Tag Archives: Jesus

February 18, 2013 · 6:00 am

Making Your Purpose Your Mission

What’s your mission in life? What’s your goal?

Is your goal clear to you, or like the photo above, is it sort of a general idea with tatters and tears, barely fitting with your life except when you stretch it to accommodate your circumstances?

What is your purpose?

In answering that question, many people might jump straight to what they can accomplish.

I’m a teacher. I’m a doctor. I’m a lawyer. I’m a writer. I’m a parent. I’m a preacher. I’m going to do something that contributes to society.

What is your purpose? Is it who you are or is it what you do?

Your life’s purpose goes deeper. The meaning is more.

Like many, I have a favorite Bible verse. Others have a “life verse.” Do you? How does your life verse relate to your purpose?

Your purpose should be grounded in Christ. It might be best explained through scripture. It might be explained through a statement or a prayer. It might be explained through an experience.

Can you write your life’s purpose as a mission statement?

Linda Dillow has once again encouraged me to think deeper in her book, Calm My Anxious Heart. She challenges me by telling the stories of several women who have found and described their purpose.

Dillow gives the example of Phyllis, who’s life verse is Philippians 3:10–

For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly… (AMP)

Phyllis once thought that perhaps her children were her purpose, but “I realized that my children are my platform, not my purpose.”

From her life verse, Phyllis developed a purpose that consists of four words: purposefully, faithfully, creatively and paradoxically. She then wrote out her life’s purpose, explaining each of these four words, like a mission statement for daily living.

What is your purpose?

I thought my life’s purpose was to raise children to love and follow Jesus Christ, and to spread the gospel of Christ myself.

I realize now that my purpose can go deeper and cover more and even challenge me.

I’m currently working on detailing my purpose in written form as a mission statement for daily living in all situations and I hope to post it here soon.

I challenge you to do the same.

If you’ve already written out your life’s purpose, would you share in the comments?

Share with me: Do you know your life’s purpose? Do you have a life verse? If so, have you ever written a “mission statement” type purpose?

5 Comments

Filed under The Christian Walk

Tagged as Calm My Anxious Heart, challenge, Jesus, life verse, Linda Dillow, purpose

December 18, 2012 · 11:12 am

Be Born in Me

I don’t think there’s a parent in this country who hasn’t been affected emotionally by the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. I look at those little faces and my heart bleeds.

My husband and I have shed tears together for those lost. We’ve prayed together over it. And we’ve protected our children from the news.

We have a 1st grader. A precious, innocent 6-year-old. So when I think about those parents who will be irrevocably changed this Christmas, I can only beg God for his mercy, and thank him for the grace that he now holds those children in his arms.

This Christmas holds a lot of emotion for me. With my heart hurting for those in need all over the nation, I think of all the senseless violence committed against children every day in this country. All those thousands of abortions come to mind.

I’m carrying a son this holiday season. As I feel him move inside me, I think of Mary and all the emotions she must have felt knowing that the birth of her child was imminent–fear, trepidation, anxiety. Becoming a parent for the first time can be overwhelming. Think about becoming a parent for the first time–to the son of God.

And yet, Mary knew some truths. She would nurture and care for him. She would love him and hold him. And when he became a man, he would change the world. May we all believe that our children have the opportunity to change the world for God through his son.

Perhaps if we can raise godly children who have hearts that desire to share the Gospel, and better yet, make disciples in all nations, we can reach the broken and the lost. We’ll never destroy all of the evil in the world–that’s God’s department– but we can possibly prevent some of these tragedies by showing people how to truly follow a living God.

This song, called Be Born In Me, is from The Story. It’s sung by Francesca Battistelli. It moves my heart every time I hear it.

I’ll hold you in the beginning, you will hold me in the end.

He is the light of the world and he came to save us all. Happy Birthday, Jesus. You are the greatest present we’ve ever received and may you be born in us all.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

2 Comments

Filed under Just For Fun

Tagged as Be Born In Me, Christmas, Francesca Battistelli, Jesus, Mary, prayer, tragedy

October 16, 2012 · 6:00 am

Should Christians be Concerned with Politics?

Should Christians be concerned with politics?

In a word: YES.

I’ve read many posts lately, most from well-respected bloggers (many of the mommy kind), who have written that we, as Christians in America, shouldn’t concern ourselves with the political climate of our nation or bother being involved in politics.

I couldn’t disagree with this view more.

Why have these posts encouraged a lack of political participation among the God-fearing, Born-Again?

The reasons are many, but most boil down to one idea: We are not meant for this world.

Well, that I agree with. We aren’t meant for this world. As born-again believers in Jesus Christ, we are meant for a Heavenly Kingdom that will one day come– a kingdom where our only ruler will be the perfect Christ who sacrificed himself for us.

And like the many who look forward to that day, I do, too. But until then, we live here, in the imperfect world in need of Christ.

These writers would have us think that as Christians, since we are bound by a Heavenly King, we need not participate in earthly politics or concern ourselves with anything but showing the love of Christ.

I only partially agree.

I am 100% on the bandwagon with showing the love of Christ all the time, to all people, no matter what.

BUT…the Heavenly Kingdom has not come–yet. And while we are living on this earth, we are subjected to the authorities which God has put in place over us (Romans 13:1-7).

Thank God that we live in a nation where we have some say in that authority.

Politics in America can be ugly. It can be disheartening. It can be frustrating. There is no perfect candidate.

But we live in a nation where we do have a say, and therefore, it is our right and our responsibility to exercise that say.

The Bible clearly states that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and that we should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). But wouldn’t it be nice if we could change our political climate and elect men who also serve the God of Heaven?

It’s not an impossible idea.

You can’t legislate morality.

This is another excuse I often hear when people have given up on politics in America.

And yet, God did legislate morality. Just look at the 10 Commandments. If we make the argument that we cannot, at all, create laws based on an innate sense of right and wrong, then we might as well throw out laws that stop people from murdering, stealing, and raping, just to name a few. Anarchy seems to be the only solution for those who think we can’t legislate morality.

Abortion and homosexuality are not the only moral issues in America. We can legislate morality, and we do.

Even among Christians, there is much disagreement over political matters.

But that doesn’t mean we should shut down and simply not participate. On the contrary, as Christian Americans we should be active in our government at all levels, protecting the freedoms that allow us to worship freely, spread the Word, and help others who very much need the love of Christ.

If we bury our heads in the sand and ignore the political climate around us, we may come up to find that we’ve lost the very rights we take for granted.

So pray that God will convict your heart about which candidates and which legislation you should vote for.

Keep in mind that no man is perfect– only Christ is– but over and over and over and over God has used imperfect men to do his bidding. You only need open the Bible and scan to discover this truth.

Exercise your right and privilege as an American and vote on election day.

It’s important. There’s plenty of God’s work being done when you cast your vote.

***Election day is November 6th!

Share with me: Who was running for President in the first election you participated in?