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Daily Dose

If You Feel You Don’t Have a Purpose…

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“For now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 3:8, NASB

sunset, If You Feel You Don’t Have a Purpose…

Something dawned on me last week.

I feel most alive when I invest in someone’s spiritual well-being.

And I think that’s what God intends.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10, Nasb

The Lord God created our bodies and intricately wove distinct personalities, talents, intelligence, and more within us. As if that’s not awesome enough, God made us new when we placed our faith in Christ for salvation. Twice born–once physically and once spiritually–we’re living, breathing, walking works of God. With a purpose.

Almighty God blueprinted a purpose for each of us long, long ago. Isn’t that incredible? You know, sometimes we sense a lack of purpose, which causes us to drift uncertainly. That’s not God’s plan. I believe He developed a purpose for us before we even existed. And it doesn’t revolve around the physical–our purpose lives and breathes and moves in the spiritual realm. While those two realms often intersect, investing in someone’s spiritual well-being should be our ultimate motivation.

This doesn’t mean we preach at people or care only for spiritual conversations. It doesn’t mean we overlook physical needs to concentrate on spiritual needs. On the flip side, neither does it mean meeting physical needs without spiritual goals. Many humanitarian organizations exist and do an outstanding job helping people. But as Christians, we possess something more: God’s love. The Spirit of God. Hope. We’re “created in Christ Jesus for good works,” acts that demonstrate spiritual truths so others can know Christ too.

Living our God-designed purpose pairs who we are with doing what He’s prepared for us.

Though this looks different for each individual, the final outcome stays the same: building God’s Kingdom. This is God’s heart. He reaches peoplethrough His people--whether we serve soup, lead Bible studies, rear children, or work in an office. God made us in Christ to communicate eternal truth in various capacities. He longs for others to know what He’s graciously revealed to us:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

When we invest in someone’s spiritual well-being, we fulfill what God created us to do … and we feel really, truly alive.

Let’s live BIG. Let’s live with PURPOSE. Let’s be flooded with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as we serve our mighty God!

“‘He who believes in Me,’ as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:38 

I’d love to learn from you. How is God using you to reach people for Christ?

Much love to each of you in Christ,

Emily

IT’S HARD TO GO HOME AGAIN

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house-961401_640, it's hard to go homeWith heart pounding in my chest, mouth dry as a bone, and drowning in absolute fear, I stuttered out the words, “Vote… for… Elizabeth… Carter.” Embarrassed, ashamed, and defeated, I scurried off the stage, whispering, and “I’ll never speak in public again!” High school freshmen can be pretty brutal. Walking the halls of the school for the next three days confirmed my vow about speaking publically. “Not gonna happen,” I said.

That is why, back in 2001, when the Lord first called me to write and teach, the answer was a resounding NO! Lord, I can’t do that!” However, our Mighty God has a great sense of humor! In the years since that call He has sent us in a direction we never dreamed possible, to speak to groups of two to two thousand, across six countries.

You would think that by this time I wouldn’t be afraid to speak anywhere. Mostly that’s true, because this heart is fully aware that the Lord gives the message and the passion with which to share it.

Then, THE call came.

Brenda, this is Kay DeBerry. From Roanoke Rapids. We graduated high school together and I’ve seen you on FaceBook and read about your ministry. I’d love to go with you to Nicaragua, and our church would like you to come and… SPEAK… and share your message with us. We’d like you to…SPEAK… and tell us all about your missions work. 

With heart pounding, the fear returned. Just like it was yesterday, condemnation screamed from within. Seeing the side-ways glances of pity, and hearing the ugly thunder of laughter, it was 1964 all over again.

“No!” I wanted to scream. “No, I can’t do that,” I wanted to say. However, God wouldn’t let me. More than the fear of failure, this heart’s desire is to share God’s message of redemption and family restoration with anyone wanting to hear it. “Of course, we’d love to”, the words escaped through determined lips.

I’d love to tell you that fear and apprehension went away after hanging up that phone, but it would be a lie. In the weeks since that phone call, excitement, fear, apprehension, and dread have played volleyball in my head.  Practically sucking my thumb, I’ve complained to the Lord, “Don’t You remember the humiliation? Seriously, of all places, Roanoke Rapids?” In response to those complaints, He has said absolutely nothing.

Until today.

During quiet time this morning, He reminded me to focus on Jesus instead of ghosts from the past. He brought back to memory Hebrews 12:1-2, a message we shared with 150 pastor’s wives, just three short weeks ago.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…”  

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please God. More than anything else, in this life I want to please God. Therefore, these eyes need to focus on Him, and this heart needs to have faith in Him.  As usual, whatever success comes will be by His Spirit, not any human efforts, likely to fall short. That’s ok. He knew that already.  He said so in I Corinthians 1:25-29 (NIV)

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,29 so that no one may boast before him.

Well, that certainly describes me. So, if the message resonates with old friends, He will be the One that speaks to their hearts.  My responsibility is to move forward in faith, trusting Him to deliver.

What are the ghosts from your past that threaten to rob you of your future? Let God put them behind you and give you freedom. Together let’s cling to the promise He gives us in I Corinthians 15:58,

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.

Always work enthusiastically for the Lord,

for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

And in I Thessalonians 5:23,

The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

That is His promise. So together, let’s allow Him wipe away our failures with His successes!

 

Until Next Time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

When God Calls: Close Encounter

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“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

Hebrews 11:8, NIV

When I was seventeen God whispered my name, and I gave my heart and life to Jesus Christ. As a young person I didn’t find it hard to walk the aisle of that small country church and trust God with my eternity, so why as an adult is it sometimes difficult to trust Him with my days?

This week we’ll look at Abraham’s initial encounter with God, examine God’s call in his life, and discover some truths that we can apply to the Lord’s call in our own lives—even in the everyday.

 

Close Encounter

“The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.” 

Acts 7:2, NIV

UFOIn the 1977 science fiction movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Roy Neary, an Indiana electrical lineman, is called out to investigate a power outage. In a blanket of darkness, his truck stalls, and a bright light lands on top of it. From this point in the story, Roy’s ordinary life is radically changed. He refuses to listen to others as they try to explain away his bizarre encounter, and he sets out in pursuit of the truth about UFOs. In his quest, he forfeits his family and life as he knows it.

Comparing Abram’s encounter with God to a fictional tale of a man’s encounter with aliens may seem a bit extreme, but please don’t miss my point: any time we encounter the God of glory, we are forever changed. Roy Neary was prepared to give up everything in his search for truth. Are we?

Abram was.

Because God chose Abram as the father of our faith, one might assume he had an extraordinary relationship with God. Although the facts of Abram’s life before his close encounter with God are sketchy, Scripture reveals that he was a Chaldean living in Ur, a city in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Due to its location at the mouth of the Euphrates River, Ur was a self-sufficient trade city, rich in the arts, advanced in science and technology, and the area’s political and religious capital.

AbrahamThe Hebrew verb that forms the base of the word Ur means to be light, to shine. Known as the “Moon City,” the progressive city of Ur did stand out in this wilderness area; however, it was a dark place—a pagan place. Many gods were worshipped in Ur, mainly the moon god, Sin, and Ur was known for the manufacture of idols. Historical accounts suggest that Abram’s father, Terah, was an idol maker. Whether that is true or not, Joshua 24:2 states that Terah and Abram’s relatives worshipped other gods.

Due to the pagan culture that surrounded Abram, we can assume he was not seeking God. However, God was seeking him. In the midst of Abram’s ordinary day, God showed up in all of his glory and interrupted Abram’s usual routine.

Wouldn’t you love to have heard the conversation in Terah’s household that evening? Sometimes our families can be the greatest hindrance to our decisions to follow God’s call for our lives. Even Jesus’s brothers doubted His summons to be the Savior of the world. When facing the opposition of those we love most, we’ll need more than courage to follow through—we’ll need the faith of Abram, who left all that he knew for an unknown land based on the word of his unproven God.

Remember, Abram’s faith walk began with a single step. Yours will too.

Step out.

Your traveling companion,

Starr