God’s Purpose

“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD’s purpose prevails.” ‭PROVERBS 19:21 MSG

God’s purpose for your life is that He would have an unhindered relationship with you through Jesus.

Even when you screw up, blow up and mess things up.

His plan for your life is for His love to restore you completely into who He created you to be.

This life is not about doing all the right things, it is about letting Jesus grow the right things in you. 

The wonderful thing about being in a relationship with God is that while our plans don’t always work out, God will always work His purpose into them.

God loves you whether or not your plans fail or succeed. 

He loves you.

Live Loved

”Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

Mark 10:22 NIV

Jesus saw the man who was right in front of Him and loved him 

Jesus loved him for who he was right at that moment regardless of the outcome of their relationship.

This is how Jesus loves.

When Jesus looks at you, He loves you.

He loves you for who you are right at this moment.

He doesn’t love you for who you may become or only if you will get better.

Jesus loves you. 

This love pursues, heals and is what inspires people to love others the way Jesus loves them. 

Are you living like Jesus loves you like this? 

Success

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.”

Philippians‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭NLT

At the end of your life, you may or may not have human praise but if you have gone after a real relationship with Jesus, you will have so much more than that.

Don’t waste your life by pursuing goals to make yourself more comfortable, live the life you were created for by pursuing the goal of knowing Jesus.

Not just to know about Him but to know Him in every area of your life.

Not just to work for Him but to work with Him.

Keep this goal as the top priority and all the other goals will quickly fall into their proper perspective.

Knowing Jesus means you will have rich relationships, miraculous moments, great faith adventures as well as the single most important thing you can have with you as you step into eternity – Jesus Himself.

On Making Mistakes

Just so you know: you are going to make a mistake today.

Probably more than one.

It will not be the end of the world.

Failure is not fatal.

You will never get anywhere if you run back to what you know at every challenge.

A mistake means that you are trying, so pick yourself up off the ground and try again.

Yes, it is difficult but it is not impossible.

“Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”

1 Timothy 6:11 NLT

So, go ahead and make a mistake or two, or three.

Risk failure.

Fail.

But don’t give up.

Get up and try again.

The Test

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

Job 23:10 NIV

Your faith is more precious to God than the finest of gold.

Faith that lasts longer than your job, your goals and even your body.

Faith cultivated by the love of God and the eternal life of Jesus within you.

God tests your faith but not in the way you think of a test.

It is not a test to pass or fail.

It is the process of the master metal maker that heats up the gold to liquid so he can skim off the dross from it.

God tests your faith to purify it.

To clarify it.

To clean it from dross and impurities.

He will use the smallest irritation or the greatest trial to do it. He does not send the trial but He will use it.

The same fire that destroys wood purifies gold.

God will use the very thing that you feel is destroying you to purify you.

He will use the disappointment you are experiencing to make the dross of your heart rise to the surface so He can skim it off.

You will come out of this trial shining.

Hold onto God during this season because He is most certainly holding onto you.

God’s Purpose For Your Life

“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD’s purpose prevails.” ‭

PROVERBS 19:21 MSG

God’s purpose for your life is that He would have an unhindered relationship with you through Jesus. 

His plan for your life is for His love to restore you completely into who He created you to be.

This life is not about doing all the right things, it is about letting Jesus grow the right things in you. 

The wonderful thing about being in a relationship with God is that while our plans don’t always work out, God will always work His purpose into them.

God loves you whether or not your plans fail or succeed. 

He loves you.

Everything Else is Worthless

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him”.

Philippians‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭NLT

At the end of your life, you may or may not have human praise but if you have gone after a real relationship with Jesus, you will have so much more than that.

You will have rich relationships, miraculous moments, great faith adventures as well as the single most important thing you can have with you as you step into eternity – Jesus Himself.

Don’t waste your life by pursuing goals to make yourself more comfortable, more secure or safer.

Live the life you were created for by pursuing the one goal of knowing Jesus.

Not just to know about Him but to know Him in every area of your life.

Not just to work for Him but to work with Him.

Keep this goal as the top priority and all the other goals will quickly fall into their proper perspective.

In Your Darkest Moments

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:16 NIV

If you are feeling like the worst of sinners right now, know that you are who Jesus came for.

Run to Him.

His arms are open.

He has more patience for you than you have for yourself.

This is not about being a perfect Christian, it is about letting Him love you when you feel like you are at your darkest.

Just So You Know

Wednesday

Just so you know: you are going to make a mistake today.

Probably more than one.

It will not be the end of the world.

Failure is not fatal.

You will never get anywhere if you run back to what you know at every challenge.

A mistake means that you are trying, so pick yourself up off the ground and try again.

Yes, it is difficult but it is not impossible.

“Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11 NLT

So, make a mistake or two, or three.

Risk failure.

Fail.

But don’t give up.

Get up and try again.

What Defines You.

Wednesday.2

“He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said.”    

Romans‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭MSG

There comes a point in life that your faith becomes stronger by facing the facts, not weaker.

The facts may not be friendly or encouraging or what you want to face but as a child of God, you can face them. You can deal with reality instead of running from it.

How? By knowing that your circumstances do not define you, God does.

God chose you. 

God loves you.

That thing that God has called you to? You can’t make it happen but He can.

To be who God has created you to be you are going to have to let go of  “doing your best” and embrace “depending on God”.

You new life in God’s family isn’t “success and failure” based.

It isn’t “today, I did a good job”  so I’m feeling good or “I totally messed up ” and being depressed.

You will do a good job. You will make mistakes. This is not about denying how you feel. It is about allowing God’s feelings for you to be the foundation of how you experience your life.

His part is to guide and provide, your part is to follow and trust.

In Jesus, you have full rights as a child of God to live fully persuaded that God is able to do above and beyond all you can ask or imagine. 

He is able.

What are you asking for?

What are you imagining?

What are you trusting God in today?