While I am on vacation, I have asked friends, and encouragers of Purposed worKING to contribute. Today's post comes from Jason Illian who is a published author and technology executive who has a passion for helping people live more purpose-driven lives.
"BUT GOD" is the most powerful phrase in the Bible. Just when we felt completely hopeless, when our relationships were beyond repair, when we made mistake after mistake and things seemed un-fixable...BUT GOD.
"Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. BUT GOD chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." - 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. BUT GOD demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:7-8
We often forget that God's saving grace isn't just fixated on the afterlife. It is abundantly poured out on each of us everyday. Christ didn't die to save us from only hell--He died to save us from this ho-hum, run-of-the-mill, sin-infested existence where we run into the same problems over and over again. He died to save us from ourselves and from the daily monotony. He wants our everyday lives to have meaning and purpose.
If you are living for the weekends, God is talking to you. If you are counting the hours until work is done, God is talking to you. If you are lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondering why you should get out for another day of the same old thing, God is talking to you. He isn’t dangling a carrot out in front of you for a gift that will never be experienced. He desires for you to live the exceedingly abundant life. Now. Daily.
God is bigger than our problems, no matter how large we've allowed them to grow. So when you feel like you've come to the end of your rope, when your life has officially spiraled out of control, when you feel like burying yourself in the bottle or in someone else's bed, remember...BUT GOD.
Reference: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, Romans 5: 7-8
Showing posts with label jason illian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jason illian. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
day 274: Too Busy
While I am on vacation, I have asked friends, and encouragers of Purposed worKING to contribute. Today's post comes from Jason Illian who is a published author and technology executive who has a passion for helping people live more purpose-driven lives.
Most of us are just too busy. We are too busy working on our jobs, working on our bodies, and working on our relationships. We are too busy trying to “get ahead” and “get on top”. But ahead of whom and on top of what? Instead of stopping and talking with God, we often speed along until all the wheels come flying off. Like the rest of the briefcase-packing mammals, we wrestle with traffic and kids, but very rarely do we ever wrestle with God. We are just too busy.
But God will wrestle with you whether you are ready or not. We often misread the story of Jacob wrestling with God, assuming that Jacob was on the offensive. But if you look closely, the scripture notes, “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.” (Genesis 32:24) God jumped Jacob, not the other way around. God was on the offensive. And He did it at a time when Jacob should have been getting some sleep and preparing to meet Esau. He did it when Jacob’s life was exceptionally busy.
God will speak to you at the most inconvenient times. He does it so that you will learn to tell the difference between what is urgent and what is important. Most of our current busyness is matter of urgency, not importance, and that is why we are drained at the end of the day. We have forgotten that God shouldn’t be part of our day; our day should be part of God.
When you woke up this morning, what were your first thoughts? Did you prayerfully consider what God had on His heart, or did you gravitate to the 9 a.m. meeting, the international conference call, or the sales presentation with the executive team? Too often our thoughts are on the latter and it is a reflection of where our hearts are. Disconnected from God.
Most of us are just too busy. We have our arms so full of good things that we can’t reach out and grab God things. We shouldn’t neglect our daily responsibilities as parents and providers, but our meaning and purpose has to be rooted in Christ-centeredness. If you don’t wrestle with God, He will wrestle with you.
We often hear the advice that we have to learn to say “No” to certain things. If you can learn to say “No” to the urgent things and “Yes” to the important things, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your life becomes aligned with God’s will. There are many ways to fill a life, but only one way to fulfill it.
Reference: Genesis 32:24
Most of us are just too busy. We are too busy working on our jobs, working on our bodies, and working on our relationships. We are too busy trying to “get ahead” and “get on top”. But ahead of whom and on top of what? Instead of stopping and talking with God, we often speed along until all the wheels come flying off. Like the rest of the briefcase-packing mammals, we wrestle with traffic and kids, but very rarely do we ever wrestle with God. We are just too busy.
But God will wrestle with you whether you are ready or not. We often misread the story of Jacob wrestling with God, assuming that Jacob was on the offensive. But if you look closely, the scripture notes, “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.” (Genesis 32:24) God jumped Jacob, not the other way around. God was on the offensive. And He did it at a time when Jacob should have been getting some sleep and preparing to meet Esau. He did it when Jacob’s life was exceptionally busy.
God will speak to you at the most inconvenient times. He does it so that you will learn to tell the difference between what is urgent and what is important. Most of our current busyness is matter of urgency, not importance, and that is why we are drained at the end of the day. We have forgotten that God shouldn’t be part of our day; our day should be part of God.
When you woke up this morning, what were your first thoughts? Did you prayerfully consider what God had on His heart, or did you gravitate to the 9 a.m. meeting, the international conference call, or the sales presentation with the executive team? Too often our thoughts are on the latter and it is a reflection of where our hearts are. Disconnected from God.
Most of us are just too busy. We have our arms so full of good things that we can’t reach out and grab God things. We shouldn’t neglect our daily responsibilities as parents and providers, but our meaning and purpose has to be rooted in Christ-centeredness. If you don’t wrestle with God, He will wrestle with you.
We often hear the advice that we have to learn to say “No” to certain things. If you can learn to say “No” to the urgent things and “Yes” to the important things, you’ll be surprised at how quickly your life becomes aligned with God’s will. There are many ways to fill a life, but only one way to fulfill it.
Reference: Genesis 32:24
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