2. Our God is a God of PURPOSE.
Everyday we wake up and we automatically think, "So what am I going to do today?" Sometimes we make lists or write out reminders (I know being a mom, this helps out a LOT). Sometimes we just go with our daily routines without even thinking about what we're doing or what we're going to be doing later. Sometimes we have plans to do something special and we start getting ready as soon as we get out of bed, even if the plans are in the afternoon or at night (because sometimes that's how long it takes to get completely ready, especially if you have a toddler and an infant that likes to take poops as soon as you get him dressed).
There are times when we just sit and think about our life plans, as well. We ask ourselves, "So what am I going to do with the rest of my life?" Or the one I've most recently thought about, "Is this what I'm supposed to be doing with my life?"
We make plans to succeed and to follow our dreams.
We're each in control of what we plan to do each and every day. We're in control of what we plan for the rest of our lives.
Remember those times when things didn't go as planned? Remember those times when you had every little detail planned out and things just went a TOTALLY different route? Or that time that you tried to succeed and FAILED MISERABLY?
All of that time you spent making sure everything would go as planned and one small thing happened that wasn't part of the plan and things just went that totally different route or they failed.
It made you feel like you don't have a handle on things and things are just out of your control, didn't it?
Well, news flash!
You shouldn't have a handle on things and things ARE out of your complete control.
You were never meant to have everything figured out. You were never meant to control everything.
Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
God lets us have a say in what we want out of our lives, but if we don't make our plan according to HIS purpose, all of our plans will not prevail.
Prevail means:
1. to be widespread or current; exist everywhere or generally.
2. to appear or occur as the more important or frequent feature or element; predominate.
In other words, our plans will not exist if we don't make our plans according to His purpose. If we don't pray or seek God's direction with our plans, we will have one problem after the other and our plans just won't happen and if they do happen without seeking God first, we will never be completely happy and we'll always be looking for more purpose.
Romans 8:28 is one of my favorite verses:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Every person is born with purpose. Only you can figure out what your purpose is in this life. Each individual has a calling in life to hep fill out the ultimate purpose: God's purpose. You will know that it is your calling by the sense you get from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will fill you with peace and confirmation when you do what you're meant to be doing. God will reveal His purpose for you, individually, through the Holy Spirit.
One way to seek what God has planned for you is to look at the things you are good at doing. For example, I'm good at teaching and interacting with kids. So I became a children's director in our church.
God needs you to use the skills that you have to help fill out His purpose. Why do you think He gave you those good skills?
You have been called according to HIS purpose and should only seek out what it is you're supposed to be doing for Him.
Even when things are hard and not going so great, we should still seek out His purpose. We need to remember that God is ultimately in control and that no matter how hard things seem at the moment, He will see us through them if we seek Him and His purpose for those hard times. "...in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love Him," (emphasis is mine)
Everyday has a purpose. Every hour. Every minute. Every second. They all have a purpose. You're breathing those days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Praying for God to reveal His purpose for everyday, every hour, every minute, and every second, will help your eyes and heart to open up to what God's purpose is for you.
God's purpose will be fulfilled.
Phillippians 2:12-13 says, "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
There may be things that come up in our lives that may not be apart of God's purpose for our lives. A new job, schooling, relationship, marriage.
How do we know when these things are or aren't apart of God's purpose in our lives? We pray. Be patient. Ask for God's peace. THEN decide.
If He gives us peace in those things that are trying to be apart of our lives, then it is apart of God's purpose for us. We have to wait on the Lord and truly follow Him and His guidance FIRST... then act.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11
No matter what our plans are, God's plans are always better. We should TRUST God and what He has in store for us to fulfill His purpose. He loves us, just like I talked about in Part I. He knows what's best for us.
I challenge you to let go of all of your plans that you have and to give them to God. Pray over those plans and ask God to reveal to you if those plans are how God wants them. Then patiently wait on God's direction. God will reveal to you what you need to do. It might not be today, tomorrow, or the next day. It might not even be within the next year. But He will reveal them to you over time.
I pray that you will seek God's purpose for your life before all of your plans. I pray that you will come closer to God by praying over everything, before doing it.
Our God is a God of Purpose.
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