Who We Are

January 3, 2015

There's a little saying that is on mugs and shirts and printed over pictures. It's a mantra that people love because it encourages them to do what they love. At first I didn't really give it a second thought. It keeps showing up and I need to set the record straight.

Here's the thing...Doing what we love is the thing that got us into trouble.

Living for ourselves is what the Gospel saves us from. Sure, we love a lot of good things. Quite often, the problem isn't in the doing, but in the motivation behind it. When we decide to make our lives about doing what we love, we give little thought to God.

We love this mantra because it puts us at the center. That's the problem.

Jesus Christ came that we might see the glory of God and be changed by it. Becoming a Christian means we are called to begin living in pursuit of knowing it and making it known. John 17 has become one of my favorite chapters in the Bible because it gives my life perspective.

Jesus Christ wasn't here to do what He loved. He was all about what the Father loved. He did what He saw the Father do. 

In John 17: 3-4 Jesus Christ said, "And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do."

He saved us so that we could know God and join Him in doing what God loves. It's who we are.

I turned this into a printable

just for you. Click HERE.
Or HERE for a black version. 

Purpose of God

Every now and then Jay will stop by for a visit just because. It's usually in the afternoon and it almost always turns into a theology chat session. Earlier this month, I came home to find his Jeep parked in the driveway...I hoped he hadn't been here long because I didn't want to miss out on his visit! 

I wasn't disappointed. I joined the conversation happening around our table and talk quickly turned to a time years ago when Jay worked his way through parts of Chambers' book in a new way. He looked up a topic in the index and read and re-read every entry that was listed until he had his questions answered. This came up because we were talking about the purpose of God.

Jay left me with the challenge of looking up "purpose of God" in the index of "My Upmost For His Highest". I began working my way through the entries reading and re-reading them one by one. The entry from May 22 is the perfect reflection on this last Monday of 2014. The Scripture for that day comes from John 17:21. It says, "...that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us..."

If you are one of God's people, whatever is happening in your life, or has happened in your life, is working together for a purpose. John 17 tells you why and verses like Romans 8:28-29 leave you with full assurance. Chambers puts it this way, "...Jesus has prayed that you 'may be one' with the Father as He is."

As we finish up the last few days of this year and prepare our hearts for the one ahead, it is the perfect time to take stock of where we are as children of God. May we find great comfort in this great will of God! May even our troubles be viewed as blessings.

I want to leave you to consider this question from Chambers, "Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life?"

Join me in answering it honestly and reflecting on it often.