Feeling Good, or Fulfilling God's Purpose?

This is a spin off of Ryan's sermon from this past Sunday...





You see I sat through that service twice. I listened intently twice. I went up for prayer also...but my eye is still cloudy. My vision is not yet clear. Though all these distractions had been addressed, twice, I had not yet applied this truth. the weeds in my heart seem to have already overtaken this word from the Lord!!!





Looks like I need heart surgery. I need to get deep in the garden of my heart and violently begin pulling out the weeds Satan has planted. He throws seeds daily! No wonder the word says Guard your heart with ALL diligence, for from it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).





I must daily violently pull these things up before they can take root. I am also coveting the prayers of my sisters in the body! For the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous [wo]man avails much! (James 5:16)





Things in my heart had begun to cloud my view





Matthew 6: 21-23 proclaims,
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!





This passage is wedged right between the passage of the week (about storing up treasures) and the passage about serving God or money! These verses show me that earthly treasures and money cloud or view. They block us from seeing clearly! Have you ever woken up and had blurry vision? You can't see where to turn on the lamp, and even then the light in the room is dim!








Satan knows "If I can get the minister of the gospel distracted for long enough, they will forget their TRUE purpose!" The one thing they are ALL called to do- that is to represent Christ, reconcile people to Him, show that He is lovingkind and gracious! If I keep them clouded with the love of money and all that comes with it, they will not see the world clearly as God sees it...

What makes this so easy for him is that so many of our Christian Leaders, especially the popular ones began teaching that "God wants you to have money and lots of it" , "God is fulfilling His promise when he gives you status and elevates YOU!" The focus has become us and not Him or His work through us!

Now that we realize this, we can no longer blame them- it is for us to pluck the weeds, go deep in the garden of your own heart and remove the junk!

What clouds your eyes daily?


What is bringing in shadows of darkness on what you should be doing?


Can you see? Is your vision clear today?





Be thou my vision, Lord!

Bless the Lord...All That is Within Me

Preface: You may notice a theme with my blog writings...I am daily trying to stop fighting God right now. I have been wanting to make my will happen, and figure out what my "purpose and passion in life" is.

But, the Lord has been telling me... "I refuse to let you move forward with all this mess, and messed up perspective". He has me in the fire, so I can be purified. So, when it is time to move forward to the next step, my motives will be pure, my mind will be focused, and my heart will be ready!

Bless the Lord, Oh My soul, and all that is within me....

What is within me? What is in my possession, now, today?

I thought I had to have a title.

I thought I had to create a product.

I thought I had to be affirmed by others.

I thought I had no significance.

I thought I had no purpose- CURRENTLY

I thought I had to be like everyone else who does a something...

But what is within me now? What I possess now are the very things I have always taken for granted. I have been given eyes, hands, feet, knowledge, a heart. My talents and gifts seemed so minute to me that I had not even taken care of them. I had become just like the slave with ONE talent (Matthew 25:14-30). I had neglected using all the skills that seem so simple and the tasks that seem so small. I had not "sown into my own ground", or multiplied my own gifts and abilities, but was greedy for more!

What talents and gifts do you possess that you have not surrendered to the Lord?

What is right under your nose that you have neglected?

How will you multiply the talents God has given you?

Or will you simply bury it like the slave with one talent, because you feel it is insignificant?

Being One Me On Purpose

"Why did I ever want to be everything I wasn't made to be, while someone needs me to be who I am, right now, today... I am significant"


This is a recent quote from me on facebook. I want to expand on those thoughts...


All this time I have been trying to make "something else" happen in my life' something that would make me significant. I've been trying to be a business owner of any sort, a mother when I'm only a newlywed, a home owner, a party planner, a stay at home mom with no kids. Anything else but this boring life...


Then it hit me hard, like a ton of bricks:
While I am striving to create something "new" there are people and places I reside that have not been touched, places where I have set my two feet that remain unaffected by God's presence. All this time His Spirit has been living in me. His abundant life and spiritual riches and rivers of living water have been shut up inside me in the midst of a dying people. I have for too long held it all inside until I could find an "acceptable place" to burst forward with His light!


Wow! How my selfishness had overcome me! How long I have waited for the "right" (comfortable and preferable) conditions to express my love and commitment to Christ and the love and commitment of Christ. How many days have passed with this treasure buried inside me, while His word clearly says a lamp that is hidden is useless!!!! (Matthew 5:14-16). But I claim to be salt and light in the world, in the world.


I realize that He has called me to be An Ambassador. Wow, the sad part is that he actually gave me this title last year, but I kept searching for my purpose!


God literally told me through 2 Corinthians 5:20 that I am to be His ambassador.
(Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God- NASB)


I see now that I never invited the reconciliation of unsaved people to God to these places because I only wanted my purposes to be fulfilled. I didn't want to be His ambassador in my workplace, or in my career in general. I wanted to leave and get my money and status. I wanted these places to be my stepping stones and springboards to my new season, to my destiny! I had applied for graduate school more than three times in the past two years I have spent at my job. Until the very last time I tried and wept when I saw again that it was not yet time. What a continuous wake up call- that I kept ignoring! His mercy endures!

This all went on while God was waiting for the chance for His light to spring forth within me so that the fruit of spring could bloom and His kingdom could be advanced.


Ephesians 5:15-17 speaks
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise [wo]men, but as wise making the most of your time because the days are evil. so then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.


Colossians 4:5 urges
Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.


With all that said, do we still want our purpose and destiny? Will we still find joy in sharing Christ with others and doing the will of the Lord when it is not comfortable, not popular, not fluffy and bubbly? Surely we will feel His love and find joy in walking and working for Him, but purpose may be fulfilled in ways other than we prefer.

Will you be open to His purpose and calling in every arena of life? Are you willing to see His power manifested in ways you never expected?

Purpose: A Love-Hate Relationship

It seems as though we all love to hear the words purpose in sermons, books, blogs, anywhere- because we are all looking for it. Maybe, my purpose is to be a doctor, or singer, or a missionary, or the director of this, or the team leader of that. We love feeling significant because of our titles, and often crave them. We love purpose until its grunt work begins. We love learning about purpose until we find out what our purpose really is. We love the process of self-evaluations and spiritual gifts tests and skills assessments. That is until the actual work begins.

We suddenly begin to turn cold during the waiting process while God is preparing us for this REAL work. With every inkling of true purpose we get turned off, we ask God about our goals and dreams. This love for purpose slowly turns to grief and then hate. We start to resent giving of ourselves fully. We start to hate real work. We hate serving. It goes against every desire we have been taught to have. It goes against the very fabric of our fleshly beings. We are annoyed to be called at three in the morning to pray for others. We shiver at the thought of giving our beds for those who have nothing. Yes we SAY we would in the love thoughts of purpose, but when we put the petal to the metal things get gritty.

But, faith without works is dead my sisters!


When you hear the call of God to do His work, you may hear it differently than you originally expected. So open your ears. Surrender your dreams. Cast your cares and hopes. Release your aspirations and goals to the purpose of Christ!


Imagine if John decided he didn't like his purpose of being a forerunner for Christ (God's purpose), then hearts would not be ready to receive Christ when He came.


Remember how Sarah laughed at the thought of having children at her age (God's purpose)


Imagine if Christ said 'I'm enjoying performing miracles, and healing the sick, and boy raising the dead is a lot of fun. I don't think I want to die on a criminal's cross' (dying was a MAJOR part of His purpose)!!!!!

Where would we be if the first century saints decided to follow their hopes and dreams and goals? How highly we esteem these hopes and dreams which pitifully pale in comparison to the purposes God sets before us!

ARE WE TRULY WILLING TO LIVE IN PURPOSE BY:

Feeding a friend who is struggling financially?
Saying kind words to someone who is discouraged?
Being a mentor to a young lady who needs guidance?
Taking care of your home so that God's peace can rule there?
Doing the grunt work for someone who is "on stage"?
Showing His love in what seems to be the simplest of ways?

What purpose is God calling for you fulfill TODAY, RIGHT NOW?