2014-0201 – live with purpose

Who am I?  What made me this way?  When did my life start getting better?  Where should I go?  Why am I here?  How am I supposed to live? 

Proverbs 1:10 (KJV) – My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Who:  I am a sinner.  I’ve done a lot of wicked things in my life.  I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of.  I used to try to blame others for the bad things I’d done.  I was so lonely I would do whatever people asked of me.  They coerced me, they corrupted me, they contaminated me; they were evil, wicked, mean, and nasty; they were shameless, they were brazen, and they were cruel.  All that may be true, but that’s not the end of the story.

What:  I consented…  I consented, then I became like them, and then I became worse than them.  You may be thinking to yourself that I have no right to offer you my advice if that’s the way I behaved; and you are right.  I don’t have any right to advise you; but, I have the responsibility of confessing my sins, changing my attitudes and my actions, and to share with you the reason I’ve changed.  You don’t need all the gory details of my sin and my debauchery, and you don’t need to know all the sinful activities I pursued, or all the people I hurt, to know that I was truly a sinner…

When:  God spared my life on more than one occasion, and He sent His son to die on an ugly rugged cross to set me free from the bondage of sin, and He adopted me into His family and I am a Child of the King.  God chose to spare my life many times, and I took His generosity for granted – or I mistakenly thought it was luck – but I’ve finally come to understand that he spared my life for a purpose. 

Where:  God expects me to go to church because that is the place I can fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Christians are not meant to live solitary lives – we are meant to encourage one another.  We cannot build each other up if we don’t see each other.

Hebrews_10:25 (KJV) – Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Why:  God expects me to go out into the world and to tell others about Him!  He has given me a purpose in life!  No, I am not an evangelist, but I am a witness for the love, grace, and mercy of God.  He has been so good to me!  All I need to do is to tell others how good He has been to me, and let them see His love and sacrifice through me.  If you received the best gift of your entire life, wouldn’t you want to tell others about it?  Wouldn’t you want to tell people about the person who gave you the gift?

How:  God wants me to live with Him.  God desires for me to spend time in fellowship with Him.  Don’t you want to spend time with your friends?  Well God is the best friend any of us could ever ask for.

He wants me to start my day with Him in Bible reading, journaling, and prayer

Psalm 63:1 (KJV) – O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

He wants me to chat to Him during the day

Colossians 4:2 (KJV) – Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

He wants me to think about Him, tell others about him, and to care for Him

Psalm 77:12 (KJV) – I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

My prayer for today...  Dear Lord, Thank you for sparing my life and for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins to secure my salvation.  Thank you for forgiving me my past, for helping me forgive myself and others, and for giving me a purpose in life.  Help me Lord to live honorably, with integrity, and to love and serve others so they can see your love through my life.