Category Archives: Growing

Growing, Message, Uncategorized

What Does God Want Me To Do With My Life?

You Got Questions? He's Got Answers!

I Hear It All The Time! Being a pastor, this is one of the questions that I seem to get over and over and over again!  It seems to me that most people believe in God.  Most of the people who believe in God, believe that God has a plan and purpose for their life.  But most people have a really hard time figuring out what that plan is, so that they can live their lives accordingly.

What Does God Want Me To Do With My Life? Whenever I have a serious question, one of the first places that I go, is to the Word.  God has given us the Scriptures to guide, direct and grow our lives.  As we read the scriptures and begin to put into practice what they are teaching through obedient surrender, our lives almost automatically begin to live in the direction that God has mapped out for us.

Let’s Give It A Try: What does God want me to do with my life? “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy of offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

Ask And Answer! What do these two verses tell us to do?  The first thing it tells us to do is to worship God!  “Offer you body as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship!” It does not say “go to worship”, it says:  “Worship by offering your body as a living sacrifice – holy and pleasing to God!  Now we’ve got our work cut out for us.  Is there any question about what we need to be doing?

What And How? I don’t think there is a question about “What?”, but maybe about “How?”  The second part of the verse helps to answer this question: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Stop living according to the direction of the world and start living according to the direction of God’s Word.  I know it’s easier said than done, but if God in His Word has told us to do it, then it is possible and the best way to get started is to try!  Give it a shot.  A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step!

The Promise! This scripture tells us that when we get headed in this right direction:  “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will!” If you want to know what God wants you to do with your life, you have to start traveling in that direction.  Enjoy the journey!

Growing

What Does It Mean To You?

If we are going to be all that God made us to be and experience all the amazing things that God created us to experience, then we must take some time to answer the question:  “What does success mean to you?”  The definition of success is different for everybody and it changes as we grow and develop!  The people that experience the greatest success are the ones who have made the time to think about who they want to become and what they want to do.  Once we figure out the who, then we can work on the what!

Some view the Bible as a book full of rules and regulations!  I choose to see the words in the Bible as a guide that protects me from myself!  The Bible teaches me that there is great power in FOCUS!  It helps me to understand that there is great reward and blessing that flows out of my HARD WORK!  It encourages me to build STRONG RELATIONSHIPS that allow me to give and receive!  It helps me to know that I can PERSEVERE no matter what the situation or circumstance might be!  And the Bible promises me BLESSING from God as I live according to His plan and direction!

Figure out the direction that you life needs to be heading.  Let’s God’s Word help to guide you.  The unsuccessful of life that have chosen to live lives of mediocrity have settled to live without direction and the result is a life that goes whichever way the wind blows.  Don’t allow circumstances and excuses to get in the way of the amazing things that God has for you!

Figure it out!  Take some time to really answer the question:  Success – what does it mean to you?

Growing, Uncategorized

It Could Be Worse!

4 Comments

Do you ever have a bad day?  I mean one of those:  “I should not have got out of bed today” days?  We all wish that we never had to have those days, but if you live life long enough, you will have more than your share of those days!  I think that when you are working hard to live the right life of a Christ follower, that you might even have more of those days than most, because we can’t respond to the world and it’s challenges in just any ole way that we want to!

This morning I was reading in Isaiah 43:2 and it says:  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”

Notice it does not say that we won’t get wet.  It does not say that we won’t face some pressure and current from life.  It does not say that we can avoid the fire of life.  In fact it implies that as we walk through life, we will have to walk through water, the current and the fire!  It does not say”if” you pass through, but “when” you pass through!  If we are living and breathing and walking through life, then we are going to have to walk through some though stuff!

It does say that we can pass through the waters, current and fire!  We don’t have to stay in the tough times.  You and I can choose to give up and set up camp in the frustrations and disappointments of life, or we can choose to walk on through these times to the something better that God has on the other side!

When the waters of frustration, disappointment and discouragement begin to rise in your life – remember that you are not alone!  God has promised that He is with you and He will never leave you, nor forsake you!  God does not give up on you, so please do not give up on yourself or Him!

When your frustrations, dissappointments and discouragements grow into a raging river – remember that God is in control and He will not allow it to overflow you!  When you can’t keep you head above water, God will be there to give you the helping hand that you need!  Just make sure that you are willing to reach up and take His hand of help!

There will be times of fire, when our lives and our motives are tested.  This is never any fun, but as we stay faithful to our Creator and keep on walking through by trusting in Him, He will not allow the fire to burn us or the flame from that fire to scorch us!  It’s pretty cool that we can walk through the fire with God and come out on the other side not even smelling like smoke!

There is no promise that life will always be easy and I am glad, because if it was easy, there would probably be no growth or real meaning.  And while it is never any fun going through the though stuff, I thank God that we don’t have to go through it by ourselves.  It could be worse, if God were not with us, but He is and that encourages me to keep on walking through whatever life might throw my way!