I was reading a devotional the other day and it has just really stuck in my head. It says this:
Do you ever feel like you are just drifting along in life, meandering along without a way or purpose? God created you and determined a reason for your existence. You are special and have value. From the beginning of time He thought you were important and deserved to be included in His grand plan. Ask God to bring His plan into your view. Even if it takes 3 months, 2 years or a lifetime, continuously ask for God to reveal your purpose to come to fruition. The accompanying verse was Acts 17:26.
This message has been rolling and rolling around in my head. We all have a purpose. God has a plan for all of us. SO many people constantly quote Jeremiah 29:11 and talk about how God has plans for us, to give us a future and a hope. We think about what GOD has for US. But we (and by we I mean me, as its not up to me to judge the walk of others) tend to forget that what that could also mean, is that His plan is for US to do things for HIM. God put us all here for a reason. A purpose. That purpose can be very complex, and change over the years. God didn't put us here simply to party, to go shopping, to sit on our behinds and watch tv all day. While this might be part of a normal life, we have much greater things to accomplish than this, because this does not benefit God in the least.
God put us here to be a blessing to others. To point others to Him. To bring glory to Him, and to His Son. We are to be workers, Not that works can bring about salvation, but it brings about rewards that we will get when our job is complete. I was 42 when I got saved. I had 42 wasted years. I lived solely for myself, and even though I took care of my family, I did little to point them towards God. Since I got saved, I have a desire to do things to please God, even though I fail miserably all the time. But we have to realize that God created us for a purpose, and He has things we need to be doing. Not all of us are called to be preachers, or teachers. And there are tiny, almost microscopic things we can do to bring honor to Him. Our church has t-shirts and hoodies made at least once a year. I have a huge collection of them in the years I have attended there. I wear them to work, or out around town, and am amazed by the comments I get from them. People ask me to turn around so they can read the Bible verse that is on the back. It gives me an intro to share my faith for even just a minute. To share God's word.
I write, and attempt to glorify God in my writing, as much as possible. I try to help others. I don't have a lot of money, but even just helping someone if they are short at the cash register, or buying their meal, holding a door open, praying for someone, or asking if they are okay when you can tell they have something going on. Throw a few pennies in the penny cup at the store. Donate to worthy causes. These are ways that we can share God's love. God created you and me not just so He could bless us with the desires of our hearts, and if we are obedient, He does just this. But He created us so that we can be a blessing to others. Every morning when I get up and say my prayer I pray that God will put just ONE person in my path than I can be a blessing to. Sometimes I know the moment He does. Sometimes I think I miss the opportunity He gave me, and sometimes someone comes to me later and tells me of something I said/wrote/did that made a difference in their life. Some days there are several people that He sends, and some days, He sends someone to be a blessing to me. God is amazing, and He loves us so much. None of us are a mistake, no matter how much Satan tries to convince us we are. Satan does this to derail us so that we don't feel worthy of God's love, and have no desire to do His work.
So think about it a bit. What is God's plan for your life, that will honor and bring glory to Him? We all have a ministry, if we just open our hearts, our minds, and our eyes to see what we can do to make this world a better place, and to share His love with our fellow man. Sometimes we suffer, so that we can minister to someone who is suffering as we have. Sometimes God gives us extra, so we can share that with someone in need. Sometimes God gives us a talent, so we can use it to help others. No matter how much, or how little we have, let us use it to the best of our abilities and find the purpose that God created us to serve. And by doing that, we honor Him.
Look at the gifts that God gives us daily, for no reason at all. He gives us a beautiful sunrise and sunset, every day! He gives us flowers, beautiful trees, friends and family. He gives us children to hug and love us with the innocence that they have. He gives us sunny skies, rain when we need it, and as much as I complain and gripe about it, snow when we need a snow day to get some rest, or some things accomplished. He gives us chocolate, He made sweet tea possible. He created music, and gives talent to others to inspire us, and to lift us up. And He created bacon. Glorious and delicious bacon. That in itself shows me how much God loves me. AND its on sale this week! God is surely smiling down on me and saying, "there ya go Beckie, thanks for all you have done for Me lately."
