Day 041 – Some favourite bits - The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

Love cannot be learned in isolation. You have to be around people - irritating, imperfect, frustrating people.

Worship isn't practiced for what YOU can get out of it; it's practiced for the honour and glory of God!

If someone hurts you repeatedly, God commands you forgive then instantly. You are not expected to trust them immediately and you definitely are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you.

We all have quirks and annoying traits. But community has nothing to do with compatibility. Real community happens when people know it is safe to share their doubts and fears without being judged.

Whenever I judge another believer I loose fellowship with God, I expose my own pride and insecurity, I set myself up to be judged by God and I harm the fellowship of the church. That’s the devil’s job – anytime we do the same, we’re being duped into doing Satan’s work for him.

It is a sacrifice to patiently absorb the anger of others, especially if it's unfounded.

You are a work in progress and your spiritual transformation will take the rest of your life here on earth; and even then it won’t be complete.

Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives – IT IS THE LIVING WORD!

Romans 8:28-29 ~ “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them”.

Notice that God tells us to give thanks ‘IN all circumstances’ and not ‘FOR all circumstances’. (God doesn’t expect us to be thankful for the bad, for the abnormal, for the hurtful, for evil, for sin, for suffering, or for their painful consequences in the world.)

Temptation always starts in your mind, not in your circumstances.

Remember that God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.

You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry. You are God’s handcrafted work of art – custom-designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece.

The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life (one’s you want to hide or forget) are the experiences that God wants you to use to help others – they are your ministry – to use them you must be willing to share them.

Be wary of serving or teaching or giving generously out of maturity rather than because it is your spiritual gift.

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can” – John Wesley

Do little things as if they were great things – God is watching us…

Living for your ministry and living for money are mutually exclusive goals. Money and materialism has the greatest potential to replace GOD in your life.

You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them – the most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility.

It is easy to get distracted and sidelined from your mission because Satan would rather have you do anything besides sharing your faith – even all kinds of good things as long as you don’t take anyone to Heaven with you.

As long as you know even one person who doesn’t know Christ, you must keep praying for them, serving them in love, and sharing the Good News with them.

We have no excuse not to spread the Good News. With Internet access we can personally communicate with people in virtually every country on earth. It has never been easier in history to fulfill your commission to go to the whole world.

The ultimate definition of a life well lived would prove to be: Doing the eternal and timeless (God’s purposes) in a contemporary and timely way (in your generation). – That is what the Purpose Driven Life is all about.

Love y'all ~ SB

Day 040 – Living with Purpose

Living on purpose is the only way to really live – everything else is just existing!

People struggle with basic issues in life (such as):

IDENTITY – ‘Who am I?’

IMPORTANCE – ‘Do I matter?’

IMPACT – ‘What is my place in life?’

The answers are in God’s purposes for our lives…

As we come to the end of this forty day journey, God’s purposes for your life should now be evident – you will be blessed if you do them!

To prevent getting distracted and drifting off course, develop a PURPOSE STATEMENT for your life.

WHAT IS A LIFE PURPOSE STATEMENT?

It summarizes God’s purposes for your life.

It points the direction of your life

It defines ‘success’ for you

It clarifies your roles

It expresses your shape

Take time writing your statement; don’t aim for perfection at once, it’s a work in progress – just write down your thoughts as fast as they come to you.

Consider these questions as you prepare it:

+ What will be the centre of my life? – The question of worship.

You need an unshakable centre. Pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart. When God’s at the centre, you worship; when He’s not, you worry.

+ What will be the character of my life? – The question of discipleship.

Remember, you will take your character into eternity, not your career. Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching with spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness and generous love.

+ What will be the contribution of my life? – The question of service.

Fashion a combination out of your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences to establish your best role in the family of God. (Ministry)

You have to choose whom and how you can best help, based on your ‘shape’.

+ What will be the communication of my life? – The question of your mission.

Your mission should be aimed mainly at non-believers; it is the commitment to share your testimony and the Good News with others.

Our lives must support and validate the message we communicate - before unbelievers accept the Bible as credible they will need to know that we are credible – therefore be sure to live in a way that brings honour to the Good News of Christ.

+ What will be the community of my life? – The question of fellowship.

Where you genuinely practice with other believers and express your love for God’s church.

Now consider YOUR answers to these questions.

Pray, think about it, talk with close friends and reflect on Scripture. What matters most is that it fulfills God’s eternal purposes regardless of where you live or work or whom you associate with.

{There exists a suggestion that you develop your life purpose statement based on what you would like other people to say about you at your funeral – your perfect eulogy – actually it’s a very bad plan… Our purpose is to please God, not people.}

Put Jesus at the centre of your life, develop His character, devote your life to serving others, communicate His message and fulfill His mission and love and participate in His family – following these tenets will almost certainly give you the  basis for a phenomenal statement…

Our goal is to measure up to God’s plan for us.

The ultimate definition of a life well lived would prove to be: Doing the eternal and timeless (God’s purposes) in a contemporary and timely way (in your generation). – That is what the Purpose Driven Life is all about.

Only we can serve God’s purpose in this generation. God is constantly looking for people to use; it’s our job to assist Him.

One day history will come to an end, but eternity will go on forever. When fulfilling your purposes seems tough, don’t give in to discouragement. Remember your reward, which will last forever.

PRAISE HIM FOR HIS PLAN AND LIVE FOR HIS PURPOSES FOREVER!

Start living on purpose today… Love you all ~ SB

Day 039 – Balancing your life

Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone.

Your life in Christ’s Body has purposes, which you must keep in balance. These purposes are summarized in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of Jesus:

1. Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

2. Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Main purposes in a nutshell:

Love God with all your heart – worship

Love your neighbour as you love yourself – ministry

Go make disciples – evangelism or e-vangelism

Baptize everyone – fellowship

Teach them the way – discipleship

We all tend to overemphasize the purposes we feel more passionate about and neglect the others.

Keep your life balanced by:

(i)                 Joining a small group (“Where two or three are gathered…”)

(ii)               Regularly evaluating your spiritual health

(iii)             Recording your progress

(iv)              Passing on what you learn

+ Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group.

We learn best in a sharing community. Our minds mare sharpened and our convictions are deepened through conversion. We can give and receive feedback and discuss real-life examples (we trust close relationships). We can pray for, encourage and support each other as we begin to live out these purposes.

+ Give yourself regular spiritual check-ups.

God places high value on the habit of self-evaluation. (Questioning our motives, commitment, etc.) Regularly check the vital signs and health of your worship, fellowship, growth in character, ministry and mission.

+ Write down your progress in a journal.

This journal shouldn’t be a diary of daily events (you may in addition keep one of those), but a record of the life lessons you don’t want to forget. (If I think about it; Facebook, Twitter, etc is my current dairy; and this blog my spiritual journal – they overlap at times, but it’s all good…)

Writing helps clarify what God is doing in your life. Your life is a journey, and a journey deserves a journal.

Don’t just write down the pleasant things; record your doubts, fears and struggles with God – our greatest lessons come out of pain. You owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you to fulfill His purposes on earth.



My late Dad, Malcolm Ian Lakay



+ Pass on what you know to others.

It is your responsibility to carry the message of our purpose on earth to others. You probably know hundreds of people who do not know the purpose of life.

Share these truths with your children, your friends, your neighbours and those you work with. Passing it on is more than an obligation; it’s one of life’s greatest privileges – how different the world would be if everyone knew their purpose!

IT’S ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

The reason we pass on what we learn is for the glory of God and the growth of His Kingdom.

Not only does He want us to live out His purposes, He also wants us to help others do the same – bring them into His fellowship, help them grow to maturity and discover their place in His service; and then send them out to reach others, too.

The rest of your life can be the best of your life – START LIVING ON PURPOSE TODAY!

Cause and action - simple... ~ SB

Day 038 – Becoming a World-Class Christian

The Great Commission is your commission – either be a world-class believer or a worldly believer…

As a world-class believer God invites you to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse and most significant cause in history – His kingdom.

Someday the Great Commission will be the Great Completion.

It is a small world after all – every corner of the globe is available to you (ask any travel agent) – we have no excuse not to spread the Good News. And with Internet access we can personally communicate with people in virtually every country on earth. It has never been easier in history to fulfill your commission to go to the whole world.

To be a world-class believer, all you have to do is change your perspective and attitude.

+ Shift from self-centred to other-centred thinking.

Children only think of themselves; grownups think of others. This is a difficult mental shift because we’re naturally self-absorbed. The only way we can make this paradigm switch is by a moment-by-moment dependence on God.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them – develop the habit of praying silent ‘breath prayers’ for those you encounter. (Something like, “Father help me fathom what is keeping this person from knowing You.”

+ Shift from local to global thinking.

God has always cared about the entire world.

Our lives are increasingly intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment, music, sports and even fast-food. (Not to mention wars, sanctions, poverty, arms trade, etc)

These are exciting days to be alive. There are more believers on earth right now than ever before! World-class believers pray for the whole world, country by country. (So keep abreast with international news media)

Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world. (I JUST LOVE THE POWERFUL FEELING THIS GIVES ME!) People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers!

The Bible tells us to pray for opportunities to witness, for courage to speak up, for those who will believe, for the rapid spread of the message and for more field-workers.

If possible; strive to get to participate in a short-term mission overseas – it will enlarge your heart, expand your vision, stretch your faith, deepen your compassion and fill you with a kind of joy you have never known.

+ Shift from ‘here and now’ to eternal thinking.

Maintain an eternal perspective – distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s ultimate.

So much of what we waste our energy on will not matter even a year from now, much less for eternity. Don’t trade your life for temporary things.

GOD created us an original, don't die a copy

You can’t take it with you – but you can send it on ahead by investing it in people who are going to be there!

+ Shift from making excuses to creating solutions to fulfill your commission.

Common excuses are: ‘I only speak English’, ‘I don’t have anything to offer’, and ‘I’m too old {or too young}’

God doesn’t want to use just some of His people; He wants to use all of His people. Many believers have missed God’s plan for their lives because they have never even asked God where and how He wants them to serve. (You can’t sit around waiting for some supernatural feeling or an epiphany – don’t just do something, stand there! - lol)

Seriously pray and ask God what He wants from you in the years ahead – there are over 6 billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all His lost children to be found.

The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.

Let’s go mission together… ~ SB

Day 037 – Sharing your Life Mission

God has given you a Life Message to share – as a believer you become God’s messenger on earth.

You have a storehouse of experiences that God wants to use to bring others into His family:

+ Your testimony - the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus

+ Your life lessons - important lessons God has taught you

+ Your Godly passions – the issues God has shaped you to care about

+ The Good News – the message of salvation

YOUR TESTIMONY

This is the essence of witnessing – simply sharing your personal experiences regarding the Lord. There is no other story just like yours (similar maybe), so only you can share it. It’s hard to argue with personal experience, so they give you more credibility when sharing them with unbelievers.

Shared stories build a relational bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart into the hearts of non-believers. Many people who won’t accept the authority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story. And you have a story for every experience in which God has helped you - different situations will call for different testimonies.

YOUR LIFE LESSONS

These are lessons and insights you have learned about God, relationships, temptations, and other aspects of life.

There isn’t enough time to learn everything in life by trial and error (although I know of many who are happily prone to pursue all manner of trials and errors), so it makes sense to learn from the life lessons of one another. (Much reluctance, prejustice and sceptism often prevents us from doing so)

Much needless frustration can be avoided if we learn from each other’s life lessons; extracted from everyday experiences.

YOUR GODLY PASSIONS

It may be a passion about a problem, a purpose, a principle, or a group of people. You cannot keep yourself from talking about that which you are passionate and care about most.

God gives some people a Godly passion to champion a cause – often a personally experienced difficulty (abuse, addiction, depression, etc); or

A passion to speak up for groups of others who can’t speak for themselves – the Bible is filled with commands to defend the defenseless; and so forth…

God gives us all different passions so that everything He wants done in the world will get done (no one human can do it all!) – listen to and value each other’s life message.

THE GOOD NEWS

The Good News is this that when we trust in God’s grace to save us through what Jesus did, our sins are forgiven, we get a purpose for living, and we are promised a future home in Heaven.

God never made a person He didn’t love – everybody matters to Him (even the dull and the ignorant {also the evil ones}).

We must care about unbelievers because God does; love leaves no choice. (Not saying you have to marry them…) Ask God to fill your heart with His love for them.

As long as you know even one person who doesn’t know Christ, you must keep praying for them, serving them in love, and sharing the Good News with them.

Imagine the joy of greeting people in Heaven whom you helped get there. The eternal salvation of a single soul is more important than anything else you will ever achieve in life. Only people are going to last forever.

GOD MADE YOU TO BE:

+ A member of His family

+ A model of His character

+ A magnifier of His glory

+ A minister of His grace

And

+ A messenger of His Good News – this is the purpose that can only be done on earth (the others you will keep doing into eternity)

So spread the Good News; you only have a short time to share your message and fulfill your mission.

‘Time is God's way of keeping everything from happening at once.’ - Anon

Gives me hope and steels my patience…I love you ~ SB

Day 036 – Made for a Mission

You were made for a mission.

God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission in the world. Ministry is your service to believers. Your Mission is your service to non-believers – and it is unique to you.

That mission is introducing people to God!

God wants to redeem human beings from Satan and reconcile them to Himself. We are the messengers of God’s love and purposes to the world – ambassadors at large.

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR MISSION

+ Your mission is a continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth.

In the GREAT COMMISSION Jesus said,

 “Go to the people of all nations and make them my Disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you.”

This is your commission from Jesus, and it is not optional. You may be unaware that God holds you responsible for the unbelievers who live around you – your mission is to share Jesus with them.

+ Your mission is a wonderful privilege.

It is an incredible honour to be used by God – working with Him and representing Him. Jesus has secured our salvation, put us in His family, given us the Spirit, and made us His agents in the world.

+ Telling others how to gain eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.

We have the greatest news in the world, and sharing it is the greatest kindness you can show to anyone. (This is an amazing mindset to adopt!)

We must remember that no matter how contented or successful people may appear to be, without Christ they are hopelessly lost and headed for eternal separation from God.

+ Your mission has eternal significance.

The consequences of your mission will last forever – that being, helping people establish an eternal relationship with God.

We have all of eternity to celebrate bringing people to God; but we have only our lifetime in which to reach them! (So there is no time for delay; there is actually urgency!)

No need to change your current job or move elsewhere; share the Good News where you are. Continually look for people God places in your path with whom you can share the gospel.

+ Your mission gives your life meaning.

‘The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.’ – William James

Live Purpose Driven lives committed to worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, ministry, and fulfilling your mission on earth.

There are people on this planet that only YOU will be able to reach. If just one person will be in Heaven because of you, your life will have made a difference for eternity. (Caution: this does not afford you any guarantee of a place in Heaven!)

+ God’s timetable for history’s conclusion is connected to the completion of our commission.

Speculating on the exact timing of Christ’s return is futile. JESUS said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (The end of the world – The end of days – “…likes a thief in the night…”

If you want Jesus to come back sooner - focus on fulfilling your mission.

It is easy to get distracted and sidelined from your mission because Satan would rather have you do anything besides sharing your faith – even all kinds of good things as long as you don’t take anyone to Heaven with you.

WHAT IT COSTS TO FULFILL YOUR MISSION

To fulfill your mission will require that you abandon your agenda and accept God’s agenda for your life. If you will commit to fulfilling your mission in life no matter what it costs, you will experience the blessing of God. There is almost nothing God won’t do for those who are committed to serving the Kingdom of God. (You will want for nothing)

ONE MORE FOR JESUS

If you want to be used by God, you must care about what God cares about - the redemption of the people He made.

May you always be on the lookout to reach ‘one more for Jesus’ so that when you stand before God one day (will there still be ‘days’?), you can say, ‘Mission accomplished, Lord!’

Can’t wait to see you there… Love you ~ SB

Day 035 – God’s power in your weakness

God loves to use weak people.

We are all flawed and imperfect - baggaged with physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, financial and relational limiting weaknesses.

Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. We think that God only wants to use our strengths; but He also wants to use our weaknesses for His glory.

God loves to use imperfect, ordinary people to do the extraordinary things in spite of their frailties or any other inherited limitations; or that which they are powerless to change – God is never limited by our limitations!

+ Admit your weaknesses.

Instead of living in denial or making excuses, take the time to identify your personal weaknesses – make a list. You are only human; surely you can admit your shortcomings to yourself?

+ Be content with your weaknesses.

Being content with weakness doesn’t seem to make sense – don’t you think?

But this contentment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God. Whenever you feel weak, God is reminding you to depend on Him – weaknesses prevent arrogance, keep us humble, keep our egos in check and govern us from going too fast and running ahead of God – He deliberately allows them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating His power through you.

Furthermore; our weaknesses encourage fellowship between believers and increase our capacity for sympathy and ministry.

Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts – the things you’re most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and most reluctant to share – the very tools God can use most powerfully to heal others.

+ Honestly share your weaknesses. (Saw this one coming, eh?)

The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others.

When you do reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations and fears; you risk rejection – but the benefits are worth the risk.

Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather it is being honest about your weaknesses. Pretentiousness repels but authenticity attracts, and the vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.

Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them – the most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility.

+ Glory in your weaknesses.

Instead of posing as self-confident and invincible, see yourself as a trophy of grace – fill your heart with praise for Jesus, who understands every weakness and for the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness.

If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to ‘walk with a limp’ for the rest of your life, because God uses weak people; and none of us can be perfect!

Come share in my imperfection… Love you ~ SB