God’s Purpose: A Makeover for You

Romans 8:28 is one of the most memorable Bible verses in the minds of many Jesus-followers.  It is a verse of great hope and inspiration in difficult times.  Whether good, bad, or worse, God causes all of our circumstances to work together for good.  Paul indicates God’s works in the lives of those who love Him, and further adds that God has called them out for a purpose.

If you are a Jesus-follower, how often do you stop to realize God has a purposeful plan for your life?  I write often about living intentional lives, and we can do that because God is intentional with us.  He did not redeem us just to count us as a statistic, but He has a purpose for us.

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Sunday Sermon – The Mystery of Life Revealed

Like most of us, you’ve probably asked the question before: why am I here?  For thousands of years, people have been trying to discover the true meaning of life.  We search for meaning, value, and purpose.  Today, we will let the cat out of the bag and reveal the great mystery of the ages.

 

The Mystery of Life…Solved
Colossians 1:24-29

Recap: The Secret to a great life is letting Christ live in and through me.

  1. Live in the PRESENCE of Christ

q The presence of Christ is appropriated by faith
q The presence of Christ can be a moment-changer

  1. Live with the PROMISE of Christ

q “Hope” in the Biblical sense is not iffy or subjective, but is sure and
grounded in God’s reliability

q “Glory” refers to anything good or praiseworthy

q Christ in us assures us that things will occur in our life that are
meaningful and purposeful.

  1. Live for the PURPOSE of Christ

q God’s purpose for your life is to make you like Jesus – Romans 8:29
q The WORD of God is the INSTRUMENT of God to accomplish the PURPOSE of God in the PEOPLE of God.

 

  1. Live through the POWER of Christ.

q So many times we fail to unlock the true secret to a meaningful life
`                                                                                  because we use the wrong keys.

q When we conform to God purpose for our lives, His power comes to
bear to accomplish His purpose.

Fulfilling My Purpose for Life

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Several years ago, I ran across this summary of the life of David found in Acts 13:36:

For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption.

The phrase, “he served the purpose of God in his own generation,” has forced me to ask myself what I am living to accomplish with my life. One question that struck me this week was, “What do I want the preacher to say about me at my funeral?”  That seems a morbid thought, but in reality, we preach our own funeral by the way we live our lives.

A couple of good diagnostic questions we can ask ourselves are, “For what do I want to be known, and how do I want people to remember me?” 
We can find a plethora of good things with which to occupy our lives. It is a noble intention to be good spouses, parents, teachers, workers, friends, and citizens.  In the end, however, will I be able to say honestly, “I have served the purposes of God for my lifetime”?

I guess the more important questions are WHY and FOR WHOM do I do the things I do.  Do I live my life each day to fulfill my own agenda, or do I live for God’s purposes?  When God made us, and specifically when He redeems us, He hardwires us to bring Him glory.  Much of the emptiness and frustration we feel in life is because we devote ourselves to things other than His things for us.

Take some time today to get alone and ponder the direction your life is going.  Ask yourself how you can use the everyday events of your life to reflect glory away from you and toward Him.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. – Romans 11:36

What Does Your “Big Picture” Look Like?

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Successful organizations and teams master the art of keeping the big picture in view.  What about you, as an individual, do you have a big picture for your life?

Without a sense of purpose, our lives are a series of loosely connected daily events and circumstances.  Without a big picture for our lives, we become a slave to the immediate or urgent.  The big picture helps us avoid decisions that drain our energy and waste our time, and make sound decisions based on purpose rather than immediacy.   God created each of us with a purpose in mind (Jeremiah 29:11 and Psalm 139:16), and we would do well to live our lives ON PURPOSE as well.

Today, I encourage you to work prayerfully on your GPA.  Take some time to think about the following areas, search Scripture, ask God for insight and wisdom.

GOALS.  Over the next few months, how do you desire to please God spiritually, in your family, on your job, with your health, and other areas God may point out to you?  What is the BIG PICTURE for your life?

PRIORITIES.  Given the goals you have set, what facets of your life need the most attention?  Where do you need to focus your attention and energy?  Does the way you invest your attention, time, and resources reflect the goals you have set?  Do you need to re-appropriate values in your life?

ACTIONS.  How are you going to align your daily activities to reflect God’s priorities for you?  What changes will you make to get control of your life so that you can offer it back to God as a gift of worship?

Once you’ve spent some time pondering, write a purpose statement for your life.  Share it with some people who will help you be accountable to what God has shown you, and begin setting priorities and making decisions that accomplish the BIG PICTURE.

Comments are open.  Thoughts?  Ideas?