Find God’s Purpose and you’ll experience a life full of peace, contentment and joy. But how? Here are some thoughts to guide you.
You’ll Find God’s Purpose Revealed Through Scripture
People often approach the search for God’s purpose like it’s mystical. Revealed through dreams, visions and signs. Yes. The Bible is full of stories where God used these methods to reveal His purpose. And He still uses them today. But they are the exception and not the rule.
Because more commonly, God’s purpose is practical and ordinary.
And interwoven throughout scripture. In its commands and teachings on how to treat others, demonstrate Godly character and follow Jesus Christ.
One act, following another in a life that honors God according to His purpose.
It’s less about discovering God’s grand scheme for your life and more about faithful discipleship. Like what does it actually look like in practical terms to love your neighbor? And as you respond to what God reveals in scripture, you will become more sensitive to the mysterious urgings of His Spirit.
You’ll Find God’s Purpose By Joining Where He Is Already At Work
The late Henry Blackaby said this in his Experiencing God discipleship curriculum. Although he specifically referenced the will of God, I think its simple, yet profound advice applies here too. God is still active in the world. And visible to those who want to serve Him.
So pay attention to where He is obviously working. In Gospel driven organizations like The Christian Appalachian Project,Samaritan’s Purse and Mercy Ships. In local ministries in your community. Even within your church. And join the effort in some capacity.
I had a seminary professor who offered this advice. Find what you do best that can influence the most people for the Kingdom of God…and do it. Brilliant! And so simple. Is there a skill, talent or ability you can use for God’s glory? It doesn’t matter if someone else is better at it than you. The point is…it’s what YOU do best.
Find it and do it. And you’ll experience an even greater blessing by doing something you enjoy.
You’ll Find God’s Purpose Through An Eternal Perspective
Most of God’s ways are beyond our comprehension. Because God is eternal. And so is His purpose for you and this universe.
Therefore, a search for purpose must be viewed from an eternal perspective. By faith. Keeping in mind that God’s ultimate purpose includes all humanity and the entire cosmos.
So if your perspective considers only yourself and life on earth, you should think much bigger. Or the purpose you find will be limited at best. And at worst, completely miss the many blessings and opportunities God has planned for you.
Does God have a special purpose for you? Perhaps. On the other hand, He may simply expect you to respond faithfully to what is revealed in His word.
In humble satisfaction that it is more than enough.
Satan’s temptation of Jesus demonstrates a spiritual reality. Satan actively tempts all humanity. But can the devil make you do it? Here are some things to know about Satan, his temptation strategy and how you can respond.
Satan’s Temptation Of Jesus Reveals Satan Is Not Your Friend
The Greek word for Satan means adversary. A fitting description of Satan’s relationship with humanity. He wants to drag you down. To destroy you and your relationship with God.
That’s what happened to Adam and Eve. Satan tempted them to eat the one fruit in the Garden that was off limits. They did and the act of disobedience severed their relationship with God.
Satan won that round. And had us all right where he wanted. Eternally doomed. But God sent his Son, Jesus to die as a perfect sacrifice. To atone for sin.
Which is why Satan tempted Jesus. Because if Jesus sinned, he wouldn’t qualify as a perfect sacrifice. However, Jesus won that round. And successfully completed his mission. Therefore, we can restore our relation with God through Jesus Christ.
Think Satan’s going to let that happen without a fight? Not on your life! Which is exactly what’s at stake.
Satan’s Temptation Of Jesus Reveals Satan Attacks Your Greatest Weakness
Satan tempted Jesus right after his month long, spiritual retreat in the wilderness.
He was physically and spiritually exhausted. Hadn’t eaten in 40 days. And Satan goes straight for where Jesus is most vulnerable. His hunger.
“Hey, Jesus. You’re God. Turn those rocks into loaves of bread and dig in. For you, should be a piece of cake.”
The point is, Satan doesn’t fight fair. He aims for your weakest moment. Most feeble condition. Greatest vulnerability.
Struggle with temper control? He’ll assure you it’s righteous anger. Success oriented? He’ll pat you on the back for your strong work ethic and drive you to work long hours for the sake of your family…so you’re never actually there for your family.
He gives you reasons to justify, rationalize, excuse. And of course, blame someone else. Because it’s never your fault.
He’s sneaky. Subtle. Deceptive. With a winsome charm that leads you from the goodness of God, straight through the gates of hell. As you dance along the way and thank him for it.
Satan’s Temptation Of Jesus Reveals That Scripture Is Your Best Defense
I once heard a preacher say Satan has an IQ of around 20,000. Pure speculation, of course. But he made a good point. Satan is super smart. And very powerful. Although not all powerful. Or all knowing. And can’t be everywhere at once.
But even Jesus didn’t try to outwit Satan on his own. Rather, he quoted scripture his entire defense.
A strategy we should also follow. Why? Because God’s word does not return empty. But keep in mind, Satan knows scripture too. And cleverly twists it to support his point.
So study the Bible diligently. And commit it memory. Because the best way to recognize a lie is to know the truth.
Scripture Reveals That Satan Ultimately Loses
Satan’s fate is already determined. But until then, he roams the earth freely. Sewing seeds of dissension. Causing chaos. Wrecking havoc. And currently doing a great job of it. As humanity turns on itself…oblivious to the real enemy.
But Satan can’t actually make us do anything. We must willingly give in to temptation. And when we do, become partners in furthering his cause. For which, we also, will one day give account.
However, the good news is the victory Jesus achieved, still stands. And it can be our victory.
It’s where those who follow Jesus find hope. And demonstrate a life of faith, knowing better days are ahead.
An attitude of gratitude makes life better. For others and for you too. I discovered this from a church mission trip, fixing up homes in Kentucky Appalachia. In an area with one of the highest levels of poverty in the country. And the experience reminded me how well I have it.
Here’s how you can discover an attitude of gratitude too.
Serve Others For An Attitude Of Gratitude
Gratitude begins with a mindset that gets out of yourself. Looks at the plight of others and asks the question: what can I do to help? To make a difference?
It moves beyond fault finding and blame shaming. Rises off the couch of social justice arm chair quarterbacking and gets in the game. Becomes a problem-solver rather than a problem identifier. Moves from talk to walk.
Serving others broadens your perspective. No, your problems may not go away. But it prevents them from dominating your life. And adds significance as you lift up others.
Learn Contentment For An Attitude of Gratitude
We live in a culture that promotes accumulation and comfort. And the answer to the question, how much is enough? Is always a little more than what we have now.
Because contentment is like a fishing lure of enticement…always trolling just out of reach.
But scripture reveals the secret to contentment. It is from God and is LEARNED.
It’s not an unexpected epiphany. A warm fuzzy someone gives you. A level of enlightenment achieved somewhere on the quest for more stuff. You learn it on the journey of discipleship. As you seek first the Kingdom of God while navigating times of scarcity and plenty. And you realize God provides for you in both of them.
Compare Down For An Attitude Of Gratitude
We naturally compare ourselves to other people. And usually compare up.
I was doing exactly that one day as I drove through my neighborhood. Comparing as I looked at all the nice cars in driveways. An SUV here. BMW there. Mercedes around the corner. Wait. Dude. You should move further up town!
My 15-year old, compact car with 175,000 miles was an eyesore. At least in my view. Rust spots appearing on the doors and fenders. Dimpled like a golf ball after driving it in a hail storm. Although it otherwise ran great.
Then as I left the neighborhood and pulled onto a main road, I passed a bus stop where a group of people waited for their ride. And I felt a spiritual nudge and a gentle voice say, “those people don’t have a car.”
It switched the direction of my comparison. And provided a lesson I will never forget. There is always someone who has it better than you. And someone who has it worse.
So take a pause the next time you start a comparison pity party. And compare down. Your inventory of blessings will change your attitude into gratitude.
Thank God For His Blessings For An Attitude Of Gratitude
Don’t wait for a comparison pity party wake-up call. Regularly and intentionally reflect on your blessings. Do you have a place to live? Food to eat? An income? Generally in good health? Surrounded by loved ones?
Chances are you can say “yes” to at least some of these. And you know people with much less. The point is, there are always things you can appreciate. So take the time to appreciate them. Stop looking at the glass half-empty and start seeing the one half-full.
And thank God for his blessings. Because God is the source of all that is good. And his best gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ. When you’ve received that gift, there is no comparison.
Jesus and the adulterous woman. The well known Bible about Jesus and the adulterous woman has lessons for us today. It describes an encounter between Jesus and Jewish religious leaders who demanded his judgement over a women caught in adultery. And the surprise reponse that left them speechless.
Jesus and the adulterous woman. Demonstrates that God lets you write a new story.
During this time period, adultery was a sin with a penalty of death by stoning. And the religious leaders presented to Jesus an offender caught in the act. An open and shut case. All Jesus had to do was pronounce judgement to end the story.
Because God wrote a new story with Jesus as the central character. He understands we sin. Has compassion for us. And the new story is the gospel. The good news that Jesus is the Son of God who sacrificed his life for our sin.
And because of his story, the woman could change her story.
So Jesus put the religious leaders on pause by turning the tables on them. God has a way of doing that too.
Jesus and the adulterous woman. Demonstrates that God’s grace covers all sin.
Of course, the religious leaders weren’t really interested in the woman’s sin. They were challenging Jesus. Out to trip him up. Was he really serious about God’s laws? Prepared to follow through and pronounce judgment? Or would he try to wiggle out of it in the name of love?
Even today, the tug of war between God’s law and God’s grace pulls us back and forth. And Jesus appeared trapped in a no win situation.
But Jesus didn’t get rattled. Act defensive or uptight. Instead, he stooped and wrote in the dirt. We can only speculate what it said. Perhaps, he listed some sins of the accusers. The top 10 count down songs of the day. Maybe he just doodled as he prayed for a wise answer.
And when he stood, he delivered it with a divine, counter punch that challenged the moral purity of the accusers.
Maybe a good test for you and me? Before we jump on the bandwagon of our own virtue and condemn someone else, perhaps we should first consider our own righteousness?
The point is, we all sin. And the sacrifice of Jesus covers it all. There remains, of course, a tug of war between law and grace. Scripture teaches both are important. And the challenge is to avoid leaning too far either way.
Jesus and the adulterous woman. Demonstrates that God calls us to moral purity.
Although Jesus did not condemn the women, he acknowledged her sinful behavior. And challenged her to change her story by saying, “go and sin no more.”
Did she begin a new life or go right back to the old one? We don’t know. But she had the opportunity. We all do.
Ultimately, God will judge. But he prefers to offer grace. Change stories. Provide second chances. That’s what the gospel story is about.
So yes. God understands we are sinners. And has compassion for us. But that doesn’t mean he accepts a sinful lifestyle. Rather, he calls us to strive for moral excellence.
The apostle Paul compares it to a long distance race. That’s what a relationship with Jesus involves. To strive for righteousness as a Christ-follower. Knowing you won’t always succeed. But you press forward anyway. Because the stakes are high. And the rewards eternal.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
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When you celebrate with others, you create a positive effect. Like tossing a rock into a pond, it creates affirming ripples that benefit everyone.
When You Celebrate With Others You Lift Them Up
I had a conversation one day with the father of two elementary age boys. He enthusiastically described their soccer skills during a recent game where both scored multiple goals.
He talked with fatherly pride. Celebrating their victory and development as budding athletes.
I understood where he was coming from. As parents raising a family, we celebrate when our children succeed. And invest in their lives to help them learn, develop and grow. Because we want to see them live productive, fulfilling lives.
And I celebrated with him. Congratulating him on the win and success of his boys. Like a cheering fan. And affirmed him as a good dad. For taking the time to coach his sons and teach them how to play the game.
It’s what all parents need. To be cheered on. Encouraged. Congratulated. Because parenting is a tough job. And the encouragement lifted him up. His smile broadened. His eyes filled with joy as he cherished the moment. No, he didn’t always get it right. But this time he did. And my participation in the celebration made it even sweeter.
When You Celebrate with Others It Blesses You
Celebrating with others is not always easy. Or come naturally. Because we tend to compare and compete. And feel threatened when another person out succeeds us.
But when you celebrate with others, it’s like an antidote. Because as you lift them up through celebration, it lifts you up too.
And in a day when tearing others down is the norm, there is a desperate need for people who build others up. That understand life is not all about them. Or meant for us to go it alone. But that God designed us to live in community. To support one another. And we are better together rather than apart.
When You Celebrate With Others You Generate A Positive Influence
When you celebrate with others you recognize their worth and value. You affirm their importance as a person made in the image of God.
I was in the check-out line of the grocery store one day. And both the cashier and the bagger were high school age young men. Working jobs I knew easily grew boring and monotonous. Scanning and bagging an assembly line of products for eight hours.
But these two young men were energetic and on task. And worked with speed and efficiency as they checked me out in record time.
I smiled when they finished. Thanked them. And commented how well they worked together as a team. And the positive effect was immediate. They straightened. Grinned at one another with a sense of pride. And checked out the customer behind me even faster.
It was a small celebration with a big impact. And that’s the point. When you celebrate with others you spread positive goodwill. Something most of us will probably agree we can use more of.About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
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