In a recent post called What. Makes. Your. Heart. Beat?
I asked several questions.
I asked several questions.
Doyou know that you have a purpose?
Do
you fulfill the purposes God laid out for you?
you fulfill the purposes God laid out for you?
Do
you even know what your purposes are?
you even know what your purposes are?
I
got a lot of really great feedback from all of you so I wanted to take this question,
“What Makes Your Heart Beat?” to the next step and challenge you to think even
deeper about this topic.
got a lot of really great feedback from all of you so I wanted to take this question,
“What Makes Your Heart Beat?” to the next step and challenge you to think even
deeper about this topic.
I
have had many thoughts flying through my mind over the past couple of years. I
want to throw them out there because I believe most people ask themselves regularly,
“What is my purpose?” I believe a lot of people know what they are doing but
they still question if it is their purpose.
have had many thoughts flying through my mind over the past couple of years. I
want to throw them out there because I believe most people ask themselves regularly,
“What is my purpose?” I believe a lot of people know what they are doing but
they still question if it is their purpose.
The verse that has really inspired me to think about
this subject is from a reference about David. The first part of Acts 16:36 says, For
David, after he had served the purpose of God in his generation, fell asleep.
this subject is from a reference about David. The first part of Acts 16:36 says, For
David, after he had served the purpose of God in his generation, fell asleep.
Several questions come to mind when I read this verse.
Am I serving God? Am I serving the purposes that God has laid out for me? Have I fallen asleep on this job? Am
I just going through my life on the sidelines or am I in the game?
Am I serving God? Am I serving the purposes that God has laid out for me? Have I fallen asleep on this job? Am
I just going through my life on the sidelines or am I in the game?
Over the past few years I could have answered “Yes”to all of these questions. I felt like I was serving God, but was I serving His
purposes? Was I doing this with a happy heart or out of obligation?
To be honest with you, I have been serving God what felt
like was endlessly. Don’t get me wrong ministry is what I love but… What was my
motivation? Was it… Obligation? Obedience? Distraction?
like was endlessly. Don’t get me wrong ministry is what I love but… What was my
motivation? Was it… Obligation? Obedience? Distraction?
What I am saying was even though my heart felt like
it was in the right place? I felt like God was convicting me with the question,
“Why are you doing this?”
it was in the right place? I felt like God was convicting me with the question,
“Why are you doing this?”
That is a tough question coming from the One that
you feel like you are giving your all to? An honest question that needed
addressed.
you feel like you are giving your all to? An honest question that needed
addressed.
I want to be serving God joyfully, wholeheartedly,
and with obedience.
and with obedience.
My personal experience may not be the same as yours
but I want you to think about those questions in your situation.
but I want you to think about those questions in your situation.
Our first obligation is always to give our worship
to Christ. He is to be our priority. Time with Him in His Word and time with
Him in prayer. I have sometimes put that in second, third or even last
position.
to Christ. He is to be our priority. Time with Him in His Word and time with
Him in prayer. I have sometimes put that in second, third or even last
position.
Getting busy, doesn’t mean getting too busy for
Christ. We can be busy in the church or anywhere else and it can be just that,
busy work. God has called us to more than busy work. He has called us to His
work.
Christ. We can be busy in the church or anywhere else and it can be just that,
busy work. God has called us to more than busy work. He has called us to His
work.
He has called us complete worship. That is worship
of Him not everything else that can get in the way. We can worship everything from
our family, our spouse, our children, our church, our church traditions, our
jobs, our extra-curricular activities. Let me be blunt here that is called idolatry.
Idolatry is putting anything before God.
of Him not everything else that can get in the way. We can worship everything from
our family, our spouse, our children, our church, our church traditions, our
jobs, our extra-curricular activities. Let me be blunt here that is called idolatry.
Idolatry is putting anything before God.
If you are
questioning your purpose. Start by praising the Lord like David in His Psalm of
Thanksgiving.
questioning your purpose. Start by praising the Lord like David in His Psalm of
Thanksgiving.
Psalm 96:2-3 Sing to
the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His
Glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.
the Lord, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His
Glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.
We are to
proclaim His salvation. The Good News of His saving Grace, day after day.
proclaim His salvation. The Good News of His saving Grace, day after day.
We are to
declare His Glory, not our own, among the nations. Meaning right where you are
at, right in the time and place He has placed you in, this generation. No
matter the job, the family, the situation you are in, you are to declare His
Glory.
declare His Glory, not our own, among the nations. Meaning right where you are
at, right in the time and place He has placed you in, this generation. No
matter the job, the family, the situation you are in, you are to declare His
Glory.
I love the word declare in the Bible because let’s be honest we say a lot of things. Some
of us more than others. If we going to say things, let them have value. Shouldn’t
some of those things be declarations as grand as the Good News of the salvation
of Jesus Christ?
of us more than others. If we going to say things, let them have value. Shouldn’t
some of those things be declarations as grand as the Good News of the salvation
of Jesus Christ?
How often do
we sit silent? I know that I am guilty
of that more times than I want to admit. What an amazing opportunity we have to
use the words and the languages that God gave us to declare His great name. To
declare His Glory.
we sit silent? I know that I am guilty
of that more times than I want to admit. What an amazing opportunity we have to
use the words and the languages that God gave us to declare His great name. To
declare His Glory.
The last
part of verse three says to declare His marvelous deeds to ALL people. God has
worked some miraculous things in our lives. We don’t mind sharing how someone
cut us off in traffic today or how a store clerk made us upset.
part of verse three says to declare His marvelous deeds to ALL people. God has
worked some miraculous things in our lives. We don’t mind sharing how someone
cut us off in traffic today or how a store clerk made us upset.
Don’t forget
to declare the marvelous things that He has done. Why? Because ALL the people
of ALL the nations will see His great work and they too, will be able to see
His Glory.
to declare the marvelous things that He has done. Why? Because ALL the people
of ALL the nations will see His great work and they too, will be able to see
His Glory.
If you want
some purpose, start here. Let’s not just be busy for the things of this world
but be busy for the Glory of HIS great name.
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Your neighbor at looking up. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who has problems in sitting silent.
Such great thoughts here. Seeking God's purpose for our lives can be drowned out by our busyness. Easily! Thank you for the reminder!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Thank you for stopping by and the encouragement!
Greetings and best wishes.
God bless.
I enjoyed reading your article today! I especially liked when you said, "God has not called us to busy work but to His work." That is so true! He has prepared works in advance for us to walk in! Visiting today from Me, Coffee and Jesus.
Thank you for stopping by Lisa and I am grateful that God is able and willing to use us.
God takes even our rebellion and directs us and finally turns it into good. If events had not happened to me that caused me to feel rejected at my formal church, I NEVER would have began to write a blog and enter my stories. Then When I was truly told to be quiet and not share verbally at my church, God said, it is time to leave and get back to your roots in Christ. The door swung open wide, and God is blessing me and others. This is what makes my heart beat. Thank you for sharing your awesome post with us here at “Tell Me a Story.” http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much for sharing your heart here. It is hard to feel rejected in the church but we are the church. We are the body of Christ. I am glad to hear that your rejection turned to pursuing Him in a different environment. Thank you for hosting Tell Me a Story.
It's all to easy to get sucked into the "I'm busy for Jesus" trap. Thank you for the reminder to always consider our purpose and the One we serve.
The serving trap can be a distracting place to be but when we are giving God our heart and our focus serving for His purposes and keeping our eyes on Him has such rewards.
amen, amen
Thank you so much Denise!
busy doing your own work and not God's ….yup…timely reminder.thanks hun, hope all is well
Glad to see you stopped by friend. I know you are busy with your new job but everyone can do God's work right where they are. He put you there for a good purpose. Keep up the writing when you can. I always enjoy reading it.
Well said! My husband and I recently realized we needed to reorganize things as the things that are important to us, were being pushed to the back burner. It was for a good cause but we realized God was not coming first, and that bothered us so we had to change some things. Thanks for sharing this great reminder with #SocialButterflySunday! Hope to see you link up again this week
We can get busy and get busy quickly. We like to keep in perspective what is most worth our time. Even if it is for the good it has to be for the best. Keep God first, He is our best guide.