Devotional Time with God

When will I take the time to write down my answers to life’s five great questions? When will I put my purpose on paper?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 319

I will write down my purpose on “paper” now in this blog.

1. What will be the center of my life?
   I thought about my family, then my career. But they are actually my secondary reasons, because Jesus must be first in my life since he is the alpha and omega – the beginning and the end. I started in this world by God’s creation. At the end, He wants me to fulfill His purpose. God is the one I turn to when I have troubles with my family and career. I report to a higher authority.
2. What will be the character of my life?
   The ultimate Jesus-like characters are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I must strive to be all of those and maintain those characteristics at all time. Not an easy task. I struggle with every single one of those, every day. I will have to get these characters carved out on a plaque and display them prominently in my house to remind myself daily.
3. What will be the contribution of my life?
   I must also be a helping hand to my community and my workplace. Helping others is one of my purpose. God gave my abilities to be used to help others.
4. What will be the communication of my life?
   I have my testimonies. I must share them with everyone and lead them to Jesus. I must remember the experiences when I depend on God for resolution. God is good, and people must know that.
5. What will be the community of my life?
   I must be involved in the church and my small group. It’s my fellowship with them. I must seek discipleship and accountability. I can not be a bench warmer at church to merely just simmer, sit, and sour. I must be a functioning member of the body of Christ.

This is my list of things to do. My first draft of my mission statement:

My life purpose is to use my abilities to serve others, be a functioning body of Christ, share my testimonies, develop Jesus’ character quality, and have God as the center of my life!

This statement will be my purpose statement, as I lead my generation for the glory of God.

Which of the four activities will I begin in order to stay on track and balance God’s five purposes for my life?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 311

I must start with discipleship, teaching myself the word of God and learning how to apply it to my life. Also I must fellowship with other believers, for discussion and accountability. Throughout all this, I must worship God with all my heart, at all times. Then I may show my spiritual growth by ministering to others.

The verse for me to remember is in 2 Corinthians 13:5 (Msg)

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

I must continually keep my spiritual activities in check, ensure that it is healthy and on track. The purposes in my life are clear. All I must do is maintain the commitment, balance my five purposes, and focus on Jesus. He is my strength in a long marathon of life.

What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 304

This is a difficult challenge. My life is called by God to go on a mission trip but my circumstances leave me grounded in my local area. I have a family to support and care for, and a job that requires my attention. Honestly, when do I have the time to go on a global mission trip? This is what I have to struggle with for a while until I’m given the courage and support required to do His Great Commission. I must continue to pray and meditate on these words from Psalm 67:2(Amplified)

That Your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (Your deliverances and Your salvation) among all nations.

Jesus, please give me the courage to get out of my comfort zone, and give me the support that I need to fulfill my call of duty. Amen.

As I reflect on my personal story, who does God want me to share it with?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 296

Currently I am surrounded with people who are well to do. They have what they need and then some. That is the problem: when it’s good times, there is no God time. Upon reflection, seems like my life comes around in a circle. Let me try to break it down.

I was introduced to church at around the age of 14 by my oldest sister.  Previously, I was just a buddhist, taoist, or atheist(?). A teenager that was easily influenced, I went along with the group, just to meet people, and hang out on sundays and fridays. Did I know Jesus back then? Sure, I know who He was, what He had done, and sat in sunday school. But do I really know Him? I suppose not, because all I did at church was goof around, talk to friends (who were not as serious as I was), listen to gossip, didn’t read my bible, etc. I basically was the church “bench warmer”.  My church back then wasn’t focused on discipleship, so I really didn’t need anything from them.  We were a financially secured family.  I felt in control of my own life. I went to do whatever I wanted.

My stubborn heart kept me away from Jesus for quite some time. When I reached the age of 32, I had experience everything from broken heart, financial instability, depression (not knowing my future), and ridicule from others. My self-confidence was low. I was alone and was just trying to get by. Then a miracle happened: God gave me a woman that I could fall in love with again. As we planned for marriage, my oldest sister had to be re-introduced me to Jesus. Because of my past failed relationship, I had to get it right this time. Only God could make it right. So dedicated my life to Jesus and got serious with God.

As I learned to get closer to God, it was just a matter of time that my relationship, both to God and my wife, would be tested. I was laid-off from work and had an uncertain future. My wife and I had doubts about ourselves, but with God’s grace, we managed to keep it together and survived through it. The biggest life lesson I get from this is that God will use hardship to speak clearly of my dependence to God. I must look to Jesus for answers and a way out.

At this point, I’m still learning about God’s passions and what He has planned for me. He has moved me to care for others, give His riches back, support the church, and keep growing in faith. One thing I find that I like to do is sing contemporary Christian music such as Hillsong, Israel Houghton, Lincoln Brewster, Tree 63, Kutless, etc. Maybe God has put a passion to sing? Nah, my voice is awful. But I do love the experience of singing my lungs out to God. It is liberating, it is comforting, and it calms my sometimes agitated heart.

I am now involved in a loving and caring church. When I commit everything that I am made to be, God will surely use Saddleback Church to help me grow and maximize my purpose. It is the reason I am determined to finish this PDL book and really let myself be discipled by God and my small group.

Jesus has died for me and has given me grace so that I may live forever. All I had to do was accept Jesus and learn my purpose in this life, so that I may receive God’s eternal promise. I didn’t deserve His grace, but He gave it to me anyway. This life message is for everyone around me, and more.

And You saw me
When You took a crown of thorns
And Your blood washed over me
And You loved me
Through the nails that You bore
And Your blood washes over me

Amazing like no other
Grace without an end
As Your word had promised
You died and rose again

“You Saw Me”, Hillsong Australia, Saviour King

What fears have kept me from fulfilling the mission God made me to accomplish? What keeps me from telling others the Good News?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 288

The word “mission” was derived from the Latin word missum which means “sent”. God is commanding me to tell everyone about the Good News of Jesus Christ and to be a witness of life-changing power of God. As written in Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV):

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I have to start with myself. I am not confident I know enough of the word of God (knowledge of the bible). I get nervous when I pray out loud to or with others. This doesn’t stop me from sharing about God because I have experienced God’s power in my life. My testimony is a form of witness. My life is not perfect, which is why I’m relying on God to pull me through all the time, and I intend to record those experiences in this journal. I must correct myself, build my confidence, and be a useful tool for God.

God, who have you put in my life for me to tell about Jesus? Let me be a witness to everyone around me. Please give me the wisdom and humility to do Your will. Amen.

Am I limiting God’s power in my life by trying to hide my weaknesses? What do I need to be honest about in order to help others?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 278

When I hide my weakness, it’s a sign of pride. I have a lot of pride. That is my worse weakness. I pride myself in my work, my ingenuity, and my so-called results. Many times, I forget my accomplishments are from God and He’s given me the ability to do well.  At times, I had seen God put someone or something in my life that grounds me – brought me back to the realization I couldn’t do everything by myself. I must rely on God on everything, even the things that I’m capable of.

I have to be honest that I have flaws. I get emotional too fast. I have failed relationships that only a few know of. Sometimes I forget to seek God’s help. Sometimes I let the world’s circumstances make my life’s decisions. I can’t continue to let those happen to me. I must know God wants to use my weakness to serve others and keep me humble. My weakness is worth God’s grace.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Am I usually more concerned about being served or finding ways to serve others?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 271

Amazingly, at this point in my life, I’m more concerned about finding ways to serve others. Being a husband and a father, I truly want to serve my wife and daughter, because I love them so much. I love other Christians too and I want to serve them as much as I can. As I previously blogged, I struggle with making myself available for serving. I’m glad to say that at least my thinking is in the right place. I’m just having a tough time deploying my attitude of servitude. I must continue to focus on Jesus so I won’t lose this attitude, as written in Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

In a current event, my servant heart is being tested. At work I was basically told I was not doing my job properly. I was accused of being sloppy. I sought advice from my colleagues and they confirmed my thinking that my manager was a little harsh on me. My manager’s evidences were arguably sketchy. My manager could be reacting from assumptions and doubt. My natural instincts were to defend myself, by explaining what happened and pointing to the lack of evidence. But after reading this chapter, I realize that I must be a steward, not an owner. I must serve, not pretend I own the project and do whatever I please. I must put the priority of others before mine. I must put other’s expectations before mine. Looking at it from a servant attitude, with humility and truth, I can see clearly what needs to be said and done. In this case, I must remember to put other’s needs ahead of me and set parameters to be successful.

Which of the six characteristics of real servants offers the greatest challenge to me?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 264

The characteristics list is:

1. Availability
2. Attention to Needs
3. Do the best of their abilities
4. Equal dedication
5. Faithful to their ministries
6. Low profile

Currently my biggest challenge is making myself available. Perhaps I’m keeping myself too busy at work and home. Or perhaps I’m always waiting for an opportunity to arise. That’s actually my 2nd challenge, not being sensitive enough to figure out the needs of others. I’m always focused on the needs of someone higher up than me (and I don’t mean God). I should continue to look around and be aware of the needs of other believers, my peers, neighbours, and even strangers! The bible says in Galatians 3:10 (NIV):

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

As the need arises, I must take the opportunity to help. My struggle is when it’s inconvenient, it’s going to stop me from serving.  Saddleback Church is 21 miles from my house and $10 toll fees (both ways).  I’ve chosen this church because of its great leaders and wonderful teaching. Now I realize “sacrifices” has to be made to make myself available to serve. I know God will use me to serve Him and I will be available when He calls.

Lord, please give me the ears to listen to your calling, and the heart to serve you with all of my mind and strength. Amen.

How can I make the best use of what God has given me?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 256

It’s time to take inventory of my abilities:

The harder I think about this list, the more I realize that I have more unabilities. One way to find out is to ask the people that know me, and see if my self-assessment is accurate or not. With what I have, I will give it to God for use. I will avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God’s recommendation (p. 254). The bible said in 2 Corinthians 10:12 (Msg):

We’re not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they’re our superiors. We wouldn’t dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.

I must keep my focus on God and serve Him with the best of my abilities. That is my purpose in this life.

What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer my church?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 248

My abilities and experience are combined: I’m good with computers. My vocation is in web site servers maintenance and troubleshooting. I can probably help the church with their web site if the need ever arises. I have put my name down as a potential candidate. I am certain if God wants me to do this ministry, I will be called. My personality is an introvert, so I don’t usually pursue anything with overflowing enthusiasm. I can be interested and reserved at the same time. This is why I’m waiting for God to call me and use me for whatever purpose He may have for me.

Verse to remember 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.