Category: purpose in life

Connecting with God…

Do not get drunk on wine,
which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another with psalms,
hymns and songs from the Spirit.
Sing and make music from
your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another
out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-21 NIV

When people are drunk, we say they are “under the influence.” When a person is a follower of Jesus, he or she should be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul lists five ways that we fill ourselves with the Spirit. Four we would normally identify with community worship — speaking to one another in song, singing, making music in our hearts, and giving thanks to God. Paul adds a fifth way to turn the Spirit loose in our lives: submitting to one another as part of our worship of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are times when I have not wanted to do each of these things. However, in doing them with a genuine desire to honor the Lord, I find myself blessed and empowered in ways I would never have expected. We shouldn’t be surprised: The Bible tells us that when we do these things, God’s Spirit fills us!

Loving Father,
thank you for entering into me
through the Holy Spirit.
I am going to try to do all I can
to worship you with my words
and with my relationships,
trusting that you will empower
me with your Holy Spirit.
Please help me see your
presence and power in my life
as I do these things in today’s verses.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Is Chocolate a Fruit?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Against such things
there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Sometimes we misunderstand “fruit of the Spirit” because we say “fruits of the Spirit.” This difference seems like such a small thing, but, unfortunately, this small thing can lead us to a dangerously false conclusion. The fruit of the Spirit involves all nine of these qualities. We can’t excuse a lack of growth in one area or another as simply not having all the fruits of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is working to create the character of Jesus in us (2 Corinthians 3:18; see also Galatians 4:19). He wants to see us growing in each area; we should not excuse ourselves from any one of these qualities of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there are several areas in which I need to grow — but I believe the Spirit is making progress in them. Let’s keep encouraging each other to let the Spirit lead us to become more and more like Jesus in every way!

O precious Father, God Most High,
thank you for your patience,
grace, and forgiveness.
I want the Holy Spirit
to lead me and empower me
to grow in every way,
but especially so that I can be
more and more like Jesus in love,
joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control.
Thank you for hearing my prayer
offered in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Submission…

And do not bring sorrow
to God’s Holy Spirit
by the way you live.
Remember,
he has identified you as his own,
guaranteeing that you will be
saved on the day of redemption.
Ephesians 4:30 NLT

Some other translations say “do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” Two truths scream to be heard. First, the way we live matters deeply to the Spirit! Second, we can actually oppose and wound the Spirit of God who lives in us. As Galatians 5:13-21 reminds us, feeding the fleshly, sinful side of ourselves puts us at war with the Spirit of God. Things like telling lies to each other, acting out our anger, stealing, sharing unwholesome talk among ourselves, living with rage and brawling, and slander are all activities that bring the Holy Spirit sorrow (Ephesians 4:25-32). Living under the influence of the Spirit empowers us to go beyond these bad qualities as we are conformed to be more and more like Jesus  2 Corinthians 3:18 and Galatians 5:22-26).

Father God,
I confess that I sometimes
ignore the impulse of the
Holy Spirit inside of me
and act in ways that are
inconsistent and hurtful to you.
I want to be like Jesus —
more and more under the
influence and control
of your Holy Spirit.
Please open my eyes to your will,
your presence, and your character
as the Spirit leads me.
In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Amen.

Strong in the Lord

Do you not know that your bodies
are temples of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you
have received from God?
You are not your own;
you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:10-20 NIV

When this was written, temples were the places where the gods were thought to live. More than places of worship, these were places of presence. So when Paul reminds us that we are temples of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit, he is saying something quite profound. God lives in us! We are the places of God’s dwelling. We are holy temples, not because we cleansed ourselves or made ourselves into some incredible dwelling place but because God bought us and sanctified us with the price of Jesus’ life. We are his purchased prime real estate so that his glorious presence can be seen in the world in which we live. As the place where God lives by his Spirit, we are challenged to honor and glorify God with our bodies, his temples. No matter how you may look at your physical appearance, remember this: You are holy, precious, and glorious because the King of Glory has made his home in you through the Holy Spirit. Is it time to clean house?

O Father God,
today’s passage reminds me
of your incredible nearness to me,
even within me.
Forgive me when I have not realized
your presence in me through the Holy Spirit.
Forgive me when I have devalued
myself and my body as a temple
of your holy presence.
Please be glorified in who I am,
what I say, how I live, and what I think.
To you be glory, in Jesus’ name
and through your Spirit’s presence.
Amen.

Seriously…

Dear friends, I urge you,
as aliens and strangers in the world,
to abstain from sinful desires,
which war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)

This world is not our destination; it is our journey! There are many things here that can distract us from our goal and destroy our desire to complete our journey. These sinful desires actually are at war with us. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can say “NO!” and live with confidence and character before our world that is trapped in darkness and so desperately needs God’s light.

The rest of the world is always watching Christians and waiting for us to fail so they can attack the faith. Some say we are a privileged part of society with benefits that are unearned… yes, they are absolutely right! Living up to our privilege is the tough part of this journey and people we don’t even know are always watching how we act and react. How do you live your life when you think no one is looking?

Empower me, almighty God,
so that I may grow ever closer
to your character and holiness.
Help me, loving God,
to live a holy life that is
attractive to my friends,
family, and neighbors,
so they may come to glorify you
by living your life, too.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

 

Safe in His Hands

Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds
of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10-12 NIV

You mean we are really blessed by being persecuted for doing what is good and by being insulted for being righteous? Now that’s hard to take! Seeing ourselves blessed by God in such times is very tough. How can we be glad when we are persecuted, spoken about badly, and have evil lies told about us when we are trying to do good? But that is exactly what we see in the book of Acts. The early disciples considered it a privilege to suffer for the name of Jesus. In his first letter, Peter is constantly reminding believers to make sure that if they are going to suffer, they suffer because they have done what is right, not what is wrong. You see, the journey of discipleship is about developing the character of Christ and carrying on the great tradition of faithfulness demonstrated by the prophets. If they faced persecution for doing right, shouldn’t we think we will? Even more, history has repeatedly reminded us that those who suffer to bring a blessing to others have a witness that cannot be silenced. That’s why God is not ashamed to be called their God and why the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. More than just being happy, Jesus said these people will have a great reward. Congratulations, you are blessed!


Gracious God,
thank you for reminding me
that the first goal in my life
is not to be protected,
but to be used to share your grace.
Help me to know that being persecuted
for doing what is right is
following in the steps of Jesus.
Give me the courage and the passion
to help lead others to
the wonderful discovery of you,
your grace, and your great reward.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.

Child of God

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:2-9 NIV

Poor in spirit means meek in ego, and our ego is by nature tyrannical. All the tyranny is driven by the ego. When the ego is laid before God, in other words, when the ego is illuminated with the knowledge of God, it begins to fade; for it denies its limited being and it realizes the being of God.

An infant cries when it is hungry, and it is given food. So it is with the lovers of God, with the seekers of truth. When their desire becomes so deep that it makes them mourn, it is then that they are fed and comforted.

There are only two paths: the path of light and the path of darkness. The former leads to joy, while the latter leads to sorrow. Not everyone understands this, but the one who understands goes in pursuit of it.

The warmth of our feelings can take away the coldness from another person’s heart. We cannot receive mercy either from the earth or from heaven, unless mercy is awakened in our soul. Purity of heart is not only in thought, feeling, and action but the pure heart must be able to see and realize everyone as God sees them.

Those who make peace in life are unbiased, unselfish, and impartial because of the grace of God working through them. He bestows special gifts on those who follow the path of mercy and grace however, being a child of God is our greatest honor.

Father in Heaven,
Please help me to reflect the grace of Jesus
wherever I go and in whatever I do.
Open my eyes to the needs of others
and help me to ease their troubles.
The grace you have given me
is far more than I deserve
so help me to be gracious to
others without judgement or bias.
Allow me to be your humble servant
and keep me on the path of peace.
May Christ be glorified thought my life.
Amen

“Being at peace with yourself is a direct result of finding peace with God.”

For the foolishness of God
is wiser than man’s wisdom,
and the weakness of God
is stronger than man’s strength.
1 Corinthians 1:25 (NIV)

God’s ultimate “foolishness” is his willingness to use the cross to bring others to him. At first glance, the cross is a hideous and horrible tool. This whole plan does not make sense to us. In our human wisdom, we could never visualize using a man crucified as criminal scum to capture the hearts of the world. But God does. The cross transcends cultural boundaries, overcomes language barriers, and reaches across racial differences. The cross is God’s demonstration of foolishness and weakness, and through it he conquers death and brings our heart to him. The weakest part of God is immeasurably and infinitely stronger than all of mankind combined.

On this day, Father,
I am powerfully reminded
of your incredible sacrifice
at Calvary with Jesus.
Words cannot express
how powerfully they have
touched me with your love
and filled me with the
assurance of your grace.
Thank you!
I am utterly amazed
that you would love me so.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

 

Empty tomb, not an empty promise.

Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” Then they remembered that he had said this. So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened.   
Luke 24:1-9 NLT

 

 

 

 

Reaching out to God.

“Here is my servant,
whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice
to the nations.”
Isaiah 42:1

The last part of Isaiah contains what are often called the Servant Songs. Jesus claims several of these songs for his self-identity. The early church claimed several others, quoting them to define Jesus’ ministry and understanding them as prophecies of his coming. Not only were these words of prophecy inspired by God’s Spirit, but the Spirit also empowered Jesus as God’s servant to bring justice and display God’s mercy. The work of Jesus is rooted in the work of God’s Spirit in prophecy that foretells his coming, in his conception, at his baptism, at the start of his ministry, in the words he spoke, in the joy he experienced, through the power that raised him from the dead, and the gift he poured out when we came to him in conversion. The ministry of Jesus is so tied to Jesus and his work for us, that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another comforter,” like Jesus himself that Jesus would send when he returned to the Father. The work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are joined inextricably in God’s dance of grace that brings us life, hope, and justice!

O Father,
how can I ever fully grasp
the gift of the Spirit
dwelling in me?
I realize that the Spirit
is a bond that I share
with Jesus himself,
the power of the Lord’s
presence in my life.
Thank you for this grace, Father,
thank you for this gift, Lord Jesus,
and thank you for
your abiding presence, O Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name I thank you!
Amen.