“Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."
Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) If you want God to use you in great ways, you need focus. The more focused you are, the more effective you’ll be—and the more God will use you. There’s awesome power in focus. Diffused light doesn’t have much of an effect on what it touches. But when you focus light—like the sun’s light through a magnifying glass—you can light a piece of paper or grass on fire. If you can focus it even more, it becomes a laser. A laser can cut through steel and destroy cancer. The same is true with your life. If the course of your life lacks direction, you’ll just drift through without making an impact. But if you focus your time on a few key goals, then you can make a powerful impact on the world for God. The Bible says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT). One of the great examples of focus in the Bible is the story in Genesis 24. Abraham was getting old, and his son still hadn’t married. God had promised Abraham that he would create a great nation through Abraham’s own family, which God did. But Abraham’s son, Isaac, still didn’t have any children. He wasn’t even married yet. So Abraham gave his chief servant a goal of finding a wife for his son. Abraham told his servant, “Don’t get a wife from the Canaanite girls who live around here. Go back to my country, to the land of my relatives, and find a wife for my son Isaac.” Like all good goals, the servant’s was clear. He knew he needed to find Isaac a wife, and he knew exactly what kind of wife to look for. He needed to find a wife from Abraham’s homeland. You’ll never reach a vague goal because you’ll never know if you’ve completed it. Abraham’s servant didn’t have that problem. For example, if your goal is to be a better parent, that’s vague. Even if you make the goal to spend more time with your children this year, you’ll never really know if you’ve completed the goal because it isn’t specific. But if you commit to spending an hour every Tuesday evening with your children, that’s a specific goal. You’ll know whether or not you’ve completed it. Those kinds of goals will give you the focus to change your life. What specific goal will you set for yourself this week?
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“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.”
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV) You shape your dreams, and then your dreams shape you. If you don’t have a dream for your life, then you don’t have any definition for your life. So many people today are confused about their identity. In fact, our society is having a collective identity crisis. People are asking: “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” “Where am I going?” “What am I supposed to be doing?” “Does my life matter?” “What gives my life significance?” “Is there any reason for it all?” Those questions shape their dreams, and those dreams just feed into the identity confusion. The only way to have clear definition for your life is to have God’s dream for your life. If you don’t, you won’t know who you are or who God wants you to be. You’ll always be asking yourself these questions. You’ll doubt what you’re doing and why you’re doing it; you’ll wonder if what you do has any meaning. Your dreams define you—so you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right dream! And the only way to know you have the right dream is to find out what God’s dream is for your life. Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV). When you have great vision, you see past what is in front of you to the long-term—even to eternity. A great dream is born of an eternal perspective and faith in God’s good plan for your life. A short vision will define a small dream. But a long vision will define an impactful, meaningful dream. Choose your dream wisely. A dream based on God’s vision for your life will make a difference in how well you live out your purpose. And it will also point others to God and his plan, the only way to find fullness of life. “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing."
Ephesians 2:10 (NCV) You weren’t put on Earth to live for yourself. You were made for a greater purpose than simply to make money, retire, and die. You were made for a mission, and that mission gives your life meaning. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10 NCV) In other words, you’re unique. No one else in the whole world—past, present, or future—is like you. God has made you so unique that there are certain things only you can contribute to the world. Those things make up your life mission. Until you know your life mission, you’re just existing. Life may seem good, but you won’t experience the fulfillment you would if you were living out God’s intentions for you. Jesus says in Mark 8:35, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (TLB). God is giving you the opportunity to build your life around his mission for you. The only way to do that is by starting with a firm foundation: Jesus Christ. “And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than that one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 TLB). You can choose to build your life on Jesus, the only foundation that will last. Or you can choose to spend your life chasing things that ultimately will fail you. What’s certain is that one day you will stand before God and he’ll ask you: “Did you fulfill the mission that I gave you on this Earth?” On that day, it will be clear whether you spent your life fulfilling God’s mission for you—or you chose to chase lesser things. It’s never too late to start living the life God has planned for you. Start building your foundation on Jesus and pursuing God’s mission for your life today. “You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory."
1 Thessalonians 2:12 (GW) I talk to people all the time who say, “I have so much, and yet I feel unfulfilled. I’ve got a good family, good job, and good friends. I’m part of a great church. Then why do I feel so unfulfilled?” It’s because you were made for more than this! You were made for more than survival. Until you begin to live in God’s Kingdom, by God’s power, and for God’s glory, you will never find fulfillment in life. How do you live a fulfilled life—the kind of life you were designed by God to live? The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 2:12, “You should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (GW). What does it mean to live in God’s Kingdom? It means you make God’s agenda your agenda. You make God’s will your will. You care about what God cares about. You put God first in whatever area you want him to bless. What does it mean to put God first in your life? Here are five areas where you can put God “FIRST”: Finances. If you want God to bless your finances, even during hard times, start tithing. Interests. Put him first in your hobbies, your career, and your recreation. Give God first consideration in every decision. Relationships. Put him first in your family, your marriage, and your friendships. Schedule. Give him the first part of every day. When you wake up, sit on the side of your bed and say, “God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I just want to love you a little bit more and know you a little bit better.” Troubles. Turn to God first when you have a problem. Prayer should never be your last resort. It should be your first choice. Put God first in everything. Then watch how much God blesses you. “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers . . . Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request."
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV) Every human is designed for excellence. You may feel ordinary, but God made you to live a life of significance. The Bible is filled with ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives because they believed God would work in and through them. They believed God made them for a purpose and intended for them to successfully fulfill their mission. One example is a man named Jabez. God gave him an honorable mention in 1 Chronicles—a Bible book that includes nine chapters of genealogies. Right in the middle of that long list of names, God singles out Jabez—an ordinary guy—in two verses. The Bible says, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers . . . Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request” (1 Chronicles 4:9-10 NIV). Those two verses give all the information we have about Jabez—but they reveal that he lived a life that was anything but average. Jabez stands out because of three secrets to his success. We’ll look at the first two today. He had great ambition. While many people are content with being average, Jabez wanted God to do something significant through him. He didn’t want to live half-heartedly; he wanted a full and meaningful life. Jabez was ambitious, but, just as importantly, he was motivated by the right things. How do we know Jabez’s motives were genuine and not selfish? Because we read, “And God granted his request.” God will never honor an unworthy request. Many people just drift through life. They have no goals, no master plan, and no overall purpose. As a result, they never go anywhere. If you want to live above average, dream big! You’re not meant to go through life wondering, “What am I doing? Where am I going?” God wants you to have a great ambition—fueled by the desire to serve him. He had a growing faith. Jabez had a deep trust and belief in God. There’s no mention of him having any special ability or talent. The Bible doesn’t say he was wealthy or educated. He was just a common man with an uncommon faith. There is something in life that is more important than ability and talent. It’s faith. There's a lot of super talented people who are sitting on the sidelines while people who have faith are making the touchdowns. Faith is believing God will work through you. How do you break out of mediocrity? Like Jabez, you get a great ambition and a growing faith—and depend on God to do the impossible. Missionary William Carey once said, “Attempt great things for God and then expect great things from God.” “For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory.”
Romans 11:36 (TLB) It’s not about you. It’s all about God. Those two go together. The reason it’s not about you is because it’s all about God. Until you understand this, life is never going to make sense. The goal of a Christian life is not pleasure, possessions, prestige, politics, power, or popularity. It’s not anything that the world values. The goal of a Christian life is the glory of God. Romans 11:36 says, “For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory” (TLB). Everything on the planet and in the universe was created for God’s glory. What’s the implication of that? If it’s all about God and it’s not all about you—or about making money or being popular or any of those other things the world thinks are important—then the implication is that loving God is your first priority. Jesus said it like this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 TLB). Nothing tops this truth, folks! If you miss this, you’ve wasted your life. The most important thing in life is to love and get to know the God who created you. How do you do that? Start by reading his Word, the Bible. It’s not always the easy choice to make time for Bible study, but when you do, you’ll learn more about God and find your love for him deepened. And, as you start to understand that your life is about God, not you, you’ll find more joy in the pursuit of him. “Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 (The Message) Many religions and philosophies promote the old lie that humans are divine or can become gods. To be absolutely clear: You will never become God or even a god. That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, they would “be as gods” (Genesis 3:5 KJV). This desire to be a god shows up every time you try to control your circumstances, your future, and the people around you. But you’re a creature; you will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly. He wants you to develop his values, attitudes, and character. You are meant to “take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you” (Ephesians 4:22-24 The Message). God’s ultimate goal for your life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality. God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5:1-2), the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), Paul’s great chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13), and Peter’s list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life (2 Peter 1:5-8). When you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You may wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what enables you to grow. Many Christians misinterpret Jesus’ promise of an abundant life (John 10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer. They expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on Earth. This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant. If you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, you will either become severely disillusioned or live in denial of reality. Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on Earth when he’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? Spend your time on Earth preparing for heaven by building your Christlike character. “Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together.”
Revelation 3:20 (GW) God gave you a heart, and he has placed in you passions, desires, and dreams. But unless they are under his control, they will be misused and abused—or lie dormant and wasted—in your life. All around the world, millions of passionate people are misusing and abusing their interests and ambitions. And it breaks God’s heart. That’s why, in spite of their talent and passion, those people are unhappy. When your passions are misused, it makes you miserable. You might be thinking, “I’m not really passionate about anything right now.” You know what that means, don’t you? It means you are disconnected from God. You cannot be connected to God and dispassionate. When you are plugged in to God, it’s like plugging in to a power supply. You get passionate! God is a passionate God. The only reason you have emotions is because you’re made in his image. God is emotional. God gets jealous when he sees you ignoring him for something else. God loves you with an everlasting love. And no matter what you do, he will always love you. That’s passion! When you spend time with God on a daily basis and get plugged in to his passion, you can’t help but be passionate yourself. You start to develop God’s heart for the world. You start to feel the way he does. Who you hang out with really does make a difference. When you spend time with God, you become more like him. Would you like to have more energy and enthusiasm? The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words en theos, meaning “in God.” When you get en theos, you’re going to be enthusiastic. The closer you get to God, the more energy, vitality, and passion you will have in life. The further away you get, the more bored and apathetic you become with life. To get closer to God, you’ve got to open your heart to him. “Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together” (Revelation 3:20 GW). Jesus Christ has been standing and knocking at the door of your life for a long time. He wants to come in and help you use your passion in positive ways. But he’s a gentleman. He’s not going to bust the door down. You’ve got to open it up. “My friend, I ask, ‘Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?’” Romans 9:20 (CEV) Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences—these are the five things that make you, you. You might call them your SHAPE. Accepting your SHAPE—the unique way God made you to bring glory to him—means to believe God knows best. It all comes down to a matter of trust. Do you believe God made a mistake when he made you? Or do you trust him, knowing he has a plan for your life? Many of us make these kinds of statements to God: There are things I don’t like about myself. I wish I had a different hair color. I wish I were taller, shorter, skinnier. I wish I had more talent. I wish I could do ‘that.’ I wish I looked like him. I wish I had her smarts. And on and on our lists go. This kind of thinking is basically telling God, “You blew it! Everybody else is okay. But you goofed up when you made me.” When you reject yourself, you are in essence rejecting God, because he’s your Creator. When you don’t accept yourself, it’s rebellion against God. You’re saying, “God, I know better than you. You should have made me differently, with a different set of strengths and a different set of weaknesses.” But God says, “No, I created you exactly the way you are because I want you to be you—with your strengths and your weaknesses. All of it can give me glory—if you’ll just start doing what I made you to do instead of trying to be like everybody else.” It’s actually quite arrogant to reject yourself. The Bible says in Romans 9:20, “My friend, I ask, ‘Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did?’” (CEV). Whenever you doubt God’s love and wisdom, you get into trouble. The root behind many of life’s problems is that you don’t trust God. You don’t believe God really loves you. You don’t believe he really has your best interest at heart. You wish he had made you something different. As a result, you have a spirit of bitterness that produces frustration and keeps you from being the person God wants you to be. But you don’t have to live that way—there is hope! Job 10:10 says, “You guided my conception and formed me in the womb” (NLT). God wanted you, and he loves you. He shaped you just the way you are for his glory. Believe it, and then trust it! “The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) Your life has value. Your life has purpose. No matter what you’ve been told by someone in your life or by culture or by the lies Satan puts in your head, you are infinitely precious to God. He thought of you, he made you to love you, and he cares about every detail of your life. Your life reveals God’s purpose and shows his glory. You are valuable, no matter who you are or where you’re from. And the same is true for every person, from the moment they are born. We’re all differently abled and gifted, but God looks at us the same: with love. None of us are perfect, but the Bible tells us God accepts responsibility for all our genetic defects. Did you know that? It doesn’t include the problems in our lives that we brought on ourselves because of poor choices. But all of the genetic weaknesses you didn’t have any say in are part of how God shaped you for a purpose. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NIV). God accepts responsibility because he has a bigger perspective than any human. He can see what we can’t see. And he loves each of us for our potential to do the great things he has planned for us, regardless of our hang-ups. God isn’t going to compare you with anybody else. He made you to be you. You are his masterpiece. He’s looking at how you use your spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities. And, he’s going to help you reach your unique potential. Don’t waste any more time thinking you don’t have something to offer the world or comparing yourself to other people. You were shaped by God for a great purpose! |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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