is focused on individuals, not nations or governments.

Psalm 119:73-74, “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.”

My national influence is exclusively through voting in elections. I do vote, and I should vote. But I do understand that my impact there is as one in about 130 million. I am not politically active. Even if I was the paper “Testing Theories of American Politics,” Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded, “the preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.”

When I look at my responsibility in this world, I look at it through that lens. I look at it by saying the first obligation I have is the safety and nourishment of my soul, with the constant refocusing of my spiritual energy to be the person God wants me to be. The second role I have is expanding God’s Kingdom. I grow God’s Kingdom through my influence on others around me.

Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

In my world, I try to stay away from issues for which I have little influence. I can worry about the global economy, I can worry about the global pandemic, but my impact is limited. We know that because of God’s providence, He has control over everything. God has a direct influence on all things. God has chosen not to include me in many issues; I don’t have an active role outside my ecosystem. I can wander outside of my lane, but I do it at great risk.

OUR SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM

There are people in my life that I have immense compassion and love for that need me. There are real and everyday issues that create pain and suffering that never get media attention. Friends, family, and neighbors are on the cusp of abandoning God because they feel alone and alienated. The pandemic may have created a worldwide phenomenon, but it also amplified individual suffering. Most of the people we know grind through life, hiding their despair and guilt because they don’t think anyone cares. These are the people God has put before us. These are the people God has sent us to Shepard. Do we take the time to listen? Are we people of God who are willing to get down in the dirt with those we love? It is so much easier to debate politics or the latest downward spiral in society than open our hearts and homes to those we love that have complex, difficult questions that only God can answer.

Corinthians 7:16, “For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”

All of this brings me to a question; as Christians, are we doing the right thing when we engage in conversations on subjects over which God has not given us influence? Do we dilute our impact when we use energy to chase issues that we, one, are not privy to the details and two, have little or no influence outside our opinion? We can have strong views on these subjects; these opinions may or may not have biblical grounding, but our opinion will not change the course God has established.

God has taken care of the more significant issues. He has put in power people who He has given the responsibility to govern. We may not understand or agree with His choices or direction, but that is not our prevue. He has not asked for our advice about His kingdom. What He has asked is that we join Him in serving those around us. Even those who are in positions of power still have an obligation to their immediate social ecosystem. Even they, with all their power and prestige, will be held responsible for the lives around them.

RESETTING OUR IMPACT

I would like to see myself get back to my primary purpose; that purpose is expanding God’s Kingdom with the people around me. Our social ecosystem is different for all of us. God has created a specific and vital role for each of us. We cannot neglect the people God has put in front of us by chasing issues beyond our control. Our focus needs to be on the lives God has put in front of us.

Psalm 139:16, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

This need is not a passive but active responsibility. These are the people God has asked you to Shepard. The people God has brought into your life He has done with purpose; it is not a random selection. When we overlook their needs for the needs of others, we neglect not only our loved ones but the very purpose God has placed you here in the first place. We were created solely for His purpose. There are people in our social circle whose eternal existence might depend on us.

James 5:20, “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

How do I reset; how do I get back to using my resources, skills, and passion for focusing on the issues on which God wants me to focus? How do I chase God’s desire for my life without disconnecting from worldly matters? Can I consume secular subjects without them taking residence? If I cannot, then is it profitable, within God’s providence, for me to allow that intrusion?

Remember Mordechai’s warning to Ester, “If you will not do it God will raise another to take your place.” If we spend too much time and effort coloring outside the lines that we neglect our primary mission, God will raise someone else in your place.

Isaiah 58:10: “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”

June 28, 2021June 21, 2021

Performance Based Faith

Today I was thinking about one of the major conundrums in life; we live in a performance-based world with grace-based salvation. It is tough for me to keep the two separate.

When I was young, I loved to help my dad; sometimes, he had something to teach me, and other times it was to learn to be more like him. When I got involved, the projects got done but a little slower and maybe not as neat, but done all the same. At other times, I seem to get in the way. The project still got done just after I have left. Every time, I grew closer to my dad by being involved.

The results were never mine to control; it was his project, not mine; I was “helping.” I didn’t get to control the process or the timing. If I, as a child, told my dad that I thought he should take on a given project and he needed to use a particular material or a specific process to achieve my goals, he would remind me that it was his house. He was the one who sacrificed to have a home in which I could live. He would enjoy my help finishing the projects he had prioritized, but that was my choice to help him, not the other way around.

Christ modeled our relationship with our parents after our relationship with Himself. He wants us to learn from Him and grow closer to Him through involvement with Him.

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. From childhood, we are constantly reminded that results matter. 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 we are here. That activity must have a purpose, and with purpose comes achievement. Our part is to be obedient in doing the task before us, not the outcome of the task. 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.”

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. If non-believers cannot trust us with the worldly endeavors one can see, how can we be trusted with spiritual endeavors 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. In life, we are held responsible for our results; we need to take that seriously. We are created to work; setting and meeting goals is part of the responsibility. From a worldly perspective, it is this responsibility that 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 standards of living. One of our obligations as a Christian is to be a good employee, 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 required 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.

June 22, 2021June 19, 2021

Small Choices

Small choices build the foundation for more meaningful decisions in our lives. Big decisions are not so much a choice at the moment but the culmination of many small decisions made over time leading up to the moment.

“What is always true is that the decisions we make today determine the stories we tell about our lives tomorrow” – Craig Groeschel, Divine Direction

The decision to choose one job over another was started with smaller choices. Maybe it was the choice to look for a new job, or perhaps the decision to investigate a new profession. It could have been a decision to have coffee with an old workmate. The decision to ask someone to marry you might have started with a decision to attend a party. Our many small decisions craft the environment in which we make our big decisions.

When we try to understand God’s purpose in our lives, what are some of the small decisions that directly or indirectly impact our understanding? Do we make small decisions that inadvertently eliminate opportunities to achieve His purpose?

1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

I’m sorry folks I can’t get over the waste of humanity. All of those people walking the face of the earth living substandard lives thinking they have made it. People whose greatness is shrouded by the perceptions of the world. We compromise and compromise and compromise; not knowing we are planting the seeds of an unfulfilled life.

Starting a New Habit

One of the most straightforward small choices we can make that will immensely impact how we make big decisions is to create a new habit that changes our worldview. We are inundated every day with an overwhelming amount of new information. All of this information is like dripping water on a stone. If the drip continues long enough, it will eventually wear down the stone.

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.”

We need to create a new habit that counteracts the damage of our old habits. We need to consciously ingest good, positive, and Godly information to replace much of the anxious, negative, and worldly information force-feed to us daily. The idea is not to radically change our environment; some people are capable of this, most are not. The objective is to slowly shift our attention away from those inputs that dominate us today.

The new habit might be a quiet time to contemplate God’s blessing, time in the scriptures, or journaling about answered prayer. I would suggest early in the morning before your day begins or late at night as your day is winding down. Don’t think revolution; think revelation. Try to create a new habit that you can maintain for the rest of your life. If you think of something, ask yourself; can I do this every day for the next ten years? If you can answer that yes, you are on the right track to do it the rest of your life.

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Stopping an Old Habit

Many of the habits we have in life we don’t view as habits. We have done them so long that they have become part of us. Many of those habits, if not unhealthy, are at least unproductive. Here is a habit I am still trying to break. It is the habit of negative thought. I get into arcane mind games where I debate with myself over controversies that will never happen in real life. I don’t know when this started in my life. It seems it has always been there. I used to think of it as preparing to overcome an objection before anyone objected. It was a good thing to think through my position and internally discussed its weaknesses. Nice rationalization. The reality is that it is just negative thinking.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Each of us has something that stands in the way of our hearing God speak. Trust me; God was not involved in my internal debates; it was all me. They caused me to think negatively about people without giving them a chance to do something about which to feel pessimistic.

Maybe you start the day listening to the news or reading the latest political column. Perhaps you spend too much time with the wrong people, watching the bad movies, or reading the wrong books. There is always something.

Pick just one thing that you want to stop doing, then commit to yourself to stop doing it. If you need an accountability person or group to be successful, get them.

Staying When We Want to Leave

If you have not run into this by today, you will eventually. You find yourself at a crossroads. There is a decision to make. Should I keep doing what I am doing, or should I change? There are so many times when what I am doing does not seem to produce fruit. I feel that I am doing it out of obedience, but I start to question even that. It might be a job or a relationship, or a calling.

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

This post is one for me. I’m an engineer, a computer geek, a high type “A,” and highly goal-oriented; these are not the character traits of someone who writes. Although there are times when what I write speaks to me so loudly, I know it is right. There are also times when I wonder why I am doing this? If God is not inspiring my words, they just don’t come. It is like staring into a vast black void waiting to hear an echo. My commitment to myself is to stand firm. I have no idea what the fruit of this labor is; I only know that God wants me to continue.

It takes tenacity, perseverance, and faith to stand when every fiber of your body says to run. There will be times in your life when staying may seem like the most painful thing ever ask of you. It is in these times when you have to lean on God to give you the strength. He will never give you a burden that you cannot endure. He will never test you to see your reaction.

It is hard to see the sun in the middle of a storm, but it is always there just above the clouds. When you find yourself at a crossroads, seek God, He is always there just above the clouds.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Going When it is More Comfortable to Stay

The other crazy dilemma is when to leave. I was sitting in the garden of our residence in Kyrgyzstan early one morning, relaxed, having my morning coffee, when suddenly I asked myself, how did you get here? I hadn’t thought about it. The trip here is 17 hours in a plane over ten time zones. It is not cheap, it is certainly not convenient, and The State Department says it is not advisable. But the question wasn’t really about the travel arrangements or the comfort; it was about the intent. What was my intention in being here?

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

My home is very comfortable. My life has a nice cadence to it. The food is good, my friends are great, and fellowship with other Christians is easy and numerous. I can be useful at home. But, that is not God’s plan for my life.

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” ― John A. Shedd

At some point in your life, God will ask you to move. It can be as simple as changing seats to interact with a stranger or travel 7,000 miles to a country where you have never been. It can be changing jobs, changing cities, or changing relationships.

1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”’

Small Decisions Big Consequences

In every case, you will find that God gave you several small decisions that led to the big decision. Life isn’t a pop quiz; life is an essay exam. It is paying attention to the details and writing the story. If we make the small correct decisions, the bigger ones make more sense. God will never abandon you; He will never forsake you. He will never test you beyond your endurance. There is no wasted effort or bunny trails. And in all of this, He wraps it in love. His love for you is unimaginable. His desire to have a deep, meaningful, and joy-filled relationship with you is without bounds.

Matthew 25:23, “‘Good work,’ his master said. ‘You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.’

June 15, 2021June 3, 2021

To Infinity…and Beyond!

Proverbs 22:29, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”

This week I find myself in Toknok, Kyrgyzstan, helping teach a class in micro-business development. I am here with two other men to teach local Kyrgy’s how to create and operate Kingdom Impact businesses. I love being here because it is all about chasing your passion for Christ. The first thing we discuss with them is that God has to be the leader of your vision. Without the Holy Spirits’ direction, their new business will be another business; it might create wealth, but it will not fundamentally change the world. If God is driving the vision, then the business will have an eternal impact; it will drive changed lives and brighter futures.

1 Peter 4:10,” Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

KINGDOM IMPACT BUSINESS

A Kingdom Impact business is a business that applies Christian principles to the way the owner interacts with employees, customers, suppliers, and the community. It impacts the way they manage their finances, their wages, and their prices. Most of all, it drives their need to share the joy of the gospel with the community in which they live and do business.

2 Kings 12:15, “They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.”

I learned to appreciate how God works; it is best to visit third-world countries. These people have not been jaded by first-world expectations. They haven’t been told what they can accomplish and what they can’t. They are both teachable and passionate. God has opened them up to possibilities beyond their expectations. There is a fearful excitement about the future.

I learned how to be brave. In many cases, the hardship these people face daily would break most of us. Some of the places I have been to don’t have electricity or clean water; they live in a hut with a dirt floor. They don’t go home at night to TV and the internet, but only darkness. What they have is a hope in Christ that overshadows their environment. Most of the people I deal with are filled with joy and hope. They are hungry for God’s direction and confident that no matter how difficult life is, heaven awaits.

When we talk about being an example for the community, they get it. These people understand that they are the light in the darkness around them. They know from their experience how tough life is without hope. They want to share that hope with others.

Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

They want their business to be successful in supporting their families and lifting the community, and drawing others to Christ.

Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “

BACK HOME

Is that the way we live? When we go to work, do we see the blessing of work as an opportunity to build up our peers and draw them to Christ? Do we operate from a Kingdom Perspective? I know that question isn’t fair. When you have nothing, everything is important. But when you have everything, nothing is important.

Our lives are consumed with keeping all of our stuff straight. We have careers and college education funds and retirement funds about which to worry. We have homes with mortgages or rent, taxes, and insurance. For many of us, it is the condo association or the homeowners association that we must appease to maintain peace . Our kids not only have to have a good education, but they must also grow up to be well-rounded. We are busy chasing the American Dream.

1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

This is all to say we get lost in our stuff and forget our purpose. We forget that everything we have or will ever have come from the creator of the universe that loves us unconditionally, and we should show it more often. We should take a lesson for our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Christ. We should use all that God has given us to lift the community we live in and draw others to Christ.

I don’t mean to shame anyone; really, I don’t. It is to say we live complex, busy lives. It is extremely easy to become so busy living that we never realize we are not living; we are marking time. We find ourselves devoting way too much time reaping the harvest of the blessings that we forget the source of those blessings. It’s not intentional; it just happens. Periodically we catch our breath and whisper out thanks.

FINAL THOUGHT

Maybe we should think about putting a task on our calendar every day to remind us to take a moment to remember our purpose.

Well, I’m going to enjoy this week. I’m going to enjoy the country, love the people and reset my perspective. Then I will come back home with a healthier understanding of what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do for and through me.

Proverbs 13:22, “A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”

June 8, 2021June 1, 2021

Dream Big

Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

A comedian, Jeff Allen, made this statement in his routine: “Dreams are the engine that will drive you through life, Prayer is the fuel that will drive these dreams, Trust me, when you stop dreaming, when you stop praying, you are going to dry up, bitter up and die long before your heart ever stops beating.”

I found this insanely profound. Dreams are the engine of life. They are the directions from the spirit that pushes us forward. Prayer is the fuel that gives us the tenacity to strive to achieve those dreams. Without prayer, without God’s intervention, we will, as Solomon put it, be chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1:14, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

What are your dreams? What are the visions and passion God has put in your heart? Jeff Allen, in his routine, put this question to his kids; Dream big, if you could be with anyone you want, be anywhere you want, and doing anything you want, what would it be? The spiritual answer is setting at the feet of Christ for eternity; what is the worldly answer? God put us here for a purpose; what is your purpose?

If you could be with anyone you want, be anywhere you want, and doing anything you want, what would it be? Where your treasure is, there is your heart.

Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper said, “Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion.” Most of us think that if our life could be good enough, it might just be good enough. We settle for being someone of note when we could be someone of significance. When we think of what we could be, we believe in terms of what we know. If we were ever to think of who God made us be, we would have to think in terms of faith.

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

The author William Ward wrote a popular book, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” He told his readers, “If you can dream it, you can become it.” That, my friends, is thinking small. God’s vision for your life is greater than your imagination. We cannot start to comprehend the complex and intricate ripples through generations of God’s plan.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie Ten Boom.

Don’t fence in your dreams. Don’t limit what God can do through you by your perceptions. God speaks; you act. God directs; you go. One of the big regrets I hear from people my age is that they never chased their passion. The other big regret, by the way, is not that they let an opportunity slip away, but they let a chance to mend a relationship slip away. Regret is not about material things but relationships. God’s plan for you is about people, not things. God will not fill that passion-shaped hole in your heart with things; God will fill it with memories of people and relationships. Things are just tools.

Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”

The material resources and the physical locations God uses to achieve your dream are His props. They are the tools God has given you to fulfill His purpose in your life. Your passion shouldn’t be to write a book or build a company. It should be to use those endeavors to impact lives for Christ. A mission trip to a third-world country isn’t about the third-world country; it is about the people that live there. Going anyplace God sends you is about getting in front of the people who need you.

“God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go.” – Tony Evans.

One cautionary note to dreaming big; before you can drink cool water from the well, you have to dig a deep hole. God’s plan for you isn’t a walk in the park. There will always be times when you are not sure. There will be times when you want to quit. To achieve God’s dream for yourself, you have to work hard. Sorry, that’s life. Hard work is the invisible hand that creates success.

That is why prayer is the fuel. Prayer is the energy you need to keep pushing forward. I have always found that when I am at my most discouraged, a nice long talk with God builds me back up. He reminds me that I am made in His image to achieve His will, and nothing can stop Him.

Dream big, work hard, love long.

Romans 14:17-18, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”

May 11, 2021May 10, 2021

Exploding into the Night

Don’t you want to live a life that leaves a brilliant streak across the night sky? Do you want that streak of light to end in a fourth of July extravaganza; an explosion of light, thunder and amazement? Do you want the world to look toward that darkness and see your impact, all for God’s glory? Do you want your impact to be bigger than life itself?

Psalm 97:4, “His lightnings lightened the world: The earth saw, and trembled”

To be what you are capable of and who God created you to be, you have to grab the opportunities God puts in front of you and let go of the baggage you have pickup up along the way.

We think too small. We think in terms of what we know and understand. We need to stop doing that. We all struggle with self-actualization, the need to be validated based on our perception of what could be; the ripple effect through eternity is beyond our comprehension.

Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

God’s plan for us should be like the Scream Machine at Six Flags Amusement Park, thrilling, scary, exhilarating, up, down, and around, relying on the creator for our safe arrival; it’s a step up, strap in and hold on, ride.

Do not be afraid of God’s plan. Don’t be scared to step out on faith. Abandon your perception of worth; you are more valuable than you can imagine. God will use you to achieve things that you cannot imagine and may never see this side of heaven; all of this, according to His unique creation, you.

Psalm 8:3-6, “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place. What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority.”

It is not about believing in who God made you; who God made you is a fact since the beginning of time. Your belief does not determine its existence. I want you to accept who God made you. I want you to drop the pretenses of this world and grab on to the reality of God’s power to become more than you ever thought you could be.

Part of the problem is that we determine greatness through the lens of the world. We look to others to determine what greatness is. God created each of us to be excellent in our unique way for a purpose individual to us alone. There is no comparable standard. God’s standard for us is unique to us.

Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

The Bible translates the term Shema to mean, listen, but it means more; to listen with the intent of doing. As we go through life and God speaks, we should listen to do. The act of listening is not passive; it is active; it requires movement. We all too often determine God’s direction in terms of our perceived ability or desire. We believe God would never ask us to do something we are not equipped for, and He won’t; the problem is that we don’t fully understand what He has already done for us so that He can work through us.

You can be very effective for God’s kingdom by plodding down the road, one foot in front of the other, into a headwind. You can serve God by being yourself. You can be tenacious and determined. You can see evidence of positive impact. You can do all of this without living to your potential. You apply what you know to where you find yourself and produce fruit.

What if you cast all of that aside? What if you recognized that there is only one aspect of life you have some control over, that is obedience. What if you decided to do whatever was asked of you, no matter how foolish it might sound. Remember, God created you with specific attributes to do particular things for His Kingdom. Obeying God will not cause you to spiral out of control.

Deuteronomy 5:33, “Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.”

In a couple of weeks, I am going to Kyrgyzstan. If you asked me if I wanted to go, I’d have said: “not really.” But Kyrgyzstan is just a destination, a place on the map. The journey is about changing people’s lives for Christ; they happen to be in Kyrgyzstan. Is there a lot of uncertainty, absolutely? It is not just the everyday safety issues with third world countries; it is also the complications of COVID. Then there are the 19 hours sitting in an aluminum tube hurtling through space. What I do know is that God would not ask me if He didn’t already know how it was going to turn out.

Part of the thrill of being the person God made you is the unexpected. God will show us that we have the power to change the world, one person at a time. It can happen in your backyard, your community, or some backwater place, not on any map.

Listen with the intent of doing. Our worldly lives will all burn out at some point that we cannot stop. People will not remember your social status, position, wealth, and possessions, but they will remember that explosion in the night sky from a life worth living. Make it a big one.

Ephesians 4:1-6, “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.”

Tag: Purpose

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