The Benefits of Journaling
God Has a Purpose For Everyone
God has a purpose and a plan for each and every one of us. We are all children of God. Once we accept His salvation, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. This is God's way of always being with us. God's purpose is not always easy to understand, but He has set a path for us that we can choose to either follow or not to follow. If we choose to go another way He will continue to lead us since we are His children. He will never give up on us. But it might not be our best path.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13
The Bible is full of examples of paths and purposes that He has laid out. Examples of those who followed without question and others who were not so willing. Moses is a great example of someone who followed, but not as willingly as others. He did not want to speak in front of the crowds.
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
Exodus 4:13
In my opinion, he had to be pretty brave or stupid to ask God to send someone else. God had just given him a list of things to do with instructions to help him accomplish those things. There was really no excuse left other than he wasn't good at speaking. I always wondered how things would have gone if it had been Moses giving the messages directly. Would things have gone more smoothly? Who knows. God had a plan and it involved Moses. Thank God He was willing to work with Moses.
Doubting God's Purpose and Plan For You
Moses is not the only one who doubted God's plans for their life. How many times did God say to someone He was going to do something and the person's response was doubt?
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
Genesis 17:17
In the story of Abraham, he laughs at the news. I laughed at God when he told me I should homeschool my kids. I thought it was the most ridiculous idea in the world. Have you had that same response to something God is asking of you? God's purpose in our lives can seem like a foreign idea at times. But, it will never contradict His word.
Not Realizing God's Speaking
8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Samuel 3:8-10
Samuel, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on. Eli finally understands that it is God calling Samuel and helps him to respond. Rest assured, God will continue to talk to us. It is our job to listen. He will not stop if we aren't getting it. He will continue to pursue us and use other methods until we get it. But, if we refuse to listen, we could miss out on some amazing things.God's plans for us are not an accident. He does not choose for us to do something and then not equip us to do it. And he knows us and gives us a purpose that is suited just for us, not anyone else. For Moses, he brought Aaron along to do the speaking. For me to homeschool, it was a desire and fire that He gave me when attending a homeschool conference. I had decided to step out in faith and do what I felt God calling me to do. I still didn't like the idea. But, God has a way of confirming these things. I was listening to a speaker at this conference, and I just got this passion and love for the idea of homeschooling. He spoke directly to my heart.
When We Are Certain of God's Plans
On occasion, we are certain that we understand God's purpose in our life. Sometimes this is an immediate sense.
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:38
Once we know what God wants, our job is to respond immediately. He is looking for our devotion and trust. When I ask my son to mow the lawn, I don't want him to question it or find excuses. I am hoping for a quick response. "Sure, Mom." Wouldn't that be nice? I do get that on occasion, but more often than not, I get some sort of delay tactic. Usually resulting in an "Oh, I forgot" response to my inquiry of why the lawn still hasn't been mowed. When we treat God with the same lack of respect, not giving Him our time and energy, we are not showing Him how much we love Him. God tends to wait to show us the next step when it is time to actually take that step.
If you are struggling to find God's Purpose
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105
God uses several ways to communicate with us. Once we become believers, He fills us with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit can speak to us through our conscience, guiding us with gentle nudges and sometimes not so gentle. When I felt the calling to homeschool, it was this urgent feeling that I could not satisfy. I had to learn more about homeschooling and find out more about it to get rid of the feeling. Always look to God's word for verification. He will never lead you to do something that contradicts His word.Sometimes God will use other people to communicate with you. Before I started blogging and working on my online store for my art, my husband was right there telling me I should sell my art. He told me it was good enough. Others confirmed this statement in other ways as well. At this time, I am still working to figure out the store, but I am also taking the time to share what God is teaching me through my blog. My hope is that it will encourage at least one person to seek out God and grow their relationship with Him. Same with my art. I hope that it will allow people to feel a connection with God and to display a reminder of what He means to them.
Quiet Time
Finding time to spend quietly listening for God is frankly not easy. I struggle with this all the time. When I sit down my mind wanders to every stray thought imaginable. During my quiet time, I have found that some instrumental worship music in the background is very helpful. You can also learn the basics of meditation. The new age world has hijacked this concept and we are afraid to do anything related to it. What I have discovered is that the key to meditation is to focus on one thing. Most use their breathing, but if you breathe Jesus in and out and put Him as your focus, you can use these techniques to help you in your quiet time.
If You Are Hearing From God But Need Guidance
Since God speaks to us in many different ways, sometimes it can be unclear whether what we are hearing is from God. Obviously, if it contradicts His word, then it is not from Him. But, what about those times when it doesn't contradict, but you still aren't sure. This is a time for two things: Prayer, and seeking those who are more mature in their faith than you. Having a mentor or group of mature Christians that you can talk things over with can help to confirm what God is telling you. God's purpose can be confirmed by any person that is seeking God.
Journaling
Journaling what you are hearing from God is a great way to keep a record of your walk with God. He will find ways to confirm you are on the right path. This can make it easier to remember when times get tough or you face critics. You will always face adversity in the world. Satan is looking for any way he can to slow you down or put a stop to God's plans. In my post about journaling, you can read about some more of the benefits journaling has to offer.
A Recap
So lets recap. God's purpose can be revealed to you through several means. He will Speak through prayer, His word, other people, feelings, your conscience, and in our quiet time with Him, he may reveal things to us. If you want to hear from him, be in a relationship with Him. These are great ways to do that. He is like us. He wants to talk with us and have us live life with us. He's not some magic genie that we run to for a quick fix.I have heard that Mother Theresa never heard from God again once she started her ministry. I know that can be scary, but if you are walking the path He wants you on, He doesn't need to give you any more directions. So relax and feel that relief.
Leap of Faith
Sometimes what God is asking, is simply for you to take a leap of faith. God's purpose for your life can be a scary thing, but remember that He sees your future and has your best future in mind. This doesn't mean you'll be rich or famous, but that you will be doing His work effectively.Don't forget if God has given you direction, we are capable of completing the task. He knows what he is doing. We are capable of anything with Christ.
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
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