Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purpose. Show all posts
Recently, I read the story of how the song, “Beyond the
Sunset,” was written. Virgil Prentiss
Brock penned the words one evening in 1936 after a conversation at the dinner
table. The topic of conversation was an
unusually gorgeous sunset at Winona Lake in Indiana, despite the storm clouds
looming overhead. Virgil’s blind cousin,
Horace Burr, commented that it was the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen.
Virgil said to his cousin, “People are always amazed when
you talk about seeing.” Horace replied,
“I can see. I see through other people’s
eyes, and think I often see more; I see beyond the sunset.” Virgil said the phrase “beyond the sunset”
and the striking inflection of his cousin’s voice struck him profoundly. He immediately began singing the first few
lines of the song. Before they had even
finished their meal, the entire song was written.
I must say that this story left me speechless. This gentleman who could not see ultimately
had greater vision than those with perfect eyesight. He did not focus on the impending
thunderstorm. Instead, he focused on the
true beauty. He saw more than a lake, a
sunset, and storm clouds. His sight was
not limited by the horizon. He could
look beyond the physical limitations of this world in order to catch a glimpse
of something that was seemingly Heavenly. He knew that even in the sunset, there was sunshine awaiting him.
I invite you to listen to my song, "There's Sunshine Awaiting You."
I invite you to listen to my song, "There's Sunshine Awaiting You."
How many times in life do we look at our current situation
and begin to succumb to a state of hopelessness and despair? Perhaps you see your children hanging out
with the wrong crowd. Instead of asking
God for help, your mind first goes into a tailspin of all of the possible
outcomes. Will they try drugs,
participate in underage drinking, have sex before marriage, or even get
arrested? Once the myriad of
possibilities stop running through your mind, that’s when you finally stop to
pray about it. Since when did prayer
become the last possible course of action? Prayer should be our first line of defense, not our last resort.
We should not dwell on the problems of this earth. Instead, we need to pray and
have faith that God is working all things together for our good (see Romans 8:28). Jesus Christ is the answer to every problem in life. Hebrews 12:2 says
we should fix our eyes on Jesus. It does
not say to look around the world to see if there is a better alternative. It clearly says to look at Jesus, “the
perfecter of faith.” Even when we do not
see a way out and our own vision clouds our view, he will strengthen
our faith and help us see the way out.
Every day, we need to stay focused on Jesus. Only then will we be able to fulfill the calling
that the Lord has placed on our lives.
You may be thinking I don’t have a calling. I’m not a pastor, a Sunday school teacher, a
musician, a singer, a choir director, a deacon... As Christians, we each have a calling on our
lives. This calling may not require us
to have a leadership role within the church.
Our mission may be to write notes of encouragement to those who are grieving,
to help serve meals at the local homeless shelter, to volunteer to clean the
church, or countless other ways we could serve the Lord. God may be calling you to be a prayer
warrior, going to the throne of grace on behalf of people who are sick, battling
addictions, or enduring heartache of some kind.
Ask God to show you what he wants you to do.
When we get to Heaven, individuals who have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ will hear the words, “Well done, good and
faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). What
does a servant do? They work. In the same way, we should devote our lives
to the work of the Lord. The Bible says
we should do everything we do as unto the Lord.
That means everything we do should be done for God, not for man. So whether you are mowing the lawn for your
neighbor, donating clothes to the church clothes closet, or helping collect
items for someone who lost their home due to a fire, always complete the task as
if you were working for our Heavenly Father.
He gave his only Son to die on a cross for our sins. He gave his best. We should strive daily to give our best to
him in return.
The Hoppers, a Southern Gospel singing group, sing a song
titled, “We’ll Work ‘Till Jesus Comes.”
That is exactly what we are called to do. We are called to share the Good News with
everyone we meet, whether we are standing on the platform at church or standing
in the checkout lane at the grocery store.
Looking at the headlines, it is imperative that we tell people about
Jesus and how he died to save them from their sins and give them the gift of eternal
life. The return of Jesus Christ is
closer than ever before, yet there are so many people who do not have this
blessed hope. We need to be “Looking for
that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior
Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). It should be
our primary goal in life to share this blessed hope with everyone we meet.
Perhaps you think this is the pastor’s job. Or maybe you feel an evangelist would be able
to explain the Gospel more eloquently.
But what about the people who will not go to church or attend a
revival? How can someone hear about the
Lord unless someone tells them? Will you
be the one to answer the call that God has placed on your life? Will you take time to visit someone, to write
to someone, to talk to someone and tell them about the saving grace of Jesus
Christ? You are the only Bible some
people will ever read. If you do not
tell them about Jesus, they may never be able to look beyond their circumstances. They may never know the joy of looking beyond
the sunset. Don’t let the impending
storm clouds get in your way. Set your
eyes on Jesus Christ. Allow him to use
you according to his perfect will. I can
guarantee that your life will be forever changed when you start looking beyond
the shortcomings of this world and begin focusing on the amazing plan God has
for your life!
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer
When was the last time you stepped outside of your comfort zone? Was it something simple, like trying a new hairstyle or going to the mall without wearing any makeup? Or was it something more profound, such as taking a trip into the mission field or witnessing to a homeless person on the street? Sometimes, the things that make us the most uneasy can be the most memorable. God often uses these uncomfortable experiences to serve as defining moments in our lives. Sometimes, all it takes is a step outside of your comfort zone to find that you have an even great purpose on this earth than you could have ever imagined. So don’t stand there stagnant, get on the move and jump out of your comfort zone!
When I think of being outside of one’s comfort zone, I am immediately reminded of Jonah. God called Jonah to preach to the Ninevites. But one of the last things Jonah wanted to do was to go to Ninevah and speak to them. Instead of stepping outside of his comfort zone, he attempted to hide from God. Jonah ran away, thinking that he could avoid this uncomfortable situation entirely. He didn’t want anything to do with these people and he was not going to obey the Lord’s command. Jonah wanted to do what Jonah wanted to do. So, he did what people commonly do in uneasy circumstances. He fled the scene.
But God had placed a calling on his life. It wasn’t a feeling or an emotion either. God literally spoke to Jonah. Jonah 1:2-3 (NIV) says, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’” The Bible says that “the word of the Lord came to Jonah.” It doesn’t say that someone prophesied and said that this is what he ought to do. It doesn’t say that he had a dream or saw a great flash of light. It says that the Lord Himself called Jonah to this ministry. Jonah was called to be a preacher, a missionary to the city of Ninevah.
Jonah has this amazing calling on his life. Yet the next words in the book of Jonah read, “But Jonah ran away from the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). Isn’t that just the way we often react to unsettling situations? God may call us to do something, but we are often afraid to walk through the door that He has opened. Instead of walking through this door, Jonah attempts to run away. Still, God knew where Jonah was headed before he even took his first step toward the ship in Joppa. And God knew that He was going to have to take some drastic measures in order to get Jonah out of his comfort zone.
Shortly after he had been on the ship, the Lord sends a violent storm upon them. Jonah tells the sailors that he is running from the Lord. He also knows that this is no ordinary storm and that it is meant to get his attention. He tells the men to throw him into the sea, so that the seas will become calm and spare their lives. He says, “‘I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you’” (Jonah 1:12 NIV). You see, Jonah knew that God had called him to do something important and instead of embracing this challenge, he tries to avoid God. When you try to get away from God, though, He is still standing right beside you, every step of the way. Jonah began to realize the error of his ways right here, which is why he told them to cast his body into the sea. Of course, Jonah likely thought that this would result in his death, meaning that he could still find a way out of this call on His life.
Nevertheless, God had other plans. God sends a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of a whale. Jonah didn’t want to go preach to other human beings, so God puts him inside of a sea creature instead. Talk about being outside of your comfort zone! God knew that Jonah needed a wakeup call. He knew that it would take drastic measures to get through to this individual who was supposed to be traveling to Ninevah, instead of sailing on a ship toward Tarshish. During the time inside the whale, Jonah realized his mistake. He called out to the Lord. He said, “‘What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, Salvation comes from the Lord’” (Jonah 2:9 NIV).
After spending three days and three nights far outside of his comfort zone, Jonah tells the Lord that he will make things right. The Lord commands the fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land and then He calls Jonah to Ninevah a second time. This time, Jonah obeyed the Lord, despite his apprehension. I’m sure he realized that God could place him in more anxiety-ridden places than he had ever dreamed, so he knew the best course of action was to do what he should have done in the beginning: obey the Lord’s command.
What about you? Has God called you to step outside your comfort zone? If He has, have you responded with a resounding “yes,” or have you tried to hide from God? Often times, we may try to run from God because we feel inadequate. While our first inclination may be to insert a “But” after God asks us to do something, we need to trust Him to work out all of the details. We all have doubts and fears. But we cannot let these shortcomings prevent us from living in the perfect will of God. God doesn’t tell us that we have to be everything and have everything. He just calls us to be willing vessels. Whatever we need, He will provide. Even if it means providing a fish to swallow us first in order to convince us that we need to step outside of our comfort zone!
God can use us to change lives, if we are only willing to follow the path that He has set before us. Jonah’s ministry saved the city of Ninevah from complete and utter destruction. If Jonah had said no a second time, thousands of people would possibly have perished without knowing the saving grace of Jesus Christ. When God calls you to tell someone about Jesus, don’t run away. Follow His leading and answer the call. You may be the willing vessel He needs to share the love of Jesus with someone who is broken, hurting, or lost. Don’t wait for the whale to swallow you whole. Step outside your comfort zone today and stand amazed as God uses you in ways beyond your imagination!
In Christ’s Love,
Jennifer