Most people look to themselves in pursuing their purpose-but, i have learned that we must look to God for the answer. He created us, and only he knows why...he will lead us in the direction we must go. But, we have to yield...listen, which is something that was very challenging for me...
In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, "You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense."
Colossians 1:16b (Msg) "Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him."
Question for you, please share thoughts:
In spite of all of the advertising around me, how can
I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
I know that I must include God in everything I do, whether running an errand, going for a run, or spending my daily time especially with Him~He is always with me, so I need to keep that in mind throughout my day. I must think about what He would do in my place...
Posts
17 comments:
Hi Jessica,
This is such a great idea and a great way to take a little time out of our busy days to think about how much God is in our lives.
The question is, how much are we living in his purpose? It's so easy to go through a day without even thinking about God. I have to constantly remind myself to be Thankful for all that I have. I owe it all to Him and I know He has a greater purpose for my life than I'm even aware of. Thank You for making me think. It's to easy to forget about something so important.
Big Hugs, Erin
It's so true! Many of us are doing huge things right now, or are building up to do huge things--but even then, there is something bigger that He has planned for us to do. I am so grateful and blessed to have found my purpose and to be going in the direction that He has planned for me. It's sometimes a difficult trek, but His strength and my FAITH push me through! That is something I did not feel before finding God!
As I was cleaning my room tonight, I came across a paper with Blessings for Your New Year and found one I liked.
It's called, "Breathing Room",
In the rush of life, may you always find time and space for the people and activities that refresh your soul.
May what seems most urgent never distract you from whats most important.
(Luke 10:40-42)
Hi Jess,
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the book and am so proud and encouraged at how you are now sharing the blessings with others.
In reading this it just made me think of how we need to do this everyday- to remind ourselves that it's not about us. The Bible tells us that we must die daily to ourselves... to our selfish needs, desires, and plans and surrender them all to the Lord. He tells us that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) . He tells us that His plans are for our good- to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:114).Why then do I get in His way and in fact get in my own way??
Thank you for reminded me today about surrendering myself to Him everyday.
God bless and keep you girl.
:) Loli
Hey Girl... like we were talking about the other day... its in the simplest things that we see God and are reminded of his presence... The birds flying in perfect formation, the detailed color and patterns on flowers, our simple breath... man I had some ear plugs in last night (And you know how loudly you can hear yourself breath!) and was trippin on how amazing it is that we breath without effort LOL :-) Thank God... It only takes a minute or two to say thank you right?
Absolutely-Like Maria said...God did not have to give us all of the beautiful things around us: flowers, animals, butterflies, art, and the millions of other things we appreciate and love. He created them because He loves us and wants us to see and enjoy all of these beautiful things...that's 1 way we can honor Him...by slowing down and noticing and just loving it all and taking it all in with joy!
Wow ladies - you give me lots to think about! Life does get so hectic and we become so self-centered and driven to get "ours". I guess I need to become more aware of everything else around me - stop and take a minute to really look and appreciate other people, nature, animals, etc. The fact that I wake up healthy and alive every day is a miracle, and I need to not take that for granted, among many, many other things that seem so trivial. I may not be exactly where I think I should be in my life, but according to what I'm learning, I'm exactly where I should be for now. Pretty cool!
xoxoShelby
I don't know you Jessica but I do know that your on the right path! I just came across this and would like to share it with you. It spoke volumes to me and is in line with what the book talks about.
THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE
TODAY, WHEN I AWOKE,I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE, EVER! AND BECAUSE I DID I'M GOING TO CELEBRATE.
TODAY, I'M GOING TO CELEBRATE WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE LIFE I HAVE HAD SO FAR; THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THE MANY BLESSINGS, AND YES EVEN THE HARDSHIPS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SERVED TO MAKE ME STRONGER.
I WILL GO THROUGH THIS DAY WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH, AND A HAPPY HEART.
I WILL MARVEL AT GOD'S SEEMILY SIMPLE GIFTS: THE MORNING DEW, THE SUN, THE CLOUDS, THE TREES, THE FLOWERS, AND THE BIRDS. TODAY NONE OF THESE MIRACULOUS CREATIONS WILL ESCAPE MY NOTICE.
TODAY, I WILL SHARE MY EXCITMENT FOR LIFE WITH OTHER PEOPLE. I'LL MAKE SOMEONE SMILE. I'LL GO OUT OF MY WAY TO PERFORM AN UNEXPECTED ACT OF KINDNESS FOR SOMEONE I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
TODAY, I'LL GIVE A SINCERE COMPLIMENT TO SOMEONE WHO SEEMS DOWN. I'LL TELL A CHILD HOW SPECIAL HE IS, AND TELL SOMEONE I LOVE JUST HOW DEEPLY I CARE FOR THEM AND HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO ME.
TODAY IS THE DAY I QUIT WORRING ABOUT WHAT I DON'T HAVE AND START BEING GRATFUL FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS GOD HAS ALREADY GIVEN ME.
I'LL REMEMBER THAT TO WORRY IS JUST A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE MY FAITH IN GOD AND HIS DIVINE PLAN ENSURES EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE.
TONIGHT BEFORE I GO TO BED, I'LL GO OUTSIDE AND RAISE MY EYES TO THE HEAVENS. I WILL STAND IN AWE OF THE BEAUTY OF THE STARS AND THE MOON, AND WILL PRAISE GOD FOR THESE MAGNIFICENT TREASURES.
AS THE DAY ENDS AND I LAY MY HEAD DOWN ON MY PILLOW, I THANK THE ALMIGHTY FOR THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE. AND I WILL SLEEP THE SLEEP OF A CONTENTED CHILD, EXCITED WITH EXPECTATION BECAUSE I KNOW TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE....
THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
To me that is a Life of Purpose!
Keep moving forward!
Sherry
That was Beautiful!!!
I feel bleesed and renewed by all of your comments.
Thank you for sharing!!!
I know that God uniquely created me. What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance
am I struggling to accept?
What a great question to ponder... I have struggled with accepting my weight all of my life... I know it is me that gets in the way of His plan for me to be at a healthy weight and feel my best. With the help of our creator, I know I will return to healthy weight in no time at all. My mom always says Let go & Let God... that's what I need to do! There is no need for me to STRUGGLE... I was made to be healthy and happy ~ I am SURRENDERING!
I am SOOO touched by all of your comments and thoughts!! I learn and grow from reading all of your posts, I hope u all feel like you are too! This is the reason I began this and it's been a blessing so far! Thank you for sharing and please keep checking back for new posts and questions to ponder...Thank u all-you're amazing!!!
xxxx~jessica
Jessica,
Your thoughts are inspiring. It is so easy to go through our daily lives thinking that everything is about "me." And it is when we fully embrace that truth that our lives can begin to make sense, have direction, and be meaningful. As a mom and wife, it is vital to the spiritual health of my family to teach to that truth. Seems like an easy task, but it requires constant awareness, faith and prayer. God has blessed me with so much. I am grateful that He is always with me. Thanks for reminding me to pray today.
Jane
Hi Jessica,
This so wonderful that you have created a blog to be able to reflect on what is important in our lives...which is a "Purpose Driven Life." Everyday, minute and second....I am grateful for who I am, how I got here, who has helped me, who I have met....every little tidbit is important.An of course what makes it all happen is something greater than an average human can do. We so forget....but thank you for reminding us it is not an it never was about me. It is about us an the Drive we has in us. Tina
In spite of all of the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
Everthing around me is a constant reminder that my life is to be lived for GOD and not for myself!! Being that both my husband and I are unemployed with a mortgage and car payments it really makes us understand how our lifes are in the makers hands.
Stephanie
It's easy to become consumed by all of the advertising and marketing that surrounds us each day. You can lose sight of what truly is important and start mistaking material possessions as significant (the size of your home, the type of car you drive, the clothes you wear, etc.) I think by helping others and creating a purpose in life that you remind yourself of daily keeps you on the right path. I try to wake up each morning knowing that it's not all about "me" and that are bigger things in the world around me. I practice random acts of kindness, and try to truly help someone each day. It puts life in to perceptive. Plus the reward of giving and helping others is so much greater, than that which we can own for our benefit!
Thanks Jess for sharing this with all of us!
Jami
I too was once wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of getting from place A to Place B, running around with my head cut off like most of us with young kids. Then one weekend my sister and sister in law dragged me to a women's spa weekend "religious" getaway although it was more spiritual than anything else. One of the questions we were asked is how much time we spend outdoors. It had never occurred to me how important this is to our overall health and wellbeing. I no longer look at advertisements or watch commercials or long for anything waved in front of my face because on that retreat, I realized that spending time outdoors enjoying the view of the sky, the grass, the trees, the birds, and wildlife, beautiful flowers filled a void. We fill our lives with material things to fill a void. We feel empty inside because we do not do the inner work necessary to truly know ourselves and our purpose. Spending time outdoors in nature, whether going for a walk, sitting on a porch reading a book, or working in the garden help us to focus on the gifts we have everyday and not on what society says is important. On that retreat, I cried when I realized that I had a home with a beautiful front porch and a nice back deck...and I had never set foot on either just to take in the beauty around me...It changed me forever. Now I notice all the animals like bunnies and deer that come through our yard, the turtles laying their eggs each summer, the bright red cardinals and mourning doves as they coo...It's just a great way to be "aware" and tuned in and get away from the outside pressures of society.
Hi Jessica,
This is an amazing site. Thank you for asking these powerful questions. I'm in the middle of Beth Moore's "Believing God" bible study and part of our daily homework is to journal our Godstops (moments where we recognize the presence of God). What I have realiezed is that God is everwhere, miracles are happening all around me. They always have been, I was just too busy to notice. So I've invited God to help me. He is so faithful and he is helping me to have a God-centered life vs a me-centered life.
Renee
Post a Comment