In “You are the Air I Breathe,” I wrote about how the air we breathe is equivalent to worship and how essential it is for our spiritual wellbeing. Right after oxygen, water is the most important substance for our personal health and for life in general. It is the substance that supports practically all of our bodily functions. Since water is so essential to our health, it is advised that we drink so much water per day. We should have water at our disposal at all times, not only for drinking, but also for hand washing and cleaning up our surroundings for protection. continue reading
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Purpose
After the final push, my son was delivered. I remember the emotion that came over me as my son took his first breath and cried out with a loud voice. I just wanted to hold him… After the nurse cleaned him off a bit, she laid him on my chest and he began to root. Rooting means he instinctively searched for his source of comfort and milk. He found it, he ate, was comforted, and then satisfied. This milk would supply his first helping of nutrients as a new member of life outside of the womb.
He took a breath, cried, searched for his connection, then he ate, and was satisfied…
We’re going to take a closer look at this amazing birthing experience as a repetitive cycle that we go through as we’re birthed into the royal family of Jesus Christ and elevated (multiple times) from one level of glory to another! I mean how generous can God be to show us a proven way to navigate through promotion to achieve sustained growth and maturity.
Ask yourself if you can confess with sincerity of heart, “Jesus, You’re the air I breathe?” Or do you have certain supplements that you run toward to fill voids that you haven’t allowed Jesus to fill?
Can you get beyond the point of praising God for the amazing things He’s done for you and into an experience of intimate worship? …Where it’s all about surrendering yourself to Him as a living sacrifice?
Are your worship encounters restricted to Sundays when you’re at church, or do you engage in intimate connection with God consistently throughout the week when no one’s around?
Your response to these questions should give you an idea of how well you’re progressing to your destiny in God.
Your Heart: What is it Pumping? Is it life or death? Is it filled with the substance that you need from Heaven to reach your full potential? I’ve been studying the matters of the heart so much lately. I can’t get away from it! I want to share my reflections because when we know better, we should do better!
Our lives are a journey to a specific destination and our hearts fuel the way. Since the heart is a vital part of our destiny it deserves a lifetime’s worth of attention! The passage through life on earth to eternity can be tricky because of the fallen nature of our hearts.
Paul describes this dilemma in Romans 7:19-24 (NIV):
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am!
Let’s talk about how the impact of certain realities in your life have a way of shutting you down. How a truth about a situation or a person is exposed and surprises you just as bad as an unexpected punch in your face. Whether you’ve kept your guards up and held suspicions about things or whether you lived naively, the truth has a way of grabbing your heart and twisting it out of your chest.
There are many definitions of the word “destiny”. What a person believes about life, death, and eternity determines their beliefs about destiny. If a person doesn’t believe in an afterlife, then they may think that destiny starts and ends on earth. I think that this leads to “living life to the fullest” with no regard of consequences in eternity. Some believe in reincarnation, or that hell doesn’t exist; some believe that this life is the only hell that’ll exist. I believe that the Bible tells us everything we need to know about reaching destiny. Unfortunately, there are many believers in Jesus that have the wrong concept of what destiny is. Our destiny is intimately connected to fulfilling our God given purpose (see It’s Time to Grow up and find your purpose! for more on Purpose). It’s highly important to have the correct understanding about destiny and how to achieve it, because we don’t want to go through life aiming for something that isn’t apart of God’s plan. Anything outside of his plan will not stand the test of time and will lead to a life of wasted time, energy, and effort… So let’s discuss five myths about destiny: continue reading
Children wake up every day and depend on adults to coach them through meal times, school time, play time, grooming time, etc. They don’t have a sense of purpose; they just do what they do and they enjoy life. As we grow out of childhood, we should start questioning the meaning of life and seeking out how we can make a difference in this world, so if you don’t know yet, it’s time to find your purpose in this life!
You’re no longer a child. You don’t have to wait for someone to hold your hand to take you across the Life of Simply Existing Street to the Life of Living on Purpose Street. Many of you are paralyzed by fear and unconsciously waiting for someone to grant you permission, give you acceptance and validation to make the changes that will help you reach your destiny. When God says “GO!” you have to “GO!” Grow up and face the terms that if you don’t do something now, then you’ll waste precious time to start building toward your expected end in God.
Ok so… Are you ready to start?!
Well let’s go. Ask yourself, “What on earth am I here for?” Why did God decide to create _____? (Your name on the line). You’ve been given the gift of life; an existence in this beautiful creation. You’ve been given the gift of uniqueness.
If you’re not sure how to respond to these questions, then keep reading. Hopefully I can give you some pointers that will help you find your purpose.
#1: Find Your Zone!
Why is your zone so important? It’s the ideal place of self-discovery and actually is the only true place of discovery. It’s the place where you discover the truth about the world around you, yourself, and your Creator; it’s where you come face to face with TRUTH himself. Your zone of discovery is actually the throne room of Jesus Christ, where you lay at his feet and listen to all the amazing things that he has to say about you and your purpose in his grand plan.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! Psalms 139:17-18 (NLT)
As you strive to seek God through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, reading, meditating, and studying scripture you enter his presence and receive insight into how God wants to use you to fulfill his plans.
But from there you will search again for the LORD your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT)
Not only is God moved by your desperation to reach him, but he’s also looking for a sincere heart. Strive to have a pure heart. Pray that God will remove all of your heart’s impurities so that you can grow a strong connection with him and learn about all of his ways, so that you can glorify him in all of your ways. Anything impure in your heart can keep you stuck outside of the door, so consistently pray for God to transform your heart to be more like his.
The Lord is near to the heartbroken. And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin). Psalm 34:18 (AMP)
Getting in the right position with God should come first before delving head in to find your purpose because God wants to use those who’ve already committed to becoming a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. (Read more on centering yourself at home to improve your spirituality: Happiness Starts at Home).
#2: Write Everything Down!
As you pour out to God and he notices you seeking him with your whole heart, mind, and soul, he comes to sit with you and speak to you. Sometimes it’s just a quick word and other times, it’s so much that you feel like you can’t contain it all. We all know how easy it is to forget things, so I’d recommend writing as much as possible. Write everything that you hear God speak to you concerning your purpose in a prayer journal. When you’re stuck in a tough time, you can go back to your notes to stir yourself up spiritually.
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (KJV)Habakkuk 2:2
#3: Mix God’s Word With Faith and Start Moving!
Don’t waste any time doing what God has spoken to you concerning your purpose. If it involves gifts or talents that need to be developed, start doing just that. If it involves obtaining a leadership position, start building genuine relationships to open up the opportunity. Be prayerful because you don’t want to overstep God’s timing and his work.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 2 Peter 1:10 (NLT)
Sometimes you’ll need more clarity on bits of the vision God gives you. That may be because it’s not yet time to execute on that work because God is still developing you to be capable of fulfilling that purpose with excellence. Don’t get discouraged by that, just keep praying and asking God for clarity and understanding. Keep working on perfecting what you already know to do.
#4: Don’t Stop Praying and Worshiping God!
Sometimes we can be so excited about what God has spoken to us that we focus on the visions and dreams he’s given us and subtract substance away from our devoted attention to seeking his face just for who he is. A vision can become an idol and a vain ambition if we don’t become wholly dependent on God to bring it to manifestation. Don’t fall into the temptation of seeking the glory of God rather than seeking the Creator himself.
I’m looking forward to hearing your experiences as you walk this out. Feel free to drop a comment and share where you are in this process. I can guarantee, it’ll help someone along the way.