<\/p>\n
Pursuing Your God Ordained Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Jeremiah 1:5)<\/p>\n <\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (John 18:37)<\/p>\n Sometimes I feel kind of adrift \u00e2\u20ac\u201c like I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what comes next. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a common feeling, but still, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a pretty big confession coming from a guy who writes a weekly letter that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s supposed to be all about purpose<\/em>. If I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m the purpose guy and I feel adrift at times, I can imagine that other folks must feel unmoored every now and then too.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just a feeling. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not adrift. Not in any sort of cosmic way. The universe has its act together a lot more than you may think. It operates according to God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan and purpose. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more than I can say for my own life at times. Any time I feel adrift, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll bet it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve cut a few ropes.<\/p>\n Remember last week I talked about being a steward of our little piece of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s big plan? As much as the priests of academia want us to believe that the universe is an accident – it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not. It was created on purpose and with purpose. Every galaxy, every planet, every living thing, every atom \u00e2\u20ac\u201c all on purpose and all with purpose. The universe shouts purpose; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s impossible not to hear it. Unless of course \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve set yourself not to listen.<\/p>\n That means we were created on purpose and with a purpose too. And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not just talking about \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmankind\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em> in general. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m talking about you and me, individually. You have a specific reason for being here. Me too. Each of us is an integral part of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan and purpose in the universe.<\/p>\n Statements like that usually go over the heads or their audience. Who can blame the audience? My life, little ol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 me \u00e2\u20ac\u201c an integral part of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan for the universe? How am I supposed to comprehend something like that? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not even sure my vote for President counted, and now you want me to believe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m part of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s master-plan for the universe?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n Yup.<\/p>\n That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what the book says. Over and over again. <\/span>Exodus 9:16; 1 Chronicles 23:5; Job 36:5; Psalm 57:2; Psalm 138:8; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 10:7; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 55:11; Jeremiah 15:11; Luke 7:30; Acts 2:23; Acts 13:36; Romans 8:28; Romans 9:11; Romans 9:17; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 2:15; Ephesians 3:11; Philippians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 1 Timothy 2:7; Revelation 17:17; Hebrews 6:17; 2 Timothy 1:9. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a complete list, but go ahead and look them up \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get the idea.<\/p>\n So, in light of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThriving in Tough Times\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em> how does me being a part of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan for the universe relate? Ummm \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re part of God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan for the universe.<\/p>\n Let that sink in for a second. What<\/em> exactly are you worried about? Things going wrong? Understanding that God had you in mind before He spoke the first atom into existence kind of puts problems like paying the rent and buying groceries into perspective.<\/p>\n Sure, you still have to pay rent and buy groceries, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what your life is about. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why Jesus cleared up the details about rent and groceries early on:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/em>(Luke 12:22-32)<\/p>\n God knows you need to pay the rent and buy groceries, but the purpose He planned for you is bigger than rent and groceries. When you focus on fulfilling His purpose for you (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153seek his kingdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em>) first – rent and groceries come as part of the package.<\/p>\n But what about the rent and groceries? What if the landlord is at the door and the butter on your bread is getting a little thin? How do you deal with meeting your daily needs while you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re fulfilling God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s purpose for your life? What if you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what God had in mind when He thought you up? How do you find out what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s next?<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Mathew 7:7-8)<\/p>\n Thriving in tough times isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hard if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re well connected. And believe me, you are.<\/p>\n Worried about the rent and groceries? Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what pagans do. Ask<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what heirs to God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s kingdom do. Can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t figure out your purpose in life? General Motors and Bank of America can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help you there. Seek<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been waiting since the Big Bang for you to get started on what He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got planned for you. The door to your future seem too big to budge? Knock<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll open right up.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one hint I can give you from experience. Your life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s purpose is doled out in days. You may not think you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re embarked on some great cosmic purpose \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the thing God chose you to do. But you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be surprised; each day is preparation for the next. Whatever today holds for you, whatever the circumstance, there are three things you can do now to find and fulfill your purpose \u00e2\u20ac\u201c ask, seek, and knock.<\/p>\n <\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcFor I know the plans I have for you,\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 declares the Lord, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcplans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Jeremiah 29:11)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pursuing Your God Ordained Purpose \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Jeremiah 1:5) \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (John 18:37) Sometimes I feel kind of adrift \u00e2\u20ac\u201c like I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8,15,458],"tags":[471,451,467,470,468,469,878],"class_list":["post-163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gods-purpose","category-peace","category-success","category-thriving-in-tough-times","tag-bank-of-america","tag-general-motors","tag-god-ordained-purpose","tag-gods-plan-for-the-universe","tag-jeremiah-1","tag-john-18","tag-thriving-in-tough-times"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}