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Know Why You're Here, part four

John 17:22-23
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

One of the reasons God put you on this planet is so the world could see His presence in your life. When you submit to God’s plan, your life is filled with purpose and the power to achieve that purpose. When you submit to God’s plan, you begin to learn how powerful agreement with God is. When you submit to God’s plan, the world can see proof of God’s love as He shines through you.

I think it’s funny that some people think they have to work as a missionary in a far away land if they accept Jesus. That’s not true. Think of the thief on the cross who humbled himself before God and announced that he wanted a relationship with him. Jesus didn’t give out a list of ministry jobs he’d have to do to be accepted into Heaven.

Jesus simply accepted him.

The feeling of elation that comes with acceptance into God’s family causes worship to come from your spirit. The joy you feel is what others see – and they want it.

When you’ve been living in an intimate relationship with God, worshiping Him and getting to know Him better every day, people see that love and are attracted to it. The best evangelism is a life lived in love and truth.

Know Why You're Here, part three

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

In part one of this series, I mentioned that God created each of us with unique abilities that are required for us to accomplish our purpose during our stay on Earth. I suggested that we all find out our purpose so we can know our goals, itinerary, and focus.

In part two, I mentioned that we can’t really accomplish all we were created to do unless we submit to God’s plan and rely on His power.

I want to add that God’s planning was pretty thorough. He not only designed us with special gifts and made His power available to us, but He also picked out our specific “good works” in advance.

Some people accept Jesus as their Savior and sit back, thinking they’ve finished their responsibilities. Those are the people who miss out on part of what they were made to do.

Churches enlist volunteers to work on different kinds of projects which range from neighborhood evangelism to youth ministry, to delivering meals to those in mourning. But what if your gifts don’t fit any of your church’s ministry offerings?

The only way you’ll fulfill your calling is to find out from God where and how He planned for you to participate in ministry. You can fill an open slot on the volunteer list at your church, but you won’t feel satisfied in your ministry if you’re not accomplishing what God has pre-planned for you to do.

Simply stated, your ministry success depends on your obedience to God.

But you knew that, right?

Many people know that, but they still sign up for whatever seems easy at the moment, not taking into account how their participation will affect others who were designed to do that job. Are you impairing someone else’s ministry success by not being where God wanted you?

Find those “good works” God has already picked out for you. Listen for His guidance, and you’ll be in the perfect place to succeed.

Know How To Maintain What You Started

John 14:12
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

If you’ve submitted your life to God and accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for your sins, you should know that you are only beginning your new life.

A seed is planted and the growing begins, but rain and sunshine are necessary to maintain the growth of that seed. The plant is living and active, but take it out of the soil, moisture and light and it will die.

Just like that seed, your life in Christ needs specific things to maintain growth. How do we maintain our new life?

You need to stay planted in the good soil of God’s word, which is the Bible. You need the living water of God’s presence through prayer. And you need to follow Jesus daily just as flowers turn to face the sun.

In John 14:15, Jesus says if we love him, we'll obey him. Three verses earlier, we find out that Jesus judges our faith by what we're doing. Obedience is one of the ways we stay connected to God and maintain our growth. Without obedience to God, our growth is stunted.

If you feel like a weak Christian, you must realize that our obedience keeps us strong. Find out what God wants you to do and do it.

Remember to keep feeding yourself on the rich soil of the word of God. It has all the right nutrients for our spiritual growth. The refreshing, life-giving hydration our spirit receives from His presence as we pray will keep us from becoming a dried-up, half-alive Christian. But the obedience we give God with our words and actions keeps us standing tall and straight and beautiful in His sight.