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johnny2k
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 Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 4:26 pm Post subject: Day 29 - Accepting Your Assignment |
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Purpose #4 - You Were Shaped For Serving God
Day 29 - Accepting Your Assignment
| Quote: | | For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)] |
I basically said in my recent post, "Onward, Christian Soldiers" (see http://www.johnny2k.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=101#101 ) - We are not doing what we were created for in God's Devine Plan for us if we don't continue our lives in Christ with some effort. We can't sit back, and just wait for Eternity to come. When I wrote that post, I had not yet read Chapter 29. In this chapter, we are told how to accept our assignment.
We find out in this chapter, we were not created just to accept the Salvation our Father gave us through Jesus Christ, just to sit back and do nothing but accept and consume all the blessings we may have on this earth from God. While we don't have to do works to get into Heaven and Eternity, as we were saved by His Grace - it is vitally important to know how much God needs us to continue in our Christian lives with ministry, our service for God, to reach our fellow man.
Maybe it is just the lack of that effort from Christians that we still have such a messed up planet. So many of us have had to deal with such a lack of compassion from the government or employers, and even at times have felt our own church has forgot about us. Could that possibly be because some Christians have never learned what was taught in Ephesians 2:10?
Rick Warren didn't write this book, "The Purpose Driven Life", for us to all start feeling good about ourselves because we are Christians, and that we have been saved. And he didn't say that we all have to become "bible-thumpers", harassing people into becoming Christians or into going to our church. This was a lesson that took me awhile to learn myself.
I've mentioned in other posts that I have written since the time I first began this series of my 40 Days of Purpose, that I wondered about what my service has done for anyone, as I don't get feedback very often - via my email or web stats. Now that I have started this new section on Purpose #4, that the nice things I have done for people, even if it is just telling somebody to have a nice day, or encouraging somebody that is going through troubles in their life, I am serving God.
Is it possible that Rick Warren organized "The Purpose Driven Life" in the way he did, so that we would first find out what God does for us, only to turn it towards what we are able to do for God as Christians? That seems to be what I have seen in my life since I began this topic. I first needed the empowerment from knowing God has a purpose for me. Then, I saw that what I learned during this time, I felt I needed to start focusing on what I could help others with, and I was already beginning to serve God, unconsciously. Now, Rick Warren's teachings are helping me to teach you what it means to serve God.
I can now recall that time when I had first started working for an employer in July of 2004, and at the same time, started reading this book for the first time. I soon realized that my service for the Lord was in making sure that the customers that called in were not only served passionately for the company I worked for, but that they felt the love and compassion I was able to offer. Those customers that called in didn't have to be read Bible verses. Heck, I would have been fired long before I was! What I wanted the customers that called in to feel was that they were talking to someone that actually cared about what they needed. I know I served that purpose well.
Did reading this book become the only fortification of my desire to serve people? No. It was being at church on a fairly regular basis, it was being in fellowship with fellow Christians, and it was studying the Bible on a consistent basis. All these things developed my character into somebody that wanted to serve God, and make life better for other humans struggling through our every day lives.
I am hoping that what I am writing today somehow makes clear what Rick Warren said in this chapter. No, I didn't outline this chapter, though the things I read in this chapter were well organized in Rick Warren's book, as always. What I want to do here is to explain that serving the Lord in our everyday life is essential in God's plan for us!
Won by ONE!
John
DIGG it for the Lord!
_________________
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johnny2k
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Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 313
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 8:53 am Post subject: Day 30 - Shaped For Serving God |
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Day 30 - Shaped For Serving God
| Quote: | There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. [1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NIV)] |
The quote above from 1 Corinthians 12 fits perfectly with what Rick Warren discusses in Chapter 30. We each have unique gifts given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. God designed each of us uniquely for His specific purpose for our lives.
In His design of us, God gives each of us certain significant abilities in order for us to be able to serve Him. In this chapter, Rick Warren tells us that each of us are designed with a combination of factors. There are five factors that will be discussed in this chapter and the next. Pastor Warren created what is called an acrostic (a series of lines in which [usually] the first letter in each line form a word when read in sequence), which he calls SHAPE:
Spiritual Gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
This acrostic, SHAPE, is used to help us to remember these five factors. The first two, Spiritual Gifts and Heart, are discussed in this chapter, while the following three will be discussed in Chapter 31. The purpose of what he discusses about these various factors is to help us learn and discover how to use our SHAPE.
Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts - These are the gifts that were discussed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. We don't earn or deserve our Spiritual Gifts, which is why they are called gifts. None of us have all of the gifts that are given by God through the Holy Spirit. This way, we will always need each other! It is important not to overemphasize our spiritual gifts and neglect the other four factors.
Listening to Your Heart - Your heart represents all your motivations, such as hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams and affections. You will do the best job you can do when you are passionate about it. Rarely do people do a good job when they don't like that job. Your passions also include those things that you are interested in. God wants us to serve him passionately, not dutifully. When we are interested or passionate about what we do, we do it with enthusiasm and effectiveness. You do things well when you feel passionate about the certain task you are doing.
After writing about The Purpose Driven Life for the last month, I guess you can tell, I am passionate about it. Regardless of the fact that I got behind a few days, had I not enjoyed writing, do you really think I would have stuck to it if I did not feel comfortable or enjoy writiing as I do? This factor - my Heart - not only goes for the 40 Days of Purpose topic, but also my ministry in this forum.
I do believe I am effective, and I am doing it with great enthusiasm. I learned, as I may have mentioned in other post topics, that I don't do this for recognition from man. I am not looking for a reward from man. I don't get paid to do this, there is no profit involved. I pray, and I ask the Holy Spirit to inspire me, and lead me as I write. What ever Spiritual Gifts I have received, I believe that one would be the message of wisdom, and the ability to put that message into written words. Otherwise, without that gift, you would not be reading this right now. Nor would there be this ministry if I didn't feel a passion toward it.
Won by ONE!
John
PBPGINFWMY
DIGG it for the Lord!
_________________
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johnny2k
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Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
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| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 2:14 am Post subject: Day 31 - Understanding Your Shape |
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Day 31 - Understanding Your Shape
| Quote: | | Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. [1 Peter 4:10] |
In Chapter 30, Rick Warren discussed the first of the two factors that make up the acrostic SHAPE, which were your Spiritual Gifts and Listening to your Heart. The other three factors that make up your SHAPE are discussed in this chapter - Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. Keeping in mind that none of us have the same combination of SHAPE - the five factors that make us each unique - it is important to understand and learn how to use our SHAPE.
Applying Your Abilities
All of our abilities come from God - Rick Warren says here that your abilities are the natural talents you are born with. I would like to clarify that a little in my own words. I used to believe that I didn't have any natural abilities, or talents, because I wasn't "the best", or didn't excel. I can play golf, but I am not on the PGA Tour; I can run, but not at World Class speed; I can play the piano, but not in a concert. In other words, we all have a lot of God-given abilities. Some may be much better, some not so hot, but the abilities are there inside you. We all have have abilities that can used to serve God.
Every ability can be used for God's glory - First, there is sure an ability that you can use in service to the Lord, possibly in your church, where your specialty will shine. Second, give God the credit for your God-Given abilities! For example, every now and then we will see an athletic super-star on national TV in a post-game interview, telling us that they give all the glory to God; they thank the Lord for their God-given abilities.
What I'm able to do, God wants me to do - This is where you need to figure out what you are good at, and what you aren't good at. This is not the easiest task. You may have skills you can use at your church, or in your ministry. There may be more ideas you will get when we examine the next two factors of SHAPE. Your personality and experiences may help you realize what there is that you can do. Rick Warren lists many tasks in this area of the chapter, on page 244, that may be something for you to do to help your church.
Using Your Personality
Different personalities gives God a variety of ways for Him to use us. There is no right or wrong type of personality that can be used to serve God, and serve the church. The variety of personalities actually gives God much more to work with. There tends to be more diversity and variety that way!
So whatever your personality is, believe me, you will understand at some point, that God needs all kinds of personalities to lead the Lost to Him. He needs the soft and gentle, He needs the gruff and tough. There are many different kinds of people out there that need the "right" kind of leadership.
Employing Your Experiences
There are many experiences in your life that add to your SHAPE. Here are the experiences that Rick Warren says help determine what we are shaped for:
Family experiences
Educational experiences
Vocational experiences
Spiritual experiences
Ministry experiences
Painful experiences
Painful experiences are used the most by God to prepare you for your ministry. Why? Because, God doesn't waste those experiences, He can use them in your ministry to other people with similar experiences. For God to use those painful experiences you have had, you will need to be willing to share them with others.
In sharing your most painful feelings from your experience, you have to be able to share and admit your own faults, failures, and fears! This will allow you to have your most effective ministry, helping people with those same situations. It is how we can RELATE to people, they will understand that there are solutions to the most horrible problems that they may be facing.
When we look at those last few paragraphs that Rick Warren wrote in this chapter, we might actually see that the solution to our own painful experiences is the fact that we can help others through the same difficulties in life! I will admit, the concept of sharing our own fears, or mistakes in the past, is scarey. Yet, that ministry, that inclusion of others in our own past - to let them know they are not alone - and real solutions CAN be found, may be the type of ministry God intends from our own miseries that we have experienced!
Won by ONE!
John
PBPGINFWMY (Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!)
DIGG it for the Lord!
_________________
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johnny2k
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Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:26 am Post subject: Day 32 - Using What God Gave You |
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Day 32 - Using What God Gave You
| Quote: | What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God. [Danish proverb, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 249] |
In Chapter 32, Rick Warren writes about discovering the best use of your life to serve God. In the last two chapters, we learned about our SHAPE, the factors that make us who we are. Like a potter that makes a clay pot, Our Lord shapes us for His purpose. Now, the task given to us in this chapter is to learn more about our own shape, and how to use it to serve God's purpose for us.
Once we discover our shape, and learn to accept and enjoy it, we can begin using it to our fullest potential, and for what God's purpose is for us. There is so much to consider, though, when we take into account our spiritual gifts, passions (Heart), abilities, personality traits and our experiences. Just how do we know what we can do to make use of our SHAPE to serve the Lord in the best way?
Even though Rick Warren used the last two chapters to explain what each of these factors were in our SHAPE, he continued on this topic in this chapter to help us find what God shaped us for. It is that important of a topic, it has been hard for me to find a way to write about this chapter. I have a fear that there may be vital information that I may leave out. Also, this is a time when my heart is burdened, because I still don't know for sure if my writing is doing what God intended it for, or if it is His purpose for me.
The good news is that I am following the advice given in this chapter, despite the fact that I may have already figured out what I was shaped for. First, Rick Warren tells us to discover our shape. He breaks that down into assessing our gifts and abilities, considering our heart and personality, and examining our experiences by extracting the lessons we have learned. After reading this chapter, I spent a lot of time praying about the ways of doing this that he wrote about. I made my own little check list in my mind, and began assessing these questions, one by one.
Following my assessment, I was able to determine answers to many of the questions brought up in this chapter.
What are some of the things that other people have affirmed? I've always been told that I could write. Are there other things people have confirmed that I could do? I have been told I was pretty computer literate, I have technical knowledge that others wish they had. Well, that answered the question as to whether or not I should keep going in my online ministry, www.johnny2k.com, and my forum, especially my Christian Ministry forum.
Do I love doing what I am doing? Yes, with a passion! And considering my personality traits, I really feel comfortable working on my own, and always feel great when I accomplish a task.
In examining my experiences and extracting the lessons I've learned, I found that there had been things I tried before, but had gotten diverted on tangents, and eventually lost interest. In the case of what I have been doing for the last month, this topic, and even in my forum and my website, I found myself very focused, and did not lose interest as I had in other things I did in my life.
In the next section of the chapter, Accept and Enjoy Your Shape, Rick Warren discusses how if we are doing what God's intentions were for us, we should not resent it or reject it. We should not be envious of what others are doing, or try to compare ourselves with others. And of course, we need to realize our own limitations. Guess what? I have found myself more content with my own abilities beyond any time I know in my life experiences. I found that in serving God, using the talents I have, I am happy - for once - with what I am able to do. I no longer feel I have to be LIKE Ernest Hemingway or other wonderful authors. I do what I am doing because I totally enjoy it, not because I have to be as good as anyone else!
And in the last section, Keep Developing Your Shape, there was finally no doubt in my mind that upon accepting this assignment from the Lord, my heart is aflame, and the passion only leads me to improve upon what I am doing.
Upon applying all of these things that were learned in Chapter 32, I guess I can say that I am finding a fulfillment of my purpose. As I said when I began today's post, I was unsure of whether or not I could share enough about this chapter to help you. Maybe that is still the case, as I only extracted a bare minimum of the vast information contained in this chapter.
And, maybe in this case, this post was aimed at myself, not you. However, maybe you will realize something from this. You have seen a real-life, real-time application of the principals contained in Rick Warren's writings, not just in this chapter, but in the whole book. I pray that what you read in today's post, as well as the last 31 chapters, can be applied in your own life, and inspire you to examine your own shape!
Won by ONE!
John
PBPGINFWMY (Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!)
DIGG it for the Lord!
_________________
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johnny2k
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Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 313
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 2:19 am Post subject: Day 33 - How Real Servants Act |
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Day 33 - How Real Servants Act
| Quote: | | "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." [Matthew 10:40-42 (NIV)] |
This was one of the most exciting chapters I've read up to now. Before I read this chapter, one of this community's members, LightHouseAngel, and I had a great conversation on this very subject. Many of the questions we had discussed recently were very well explained by Rick Warren in what he wrote about in this chapter. When reading chapter 33, everything that LightHouseAngel had told me was completely, 100% confirmed! I am pretty impressed by the fact that God had somebody touch my life with such wisdom, and then to reach this chapter only to read such an extraordinary reaffirmation of what LightHouseAngel had said.
It was definitely meant to be the way it all fell into place. At some point during my writings in this topic, I had asked myself, does any of this really matter to anyone? Am I really serving God's purpose by writing about "The Purpose Driven Life", and this 40 days of Purpose?
Truly, I tell you, it was not a thing to do with my personal ego, but that may not have been obvious to LightHouseAngel when I first brought that question to her attention. I had told her that I wasn't sure if I was reaching anyone because I didn't receive any feedback from other members or readers of this topic! Well, what else was she to think, but that I was asking for some type of recognition for what I was doing in this topic, or in this forum?
Fortunately, after a very thorough examination of what I was asking her, LightHouseAngel finally was able to confirm to me that my writing seems to be heading in the right direction; that what I was doing wasn't for my own reward, but to truly and faithfully be serving God for the purpose of bringing more souls to Salvation. I humbly say that because that is the theme of this chapter, and I will now give you an outline of the what Rick Warren told us (me) in this chapter. I will also attempt to explain how this chapter relates to my questions to LightHouseAngel and how her answers correlated so well with the theme of this chapter!
In the introduction to Chapter 33, Rick Warren explains how greatness is a term that is defined by the world with the amount of power, possessions, prestige, and position that we can obtain in our stay in this life. Yet God looks at our lives in a completely different way. While our works are not a prerequisite for salvation, our rewards in Heaven will be based in what we are willing to do to serve God while we are here. We don't have to be leaders, but rather, God is looking for His servants.
Rick Warren gives us an incredible description of how to be a great servant in this chapter. I will do my best to summarize each of his major points in this chapter. What I learned from this chapter can only be so briefly discussed just because it would take my own book to tell you how much it means. But what meant the most to me is how much my friend LightHouseAngel was able to prepare me for what I was about to read.
Real servants make themselves available to serve - Don't just be ready to serve when it is convenient. You should be ready to serve whenever you are needed! Like a soldier, always be ready to serve.
Real servants pay attention to needs - Not meaning to put this from a negative perspective, but the one thing that hit me in this section that if we lack spontaneity or sensitivity, we can miss a chance to serve the Lord. Some opportunities to serve the Lord by helping out others may pass by quickly, so we have to be on the lookout. You may never again have the chance to seize the moment to help somebody. Take what ever opportunity you have to do what you can, because you never know how the lack of effort, or complacency, will effect people down the road. (Good examples: See my post at http://www.johnny2k.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=21 and what LightHouseAngel wrote in her post, http://www.johnny2k.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=119#119 !)
Real servants do their best with what they have - Don't ever feel you are not good enough to do a task that God may ask you to do. Some people get the feeling, even from their own church, that if they can't do something with absolute excellence, don't do it. However, sometimes just stepping up to the plate when a need exists will do more to help than doing nothing at all! Just like a baseball player with a less than excellent batting average can do, to wear down the opposing pitcher so that the Derek Lee's of the world can come up to bat and crush another homerun, well, that is what doing SOMETHING is better than nothing at all! You can wear down the devil by stepping up to the plate even if you aren't the best!
Real servants do every task with equal dedication - You've read it in the Bible, and that is to do everything you do with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul! Whether it is a menial task, or an overwhelming undertaking, it makes no difference! That's the long and short of it, and that is the way Jesus did EVERYTHING he did, from washing the feet of His disciples to dying on the cross for us! And remember this quote from Rick Warren: "Sometimes you serve upward to those in authority, and sometimes you serve downward to those in need." ("The Purpose Driven Life", page 261). Which ever the case, do it with equal dedication!
Real servants are faithful to their ministry - This is all about taking responsibility for your commitments. I covered this subject in my post, "Doing what you say you will do, and avoiding the Pickle" ( http://www.johnny2k.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44 ). Be careful what you commit yourself to do, and when you say you will do it, just do it. There is no backing out, the damage a person can do by backing out of a commitment could be devastating to somebody, or the body of your church, and to God!
Real servants maintain a low profile - This is the issue that I had to have a long talk with God about. He sent his LightHouseAngel to help guide me though this situation. How easy it is for some of us servants of the Lord to find ourselves puffed up with a high ego! And then, for those of us that don't receive the limelight, to be jealous of those who do. In my case, I realized long ago that it would be great to know that what I was writing would hopefully touch many lives. I had to question myself though, and LightHouseAngel brought some perspective to this. I may never know who or how many I have touched until that great day I meet our Creator!
But now, I needed only confirmation that what I was doing had the capability to make a difference. And in this chapter, Rick Warren says, "...don't be discouraged when your service is unnoticed or taken for granted. Keep on serving God!". ("The Purpose Driven Life", page 263). This is almost to the word what LightHouseAngel had said to me in an email she sent to me very recently. Though we should be disciples for Christ as Paul and the other Apostles taught us, we have to eliminate the need to know what the World thinks about our work here. That is a difficult thing to do, for the reason that we are taught by the world to seek acknowledgement and rewards here. Believe me, for truly I will tell you, I wouldn't have learned that lesson so thoroughly if there wasn't a reason that I needed to tell you about it!
I think that the lesson was well taught by Rick Warren. And God just kept putting this in front of me, and I feel He was telling me that I just have to keep doing what I am doing. And, I am going to feel a little lost when I get done with this book, "The Purpose Driven Life", and my writing in this topic. But I am sure I will keep learning more every day. And hopefully, you will, too! Believe me, at least now I have faith He will be moving me into the next project with the confidence I will be able to accept and accomplish His next assignment. I am just doing what I can to be His faithful servant, and I pray you are, too!
Won by ONE!
John
DIGG it for the Lord!
_________________
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johnny2k
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Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
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| Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2005 1:39 pm Post subject: Day 34 - Thinking Like a Servant |
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Day 34 - Thinking Like a Servant
| Quote: | | Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV)] |
A change in your attitude should be so easy, because it is just a matter of your own choice. Yet, by our nature, that attitude change may be our biggest obstacle. Much of that has to do with our self-centeredness. Our own desires seem to be our greatest motivation. Yet, if we can turn what we want into what God wants, much better results from our efforts could be obtained.
I found myself wondering about my own personal motivations long before reading this chapter. After reading this chapter, I was not able to write this post until I spent hours discussing this with the Lord, talking with a Christian pastor, and looking deep into my own thoughts and desires. I am sure that this time of consideration had a lot to do with my own personal guilt. I had to question my own motivations for what I am trying to accomplish by being a servant for the Lord. What I found during this period of time was that I was not alone in this struggle to think like a servant as Rick Warren discussed in this chapter. In my prayers, before writing this post, I asked God to release me from my own motivations, so that I am serving the Lord, and not myself.
There are the five attitudes that Rick Warren wrote about in this chapter, "Thinking Like a Servant". These attitudes are the mindset that you need to obtain to become a good servant to the Lord:
Servants think more about others than than about themselves.
To be a good servant, we have to take the focus off of ourselves, and focus on others. We can become more aware of needs of those around us better if we are thinking less about our own needs.
Our main challenge facing is to be a servant without the self-serving attitudes like wanting to get others to like us, wanting to be admired, or trying to achieve or own goals. We tend to want to feel noble about ourselves. Our selfish nature is something that we have to work on every day, and it will take many lessons that we will have to learn over and over again. We must choose whether to meet our own needs or the needs of others.
The last point that Rick Warren brings up in this section is how we can measure our servant's heart. There will be times when people use us by taking advantage of our kindness, they can be bossy, or treat us as their inferior. How we react to that situation is how you will know if you are a good servant. Jesus tells us, "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. " [Matthew 5:41 (NIV)]
Servants think like stewards, not owners.
Servants must remember that God owns it all, and entrusts us to take care of it for Him. God expects us to be trustworthy in both stewardship and servanthood.
We need to learn that when money is our master, we become a slave to money. When we make Jesus our Master, money will serve us. "Wealth is certainly not a sin, but failing to use it for God's glory is." [Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 267] We are told many times in the Bible that we can not serve two masters. It is impossible.
How we manage our money is how God tests our faithfullness, and will affect how He blesses our lives. There are two types of people who become wealthy. By being a Wealth Builder, these people tend to hoard their money for themselves. They do not give any back to God. But a Kingdom Builder is what we should be, which is somebody that can make a lot of money, but uses their wealth to finance God's church.
Servants think about their work, not what others are doing
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. [Galatians 5:26 (NIV)] What this verse is saying is that we should not try to compare ourselves with what others are doing with their service to the Lord. We should not envy others, or think lower of them (conceit). Don't worry what others are doing, just worry about what YOU do!
Keep in mind that we are each shaped differently by God for His use. We each have our unique design to serve God's purpose. That is why some of us will do more, and some will do less. Some of us will be better, and some worse.
It is also not our job to worry about it when others criticize us. Leave that to God. The more we serve like Jesus, the more we will be criticized, but keep on serving, do not let it slow you down. In Matthew 26:6-10, a woman poured very expensive perfume on Jesus, and she was criticized by the disciples for wasting such good perfume. However, Jesus thought it was a beautiful gesture of Love, and told the disciples that it was not a waste, and would be significant enough to be told where ever the gospel is preached!
Servants base their identity in Christ
In John 13:1-17, Jesus washed His disciples feet, and used it as an example of true servanthood. That is how we should serve, as Christ would. This means that no task in serving should ever be beneath you. As true disciples of the Lord, we should always be willing to wash each other's feet.
If we are insecure people, we can not serve as the Lord Jesus would want us to. We should never fear what others would think of us, and do not let our pride get in the way of serving our Master. "Only secure people can serve." [Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 269]
The more you become like Jesus, the less you will need to promote yourself, you won't need a wall for plaques and awards. A complete stranger told me last night, "Do you know why our arm bends at the elbow? It is so we can pat ourselves on the back." He was telling me this is what people like to do, but to be a good Christian it means doing good unto others without expecting anything in return. I knew immediately that God sat me down next to this good Brother in Christ for me to listen and learn this lesson well. And now, I've passed it on to you.
Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation
There are always going to be opportunities to serve, everywhere you look, every day you are still breathing. To serve willingly and with great happiness is showing our Lord how much we Love Him.
Jesus said, "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." [John 12:26 (NIV)] If you are always a willing and faithful servant, God will use you. So be prepared, if you have paid any attention to these words in this post, you will be kept very busy!
To paraphrase Rick Warren's last paragraph of this chapter, here is something to think about. We may never know for sure how many Christians are willing to serve, but imagine if just 10% of all Christians got serious about becoming a good servant. I believe that this world would become a much better place to live for all of us. There would be a lot more caring and sharing going on. There are many needs in this world that go unattended to. There are not enough Mother Theresa's to go around to meet all the needs.
You can be either part of the problem or part of the solution. It is your choice. At least you now know what it takes for good servanthood. You may need to change your attitude to be thinking like a servant. Just remember, God needs your service!
Won by ONE!
John
PBPGINFWMY (Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!)
DIGG it for the Lord!
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johnny2k
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| Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 1:28 pm Post subject: Day 35 - God's Power In Your Weakness |
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Day 35 - God's Power In Your Weakness
| Quote: | | To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)] |
We learn in this chapter that our weaknesses are also used by God for His purposes. We all have our weaknesses, but tend to deny them. Once you read this chapter, though, you will understand how God uses our weaknesses. We also learn that God can't use us as long as we continue to deny our weaknesses.
Because of the way this world is, it is hard to admit our weaknesses. Doing so can tend to make us vulnerable. We all have our limitations, and things in our life that are out of control. One of the questions I have had asked of me in job interviews is, "What are your weaknesses", and that is a question that severly tests our integrity. When listing our shortcomings, we will always have that hope that it doesn't diminish what the interviewer, or anyone else, thinks about us!
At first, acknowledging our difficulties may not make sense to us. We continously ask for God to intercede in helping us through those things that we may feel could hold us back in our ministry. Yet, at this point, Rick Warren tells us this is when we need to learn to be content in our weaknesses. It prevents arrogance, and teaches - or helps us - to be more dependent on God. We learn that, "We are far more likely to be compassionate and considerate of the weaknesses of others ... other people are going to find healing in your wounds". [Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 275]
By being honest about our weaknesses, and having a willingness to lower our own defenses, it opens up opportunities for God to use us in serving others. First, it leads to the humility we need to have in our character. If all people ever see are all the great things we do, they may actually be concerned that they are not worthy of being a spokesperson for Christ. Also, it leads to adding to our credibility, and that is far more important than perfection. We don't want others to feel they can not live up to "standards" that are set upon them. It is encouraging for people to know that the bar is not set so high that they could never offer anything for God's purposes for us.
Don't be down about the weaknesses you may have, but give glory to God for them. Remember that God can use your shortcomings to be able to touch others, people that may not have all the great strengths you may have. In serving God, remember that it isn't who you impress, but who you can influence. By admitting our flaws, and accepting humility in our lives, we will influence many more people than we'll ever be able to impress!
Won by ONE!
John
PBPGINFWMY (Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!)
DIGG it for the Lord!
_________________
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johnny2k
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:55 pm Post subject: Day 36 - Made For a Mission |
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Purpose #5 - You Were Made For a Mission
Day 36 - Made For a Mission
| Quote: | The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." [Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)] |
In chapter 36, Rick Warren starts out by saying that our ministry is our service to believers, while our mission is our service to the nonbelievers. Our mission is our fifth purpose, to spread the gospel to the world.
To put this chapter into perspective, and how it relates to the "The Purpose Driven Life", let me quote Rick Warren here:
| Quote: | "God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to Himself so we can fulfill the five purposes he created us for: to love Him, to be a part of His family, to become like Him, to serve Him, and to tell others about Him. Once we are His, God uses us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out." [Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 282] |
It isn't just to pastors and missionaries that Jesus gave the Great Commission to! It is to all of the Body of Christ - His followers. Not just in Matthew 28 did we read the Great Commission, but also in Mark, John, Luke and Acts. It wasn't just a suggestion to Christians to continue the work of Jesus, but a commandment that we must not disobey!
Did you hear about the two people that owned a nursing home in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina that were charged with involuntary manslaughter because they didn't evacuate the elderly residents, and 34 died? We are guilty also, if we don't at least make an effort to bring the message of salvation to the lost! We are held responsible if we do not go out to the ends of the Earth to share God's message of salvation! The Bible says, "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood." [Ezekiel 3:18 (NIV)]
We have a great deal of responsibility, and it is an honor and a privilege to be partners with the Lord to go out and spread His message of Salvation! We were saved, added to God's family as children of the Lord, and given the Holy Spirit to help guide us. Now, it is up to us as His agents! We are friends with God. When friends do us favors, don't you always want to respond with something back to that person? And, I know you have never had anyone give you the gifts that God has given to us, just to start with, Salvation!
When we have been Christians for a long time, sometimes it is difficult to remember the time when we had our hopeless feelings without knowing Christ. That is why we sometimes become complacent. However, you should know by now that the greatest gift you can give to somebody is the knowledge of what God intends for us, Eternal Life. The worst thing you can do for somebody is to keep this information secret.
We don't have to call our employers and resign our jobs in order to start reaching out to people. There may be some of us that DO find that it is our only Mission in life to spread the gospel, and that is good. However, you can still do your work that is necessary to provide goods and services to the world, and still be urgent about our mission. There will always be people that God will place in your pathway through life that you can touch, and share the good message with. Keeping your job will not prevent that from happening, but in fact, may bring those opportunities to you!
While I was in the U.S. Air Force, I will never forget the first time I was made aware of various Bible prophecies about the End Times. It was those conversations I had with various believers that began to bring me aware of what God has in store for us, including our time in Eternity. Yet, when the disciples wanted to talk about prophecy, Jesus always turned the subject back toward the subject of evangelism. Jesus wanted us to be more focused on the Great Commission. The Bible prophecies are very important to understand. Yet, we need to try to not be distracted and diverted from our mission of spreading the Gospel.
Rick Warren finishes this chapter by telling us in pretty strong terms that we DO need to fulfill our mission as Christians, even if means abandoning our own agenda. Will all of us be able to commit ourselves to this mission? Not very likely. For some Christians, worshiping God each week in church would seem like plenty to do for the Lord. And some will see that they have time to attend a Bible study now and then. However, I've now given you some information to consider, and I will pray I've given you some reasons, as I had learned from "The Purpose Driven Life", to go and try to add to God's family. God, who gave us salvation, really needs your help!
Won by ONE!
John
DIGG it for the Lord!!
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johnny2k
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| Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:39 am Post subject: Day 37 - Sharing Your Life Message |
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Day 37 - Sharing Your Life Message
| Quote: | | Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. [Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)] |
In Chapter 37, Rick Warren tells us that as believers of God, we also become His messengers. We have been given a Life Message to share. There are four parts to our Life Message:
Our testimony of the story of how we began our relationship with Jesus - For an example of my testimony, you may want to read my post topic, The Year 2004 in Review - A new direction, a new Purpose (click on the following link, AFTER you have read this post: http://www.johnny2k.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=33#33 )
Our most important life lessons that God has taught us - We all have our life lessons. We have our problems, our obstacles, our weaknesses, our temptations, and even sins we may have committed. Our stories of how we have overcome, with God's help and His Grace, is a strong message, especially to those that are going through similar circumstances.
Our passions, the issues that God shaped us to care about the most - What are your passions? Is there a particular group of people you care about? Is there an injustice that you are aware of? What is your agenda? In my case, I found that families in America are hurting, and I have life experiences that left me with that feeling. One of the main difficulties I found was in trying to succeed in a job, but finding that it took all my time away from my family. I also learned that we find ourselves in positions where our work may conflict with our values, and Christian beliefs. My passion thus became helping others work from home, to give parents more time with their children and spouses!
The message of the Good News of Salvation - Do you know what we need more of in this world? More people that are already Christians to go out and share the Good News with those that do not know yet! Yet, it is rare, especially in this country, the United States, that you will find people that have not yet heard The Word. The world out there will call us believers, trying to spread God's Good News, "bible-thumpers". This is why when we go out to witness, we may need to use the three parts of our Life Message listed above. And, we need to show ourselves as a model of the character of Jesus. Otherwise, we are just going to look like hypocrits.
I personally believe that when I go to Heaven, I most definitely want to hear somebody come up to me and say, "Thank you, I'm glad you took the time to care about me, and my salvation." Of course, I want to see my family, my friends, and people who's lives I've touched in this way. And, maybe, some of those people will be people I have never met in person! Maybe, there will be some of you that just happened across this forum, and read these 40 Days of Purpose posts. I have to believe that will happen, or why would I be writing my responses to "The Purpose Driven Life"? God didn't lead me just to write to serve my fellow Christians. He wanted me to write, so that a person that had not yet found out about the Good News would see how much He loves them! Could that be you?
Won by ONE!
John
DIGG it for the Lord!
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johnny2k
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| Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 5:51 am Post subject: Day 38 - Becoming a World-Class Christian |
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Day 38 - Becoming a World-Class Christian
| Quote: | So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." [Acts 1:6-8 (NIV)] |
In modern days, God has made it easy for us to reach the unbelievers to the ends of the earth. We have fast transportation, via plane, trains, modern highways and fast vehicles... At the time of Christ, and the first disciples, we were talking about walking and riding donkeys, or riding on boats without the navigational equipment we have now to get across the vast seas. Reaching the ends of the earth at that time may take months if not years. Now, it is a matter of hours or maybe a day.
On top of that, we also have modern day telecommunications, from cell phones to the internet. So what is it that would hold us back from spreading the Gospel across the earth? Some of us are already doing it, so what holds back the rest of the Christians? According to Rick Warren, we need to shift from being self-centered to other-centered. I believe it is that self-centered attitude that so many Christians have that is the major barrier.
I understand that barrier. It is an obstacle that I have battled to fight through, once I became committed to the Lord. And even I am not sure I would travel the world to share the gospel. I'm not the kind of person that really likes to travel all that much. I've considered taking a job in the Middle East, to allow me access to sharing the Gospel with many people that in most cases would never have access to hearing the Word because of their political and religious restrictions. Yet, I know the sacrifices I would have to make, and I know the obvious dangers.
At this time, I am utilizing the internet the best way I can to spread the Gospel to all ends of the earth. And I realize, there are the inherent limitations to who I can reach via this mode of communication. I have no doubt there are millions, if not billions, of people without access to the internet. But the good news is, I know there are billions of people that CAN access the internet, all around the world. If what I share to someone in a remote corner of the world, who has access to this website, brings them to the Lord, then my prayer for right now is that they will become committed members of God's church. And I pray that they can spread the Good News to those I don't reach via the web!
I am thinking globally, as Rick Warren talked about in this chapter. I do not know if I am financially or physically ABLE to become a global missionary. I do have my limitations. Yet, I do have this hope, because of the modern-day abilities we have to communicate the message around the world, that my work here will spark a fire within a Christian somewhere. Whether it is somebody here in my corner of the world that is willing to travel to other parts of the world, or people in other parts of the world that can access what I write, I suppose it doesn't really matter!
This chapter in "The Purpose Driven Life" was difficult to write about. Not because it didn't have information that I could write about, but because there were things that I wanted the Lord to tell me what to do before I began the writing of this post. Because I am now writing without any "writer's block" like I suffered from most of the day, I assume the Lord through the Holy Spirit finally revealed what it was I could accomplish today.
This has been one of my "40 Hour" posts. It was that long since I read the chapter, and I probably read it at least seven times before it all came clear to me. We have seen the Lord take 40 days, even 40 years, before He led His people where He wanted them to be. Sometimes even longer. In those 40 hours since I first read Chapter 38, I had much to think about, and to pray about.
At some point in my life, it is possible that God will lead me to travel the world, to the ends of the earth, to serve His will. But at this moment, I am feeling very content with the thought that I am doing what God has intended for me, and am still able to reach other ends of the world through my posts that can be seen anywhere the internet is accessible.
In my forum, "The New johnny2k.com - A Christian Ministry For Your Success in LIFE and ETERNITY", there has been one common, central theme. It isn't about me, it's about serving the Lord. And much of what I have written was not just to lead the unbelievers to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, but also, to motivate my Christian Brothers and Sisters to work a little harder at also spreading the Gospel!
God has given us the tools to do our work. We have fast communication and travel abilities. Now, think about it, the incredible abilities we now have to bring new believers to the Lord may just mean that the time is getting short!
At one time, 2000 years ago, it took a great amount of sacrifice of time for the disciples to get the Word to the ends of the earth. I just wonder what Paul could have done had he had internet access!
Won by ONE!
John
DIGG it for the Lord!
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johnny2k
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:43 pm Post subject: Day 39 - Balancing Your Life |
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Day 39 - Balancing Your Life
| Quote: | | Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. [2 Peter 3:17-18 (NIV)] |
In "The Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren gave us the five purposes that we should be living by as Christians:
Love God through worship, as we were planned for God's pleasure.
We should love our neighbors as ourselves. We need to serve others through ministry.
We are made for a mission to share God's message through evangelism.
Formed in God's family, we need to identify with God's church through fellowship.
We are created to become like Christ, so our purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship.
Unfortunately, it is easy for these five purposes to get out of balance. We tend to put too much emphasis on one of the purposes, and neglect one or more of the others. Rick Warren gives us four activities that we can do tp help us grow in Christ, and keep our spiritual lives balanced and on track:
Join a small group for accountability - By having a spiritual partner or being in a small group, we can keep our minds sharp and convictions strong. We can give and receive feedback about what we learn as we study together, whether from "The Purpose Driven Life", or from the Bible. As we learn from real-life examples, we can give each other support and encouragement. I have set up a forum topic called "Our 40 Days of Purpose - The Community Discussion". You can access this topic to post your questions, needs, desires, or comments regarding the five purposes there. This topic can be found by clicking on this link: http://www.johnny2k.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49
Regularly evaluate your spiritual health - God wants us to regularly evaluate our spiritual health. Check the vital signs - your worship, fellowship, growth in character, ministry, and mission. You can email free@purposedrivenlife.com and ask for the free "The Purpose Driven Life" Health Assessment. This tool will help you balance your life for health and growth.
Record your progress in a personal journal - On your spiritual journey, you should keep a written journal of the life lessons you learn. As David did, don't just record the good things that happen, but also the problems you face on this journey. Our greatest lessons can come out of pain, struggles, fears and doubts. Your journal can be a testimony to your future generations that will continue to live on long after you have gone to be back with Our Father.
Pass on what you learn to others - In "The Purpose Driven Life", Rick Warren has passed on to us what he has learned about the purpose driven life. And now, I am also doing so in this 40 Days of Purpose topic. The more we learn and know, the more God expects us to use that knowledge to help others grow in Christ. Your knowledge now gives you the responsibility to pass it on. It isn't just an obligation, but a great privilege to pass this knowledge of life's purposes on to others you know, and in some cases, people you don't know. "Imagine how different the world would be if everyone knew their purpose". [Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 310]
Jesus was the perfect example of a purpose driven life. He showed us how to love God through worship, love each other through fellowship, teach the Word so we could grow to maturity through discipleship, how to serve in ministry, and finally, told us to go out and tell others what God has done for us as our mission. Now, it is up to us to do the same. We need to learn it, live it, and then teach it to others.
Won by ONE!
John
PBPGINFWMY (Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!)
DIGG it for the Lord!
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johnny2k
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| Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 2:42 am Post subject: Day 40 - Living With Purpose |
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Day 40 - Living With Purpose
| Quote: | Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. [Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)]
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. [John 13:12-17 (NIV)] |
Chapter 40, the last chapter of "The Purpose Driven Life", is the chapter that challenges us with this question: Now that you know these things, what will you do with it? The answer to that question is that it's up to you. Will you slowly find new distractions from our problems in life or finding other interests, and eventually forget what you learned from this book? Or, will you continue to focus on the five purposes of your life, and continue to grow to be Christlike? I can not answer those questions for you. You have complete control over how you use this information.
In John 13:17, we were told by Jesus, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." I am sure that many people that have read my 40 posts in this topic, 40 Days of Purpose, have read Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life". And I am also sure that many people have NOT yet read that book. I hope that if you have not read it yet, you will.
However, now, whether you have read the book yet or not, you are now aware of the five purposes of your life, from the book or my posts. If you are already Christian, I pray that what has been written in the book or in my posts will help you grow as a Christian, and that you will want to become Christlike in your Christian attitude. And, if you had not yet accepted Jesus Christ into your life, I hope and pray that along the way through these posts or while reading the book, you will do so! Either way, the question still remains, what will you do with this information?
Rick Warren gives us a way to keep ourselves focused on our five life purposes in this chapter. The information he gives to us in chapter is for the purpose of preventing ourselves from drifting away from what we have learned. He tells us to write a detailed Life Purpose Statement that we can review regularly. He then gives us five questions to ask ourselves while writing that statement. These five questions to consider deal with the questions of worship, discipleship, service, mission, and fellowship. It still all comes down to what are we willing to commit and devote ourselves to.
This chapter would have been easy to outline as I have in many of my previous posts. However, I have chosen not to, for the reason I would rather have you ponder on the overall consideration I had following the writing of these last 40 posts. That great question, "What will I (or actually, YOU) do with this information?", is the theme of this post.
God gave us ALL free will. In order for us to show our Love for God, that free will gives us the opportunity to show Him our Love by CHOOSING to Love Him. Our free choice gives us the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. And, we have the free choice to devote our lives to living in Christ, to grow Christlike, and to go on to spread the message to the ends of the earth. That freedom to choose how we live, how we develop a Christlike character, and how much we devote ourselves to spreading the Good News is the most important choice we will ever have to make!
You only have this one life that you were given to serve God's purpose for you. "Will you be a person God can use for His purposes? Will you serve God's purpose in your generation?" [Rick Warren, "The Purpose Driven Life", page 318] I hope to be standing with you in Eternity, praising the Lord, our God, and allowing Him to use us in His plan for all of us! What we do now in living for Him and His five purposes for our lives will last for Eternity!
Won by ONE!
John
DIGG it for the Lord! (It's your last chance!)
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