Thursday, November 3, 2016

My All in All


Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision the people run wild ... they wonder aimlessly. What is your goal in this life? What is it that you value most? If there is no destination you're never lost. If you have no target you'll never miss. How do you make your decisions and then justify your actions?  Our first value is that we are Christ-centered. Are your decisions based on the Word of God?


This week Michael writes: Our eternal salvation was paid for by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ himself. The gospel of Christ is why we're here. In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." However, the abundant life comes by dying to self and living for the Lord Jesus Christ. This doctrine flies in the face of the secular "American Dream" of material abundance. The truth of the Word of God is often counter intuitive to the doctrines of the God-rejecting world system. What's your mission statement? What is your core values? Where is your identity and your reason for living?  What motivated you for your accomplishments in life? Every worthy accomplishment is the result of a goal. What you do is reflected by your values ... the things that you hold dear. According to Galatians 6:7-8, If you sow to the flesh you will reap corruption but if you sow to the spirit, you will reap eternal life. Life is worth living only if you're living for that which is worthy of life. Most men and women lead lives of quiet desperation. If you're living life without purpose, your life will come to naught.

Jesus' plan was to sow His life into twelve men who would change the world through the gift of the Spirit and use the fruit of the Spirit to serve Him in love. One turned away from Him, however the world has been forever changed by the disciples who were dedicated to "choke in their Master's dust" ... Those to whom He committed His word. Athletes must train for the race in order to win the metal. They have to seek after the goal in order to accomplish the goal. A goal is the end to which energy and purpose is directed. What's your mission statement and the ultimate goal for your life?  Many of us have goals that are ends in themselves. If your goal is to be married, what happens after the wedding?  Marriage must be a means to an end.  

A worthy goal is to influence people for Jesus Christ, then fan their flame, and then choke in their dust as you watch them follow the Lord. My goal is that when I meet someone, I want them to be hungry for the Word of God and the fruit of the Spirit.  What's your life mission statement? How do you see those in your family, your church, your work? Are your relationships an end in themselves or a means to an end? Influence is not standing in front of people and telling them how great you are. Influence is doing what John the Baptist said, "I'm not the bridegroom, I'm just here to introduce the bride to her bridegroom.  I must decrease that he may increase." Our job is to introduce the bride, Christ's church to the bridegroom Jesus Christ.

There are five pillars for influencing others. A pillar is a load-bearing super structure.  Pillars are support structures to build the Lord's temple ... His dwelling place in our heart. What we do become platforms to spread the gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ. He'll take everything we think we mess up and use these failures to His honor and glory. Jesus Christ says, "I've got a plan and you're it." He turns our failures and our weaknesses into his accomplishments in us and through us.  As Mother Teresa said, "God works best with nothing."  As a child of God, I understands the five pillars: (1) that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. (2) That I'm grace driven not works driven. (3) That the Word of God is the final authority in my life. (4) That I want to live my life in relationship with likeminded believers.(5) That I want to give away the gospel of Christ in me  - the Hope of Glory. These values keep me Christ centered and grace driven. My prayer is to die to self in order to live for Him; to prove with my life that Jesus Christ is who He said He is - Owner, Savior, Redeemer, and Lord ... my all in all.

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael


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