Purpose

Our purpose in this life is not to make money. It is not to make friends. It is not to get a good degree and a good job to go along with it. Our goal is not to pursue power, fame, or a soul mate. It is not to have a beautiful spouse and wonderful family; our purpose in life isn’t even to be happy. None of these things are bad, but none of them fully satisfy.

No, our purpose in life is much different. It is to glorify God in the things we say and do. It is to love those people that are hard to love. It is to serve those in need and be happy with less prestige. Our goal in life is to proclaim the love of God and the power within his name to those that have not yet heard. The purpose of life is to live as a reflection of the living God who put his very spirit of power within us in order to accomplish his will.

We will fail. We are frail, weak people with many shortcomings and selfish desires. The great thing about it though is that God will turn our greatest weaknesses into strengths. He will turn selfishness into selflessness. He will turn selfish pride into humble service. He will turn lust into love and passiveness into passion. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but instead he gave us a spirit of love, power, and self-discipline. In fact, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!

Praise God for He is holy, He is good and His love endures. Praise him to the ends of the earth. Praise him with your words, with your actions, and with your thoughts. Praise him with confidence that we are forgiven and can stand blameless in front of the creator God of the entire universe and say ‘thanks Dad’. Praise him in our times of Joy, for it is a foretaste of future Glory. Praise him in times of sorrow and death, for God has experienced it himself, and has overcome it. Praise him from the rooftops just as you praise him before you get up and before you lie down. Our Father, our God, our Beloved. You are enough. You are good, You are sovereign, and You are enough.

what's going on in my head lately

"History cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart."
--Samuel Brengle
‎"the root of your salvation glorifies God privately, and the fruit of your salvation glorifies God publicly."
-- John Piper
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
-- Philippians 2:3-5
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant.”
--Romans 15:5,7-8a
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”
--1 Peter 4:1

These are some of the things that have been on my heart. I don’t even really know what to write about them. I just really wish that my life would reflect these verses and quotes. What if all Christians decided to live this way? It is so easy to fall into materialism and consumerism in America. Our culture is a selfish, glory-seeking culture. We are very much into consuming the pleasures of this world rather than following the mandate that God gave us back in Genesis to care for the earth and all creation. Yes, I am talking about nature. It’s beautiful and God created it for us to enjoy. Not to abuse. But I am also talking about each other. In fact, we are the first-fruits of all creation, so why do we think it is ok to use people for our own benefit? Why do we play favorites and leave people out? We may all be different parts of Gods body, called to different things, but we are all called to Love each other. We treat our cashier as just part of the line at the store. We have to schedule in time to meet with or talk with friends. Time may be money, but since when can money replace time? I have felt really convicted lately about how I really haven’t cared very much for those around me. I am challenging myself to do better at this. It’s gonna be tough.