Do stuff with and for your neighbors
Your Threefold Life-Purpose
We run all over the place, enjoying our lives, attempting to keep up with our obligations and trying to hold everything together. There are so many opportunities - so many good shows to watch - so many people to keep up with - so many places to go and things to do. This can become quite wearisome to our souls, and can leave us feeling out of balance. It's hard to raise your head and take stock of how you are doing when you are working and running hard.
Wouldn't it be nice if we had a (very) few principles that we could use to direct and evaluate our lives that could help us feel centered in the Lord and purposeful in life? It seems that Jesus gave us exactly that - a straightforward, clear purpose. To be very simple, He said to love God, love others and make disciples along the way. (Mark 12:30; Matthew 28:18-20)
We can very easily get off track, and lose our sense of life, resource and purpose when we forget God. I am not talking about a religious or conceptual sense of God; I mean a loving relationship with Him. When we give ourselves to knowing and loving God, when we want most to understand Him and follow Him - our lives are full and full of purpose. When we lose touch with this fundamental reality of God's created order, we begin to lose our bearings - and feel like we are drifting. It's as simple as that.
Loving God centers our souls; and it inevitably leads us into action. God is full of active love, and when we connect meaningfully with Him we move in active love, too. I just counted 34 verses from Romans to 2 John that use the phrase "one another;" all but one refer to active, tangible expressions of love. When we take time to be with God, and in that place consider others, we will always be filled with compassion and inspiration towards loving action.
This lifestyle of being and acting in love with God and people is God's design. It is not, however, commonplace. This kind of life can only be accesses through Jesus. (John 14:6; 15:5) And, an important aspect of our life-purpose is to help others understand how this abundant life (the Kingdom of God) works. The last thing that Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven was to make
disciples of everyone we possibly can. We are to help others give themselves as student-followers of Jesus. We must remember, however, that we can only give away what we have. To the measure that we are loving God and loving people and following Jesus, we can encourage others to do the same.
Your life can be simple and clear at its core. This powerful, transforming simplicity will be attractive to others, and you will be able to share your life (and His life) with them.
Living On Purpose with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
Wouldn't it be nice if we had a (very) few principles that we could use to direct and evaluate our lives that could help us feel centered in the Lord and purposeful in life? It seems that Jesus gave us exactly that - a straightforward, clear purpose. To be very simple, He said to love God, love others and make disciples along the way. (Mark 12:30; Matthew 28:18-20)
We can very easily get off track, and lose our sense of life, resource and purpose when we forget God. I am not talking about a religious or conceptual sense of God; I mean a loving relationship with Him. When we give ourselves to knowing and loving God, when we want most to understand Him and follow Him - our lives are full and full of purpose. When we lose touch with this fundamental reality of God's created order, we begin to lose our bearings - and feel like we are drifting. It's as simple as that.
Loving God centers our souls; and it inevitably leads us into action. God is full of active love, and when we connect meaningfully with Him we move in active love, too. I just counted 34 verses from Romans to 2 John that use the phrase "one another;" all but one refer to active, tangible expressions of love. When we take time to be with God, and in that place consider others, we will always be filled with compassion and inspiration towards loving action.
This lifestyle of being and acting in love with God and people is God's design. It is not, however, commonplace. This kind of life can only be accesses through Jesus. (John 14:6; 15:5) And, an important aspect of our life-purpose is to help others understand how this abundant life (the Kingdom of God) works. The last thing that Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven was to make
disciples of everyone we possibly can. We are to help others give themselves as student-followers of Jesus. We must remember, however, that we can only give away what we have. To the measure that we are loving God and loving people and following Jesus, we can encourage others to do the same.
Your life can be simple and clear at its core. This powerful, transforming simplicity will be attractive to others, and you will be able to share your life (and His life) with them.
Living On Purpose with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
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