Purpose

I’ve been reading a lot on the topic of finding your purpose in life. I firmly believe that God created us all with specific purposes in mind. Sometimes I get caught up in the “hunt” for that ONE thing God has put me on earth to accomplish. Recently, I’ve been reminded that the process to getting to do something big for God is as important as the task itself.

For example, I know without a doubt that God has called me to be a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). And, I’ve been doing that for almost 10 years now. Right now, I am working part time outside of the home, but it is only for a short season. While I’m going about my duties as a SAHM, I tend to look at other women’s lives thinking that they are fulfilling their purpose in life while I’m doing laundry and cooking dinner. God has shown me this week that these things that I’m doing that seem so insignificant are exactly what He wants me to do RIGHT NOW.

No matter how many times I have tried to work outside of the home since having kids, I’ve never felt fulfilled or satisfied with those jobs. And most of those jobs are ministry related. God has shown me time and time again that my place is at home taking care of my family and providing a comfortable and safe place to come to at the end of the day. I know He is preparing me for other assignments, but for right now He has called me to be right where I am serving Him wholeheartedly with joy.

You may feel you are stuck in a place where there is no hope for something better. Take a look around where God has placed you. Can you see that He has called you to serve in that place? Are you so busy looking ahead that you miss the special moments of today?

On the Right Path

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 27:12 NIV

God has been at work in a real way in my life over the last few months. He has provided me with opportunities to grow and learn as I develop leadership skills within a ministry position. Along the way I’ve been given many opportunities to do new things and have even had the chance to change my lifestyle through a full time job. However, God has been very specific about what He wants from my life. Some of the opportunities that have come my way have been really good things, but they did not fit in with the destination I firmly believe God is leading me toward.

We’re all given opportunities to daily walk with God on the path He chooses for us. But for us to walk with Him on that path, we have to choose that path. I’ve been very convicted lately by a book I’m reading by Andy Stanley. It is called The Principle of the Path, and I highly recommend reading it if you are trying to make sense out of your life. He states that everything we want to accomplish or be is the result of following a certain path. If you say you want to lose weight yet keep on eating unhealthy food and avoid exercise, then you are not headed down the right path to produce the results of weight loss. To reach the desired end result, we must learn and follow the path that is necessary to achieve that result.

I’ve thought about many decisions I’ve made in the last few weeks and how they do not fit in with the end result I am trying to achieve. See if any of these sound familiar.

I want to lose weight yet I keep eating unhealthy foods and do not exercise

I say I want to be closer to God but I do not study His Word as often as I should

I want deeper friendships but I don’t make the time to develop them

I want a clean and organized home but I spend my free time on the Internet

What decisions have you made that have sidetracked you from your goals?