God created each and every one of us for a distinct purpose. Many of us have several purposes. He plants these in our souls and lives, but it seems that few people find their true, specific purpose. Why? Distractions. The 'volume' of the world around them. Fear. Cynicism. The "I'm a realist" viewpoint. Pride. Over confidence in their own abilities.
How sad. Our creator infused us with specific passion, launches us with a distinct purpose, and opened the possibility of communicating with Him through His own personal sacrifice ... AND WE MISS IT!
So how do you find it? It's not as hard as you think to find it, but it takes faith, guts, and relentless persistence to follow through. You have to fight back naysayers, the cultural norm, pressure from family and friends, and sometimes what seem like impossible circumstances. But here's a dose of reality. God's work begins where our ability ends.
I'll say it again: GOD'S WORK BEGINS WHERE OUR ABILITY ENDS.
So if you are not willing to believe enough to have the faith to step past your barriers of logic ... if your faith isn't strong enough to take a risk and to step out where God has called you ... then you will never see an ounce of your purpose. If you don't truly believe in the power of the Creator of the universe, then you will complain, moan, grow bitter, fall into depression, get hooked on meds or drugs ... but you will not live a fulfilling life. You will wallow in your mediocre existence ... accomplishing next to nothing for the Kingdom of God. And you call yourself a Christian?
So where do we begin? Self Dissection. What makes you tick? You've probably heard people say that your area of genius in life is something that you would be willing to do for free. God has planted passion in you. Seek it out.
Here's the deal: Take a notebook and write on it "Study of Andy Shivers" (of course use your own name). Start with areas of life and then fill in the blanks. What subjects are you passionate about? What things on earth would you change if you could? What do you love to teach or share with others? What motivates you? I could list these forever, so I'm just going to open up my life and show you mine:
Spiritual
Daily Time with God
Spiritual Authority - The True Church
Grace (Power)
Worship and Praise
Serving
Health and Wellness Ministry
Ichthys
The Science of Creation
FAMILY
Role of the Husband-Father
Solutions for the Homeless
Racial & Cultural Reconciliation
The Science & Benefits of:
Hiking
Martial Arts
Nutrition
Exercise
Genetic Testing
Specific Diet
Fasting
Finance & Business
FairTax
Financial Responsibility
"Buzzworthy" Business
Networking w/ Give First approach
Pleasantly Persistent Sales
The list grows. This was step #1. Next? PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. SET GOALS. WRITE THEM DOWN. GET TO WORK.
In other words, what you do DAILY is who you are. Once you have dedicated daily/weekly/monthly time to your specific goals ... LET NOTHING STOP YOU!
WARNING: Once you step out on faith, spend daily power time with God and begin actively pursuing His purpose in your life, the enemy will attack ... full force. It's what Satan is scared of the most.
NOW DO IT!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Be Strong & Courageous
Moses the servant of the Lord had died. God wasted no time and commissioned Joshua to fill some huge shoes. Not only that, God told Joshua to cross the Jordan (the people of Canaan had counted on the Jordan to act as a barrier against Israeli invasion).
Then God tells Joshua what he will do (or better what he had already done) - "Every place on which the soul of your foot treads, I have given it to you."
"No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life ... I will not fail you or forsake you. (vs 6) Be strong and courageous. (vs 7) Only be strong and very courageous. (vs 9) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!"
God gave his promise. He made it clear. He told Joshua what he had to do:
#1 be strong and courageous
#2 walk the narrow Way – keep the law
#3 meditate on God's word day and night
In order to receive God's promises, Joshua had to stand up and take it. No doubt. No hesitation. No turning from it right or left. He was to armor himself with God's word and go and take what God had given His people. He was limited only by the places he didn't place his foot upon.
How much our Father wants to give us – how much he's already given us and we don't receive. Doubt, feelings of unworthiness, worldly distractions, fear, hesitation, Sin ... We allow them to rob us of our promises. Why?
Brothers and Sisters, be strong and courageous! For the Lord your God is with you where ever you go.
Then God tells Joshua what he will do (or better what he had already done) - "Every place on which the soul of your foot treads, I have given it to you."
"No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life ... I will not fail you or forsake you. (vs 6) Be strong and courageous. (vs 7) Only be strong and very courageous. (vs 9) Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!"
God gave his promise. He made it clear. He told Joshua what he had to do:
#1 be strong and courageous
#2 walk the narrow Way – keep the law
#3 meditate on God's word day and night
In order to receive God's promises, Joshua had to stand up and take it. No doubt. No hesitation. No turning from it right or left. He was to armor himself with God's word and go and take what God had given His people. He was limited only by the places he didn't place his foot upon.
How much our Father wants to give us – how much he's already given us and we don't receive. Doubt, feelings of unworthiness, worldly distractions, fear, hesitation, Sin ... We allow them to rob us of our promises. Why?
Brothers and Sisters, be strong and courageous! For the Lord your God is with you where ever you go.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
"My Word. My Life. My Purpose"
I've done a poor job lately of going to God. My goal is to spend power time in God's Word, in prayer, and in praise every single day. I haven't been doing it and I can feel my spirit weakening. I can feel my flesh and lusts growing.
Today I came to God in prayer. I started slow and scattered. In frustration and angst I cried out and asked God what to do. Without a moment of hesitation I heard His response: "Read My Word."
I opened my Bible to where it was ribbon-marked: Proverbs 18. Then I went to read where I had left off in the New Testament: John 5.
After reading I started praying and asking God to renew my mind and spirit. As I was praying I felt Him say, "Shut up and listen!" I did.
The first thing He spoke to me was "My Word." That's it. My mind started wandering and chasing. Again He said, "Shut up!" Then He finished:
"My Word. My Life. My Purpose."
I've had so many plans lately and a few failures. I've prayed fervently over some of them and they failed anyways. I've begun lately to question God and lose an amount of faith because He told me to speak to the mountain and I did ... but it didn't move. Today He stopped me in my tracks:
"My Word"
It begins here: God's Word. Power, knowledge, truth, conviction, comfort, wisdom.
"My Life"
I'm on borrowed time. I died to myself and now it is not my life but His. I am not my own.
"My Purpose"
I can have all the plans I want but it is the purpose of God that will stand (Proverbs 19:21). The plans I have that are outside His will ... thank God He makes them fail. Otherwise, I'd waste my life chasing rabbits.
Today I came to God in prayer. I started slow and scattered. In frustration and angst I cried out and asked God what to do. Without a moment of hesitation I heard His response: "Read My Word."
I opened my Bible to where it was ribbon-marked: Proverbs 18. Then I went to read where I had left off in the New Testament: John 5.
After reading I started praying and asking God to renew my mind and spirit. As I was praying I felt Him say, "Shut up and listen!" I did.
The first thing He spoke to me was "My Word." That's it. My mind started wandering and chasing. Again He said, "Shut up!" Then He finished:
"My Word. My Life. My Purpose."
I've had so many plans lately and a few failures. I've prayed fervently over some of them and they failed anyways. I've begun lately to question God and lose an amount of faith because He told me to speak to the mountain and I did ... but it didn't move. Today He stopped me in my tracks:
"My Word"
It begins here: God's Word. Power, knowledge, truth, conviction, comfort, wisdom.
"My Life"
I'm on borrowed time. I died to myself and now it is not my life but His. I am not my own.
"My Purpose"
I can have all the plans I want but it is the purpose of God that will stand (Proverbs 19:21). The plans I have that are outside His will ... thank God He makes them fail. Otherwise, I'd waste my life chasing rabbits.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Meek Man
"The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God's estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father. He is willing to wait for that day."
~ A.W. Tozer
~ A.W. Tozer
Friday, June 17, 2011
Time for Dr. Pepper!
Sweet Tea is awesome! I love it! But if I have a desire to drink Dr. Pepper, I don't keep the sweet tea in my cup. I dump it out and start fresh. Right?
God is the ultimate provider. His timing is perfect. Often He brings great things into our lives ... things we love and appreciate. Problem: When God moves to replace those things with better things, we often fight against Him because it hurts to lose things we love.
Sometimes He's telling us to dump out our sweet tea so that He can give us some Dr. Pepper.
God is the ultimate provider. His timing is perfect. Often He brings great things into our lives ... things we love and appreciate. Problem: When God moves to replace those things with better things, we often fight against Him because it hurts to lose things we love.
Sometimes He's telling us to dump out our sweet tea so that He can give us some Dr. Pepper.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Grow Confidence At Home!
In 1962, Victor and Mildred Goertzel published Cradles of Eminence: a study of 413 "famous and exceptionally gifted people." They spent years attempting to understand what produced such greatness. What common thread, if any, might run through the lives of people like Einstein, Gandhi, Roosevelt, Edison, etc?
The most outstanding fact was that 392 had to overcome tremendous obstacles in order to become who they were. What helped them compensate for their handicaps? From an early age, each one had someone in their life of significance who helped them recognize hidden strengths and talents and encouraged their development.
A timeless tragedy is that so many children never have the chance to reach their full potential because their innate strengths are never nurtured. Their potential remains buried.
Our job as parents is to enrich our children's lives by helping them recognize and develop what makes them unique. Instead, many parents spend more time focusing on shortcomings. We need to nurture our children's strengths to increase their self-esteem, limit their stress, cushion their tough times, and to help them overcome their limitations.
There are 3 basic steps to follow:
1. Identify their unique strengths
2. Point out these strengths so your child can see them
3. Provide opportunities to develop strengths
It sounds simple, but it demands that you spend some serious time studying your child. Some of you may say here, "I know my child!" Yes, I'm sure you do. But is your child worth taking a deeper look and possibly uncovering something that could enrich the rest of their life? Of course!
This is one of the most important topics parents can dive into when it comes to their children. In a cynical world that is often more critical than supportive, they desperately need you to step up and actively build their confidence and cultivate their strengths.
More to follow ....
The most outstanding fact was that 392 had to overcome tremendous obstacles in order to become who they were. What helped them compensate for their handicaps? From an early age, each one had someone in their life of significance who helped them recognize hidden strengths and talents and encouraged their development.
A timeless tragedy is that so many children never have the chance to reach their full potential because their innate strengths are never nurtured. Their potential remains buried.
Our job as parents is to enrich our children's lives by helping them recognize and develop what makes them unique. Instead, many parents spend more time focusing on shortcomings. We need to nurture our children's strengths to increase their self-esteem, limit their stress, cushion their tough times, and to help them overcome their limitations.
There are 3 basic steps to follow:
1. Identify their unique strengths
2. Point out these strengths so your child can see them
3. Provide opportunities to develop strengths
It sounds simple, but it demands that you spend some serious time studying your child. Some of you may say here, "I know my child!" Yes, I'm sure you do. But is your child worth taking a deeper look and possibly uncovering something that could enrich the rest of their life? Of course!
This is one of the most important topics parents can dive into when it comes to their children. In a cynical world that is often more critical than supportive, they desperately need you to step up and actively build their confidence and cultivate their strengths.
More to follow ....
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