I often find myself thinking about all the stuff I want to do in the future. Good things. Helpful things. Things that are going to make a difference—something with a real impact. These dreams are great to have, and I pray that someday I will be able to accomplish them.
However today, my short term goals are a little more simple. These goals are a little more close to home—something that will also have a real impact—right now.
All too often I find myself and my friends just sitting in this place of “wait.” This place of trying to figure out who I am, and what God’s purpose is for me in this life. This is great that we think about this, but in reality I think we miss the big picture. I know I do sometimes. God didn’t make us to do one large grandiose accomplishment. We are one of his many. He wants us to live each day affecting the lives of those around us, praying for those around us, and loving those around us.
When I say around us I don’t mean just our friends and family. (Although this is where some of us need to start) I mean the guy down the street who just lost his wife, the guy in front of you whom just had his credit card get declined, the guy on the side of the road, the family in a shelter, the person who just lost their significant other in a tragic accident, the widow down the road. There are so many opportunities each and every day for us to make a difference…and it saddens me to see a day go by and feel like I didn’t do as much as I could have.
So today my focus is, on this national day of prayer is? To pray for those I tend to forget about, to ask God to open my heart to the point I can love those around me like he does, and to show compassion to people of all circumstances. To not look away when I see someone in distress. To give not only when I have extra, but when I am struggling myself. To hang out with those people most don't want to hang out with. To not be scared of people that are different, make me uncomfortable, or uneasy. To not say I don't have enough time in my super busy schedule to do the things that have been calling on my heart. My prayer is to represent my God, as He is, not what I hope to someday sort of be. So my prayer is to get out of this "wait" stage and take action.
As I write this, I think even more so, this is why we often get lost trying to find our one main purpose that God wants to use of for. Part of me wants to believe he laughs at this. The stress we put on ourselves to find out. When in reality...maybe our purpose is just that... to live a life serving others. In all circumstances. With no desire or expectation for it to be returned. Maybe we would all be much more happier, helpful, humble and trusting people if we took a step back--looked at things a little differently, and got out of the waiting game, and got on the field to play.
My prayer is to be shown when and how to do those large grandiose things God may have planned for my life… but more importantly to let my arrogance be set aside, and to have my eyes opened to the small ones that I think we all too often dismiss as someone else’s problem. We’re all broken. We’re all human. We all have NO idea when we’re going to be meet Jesus. Therefore, my goal is to stop trying to figure out what my purpose as a “whole” is and start making my life whole by living in Him and for Him each day. That is the new plan of attack, and I pray you’ll be inclined to do the same.
However today, my short term goals are a little more simple. These goals are a little more close to home—something that will also have a real impact—right now.
All too often I find myself and my friends just sitting in this place of “wait.” This place of trying to figure out who I am, and what God’s purpose is for me in this life. This is great that we think about this, but in reality I think we miss the big picture. I know I do sometimes. God didn’t make us to do one large grandiose accomplishment. We are one of his many. He wants us to live each day affecting the lives of those around us, praying for those around us, and loving those around us.
When I say around us I don’t mean just our friends and family. (Although this is where some of us need to start) I mean the guy down the street who just lost his wife, the guy in front of you whom just had his credit card get declined, the guy on the side of the road, the family in a shelter, the person who just lost their significant other in a tragic accident, the widow down the road. There are so many opportunities each and every day for us to make a difference…and it saddens me to see a day go by and feel like I didn’t do as much as I could have.
So today my focus is, on this national day of prayer is? To pray for those I tend to forget about, to ask God to open my heart to the point I can love those around me like he does, and to show compassion to people of all circumstances. To not look away when I see someone in distress. To give not only when I have extra, but when I am struggling myself. To hang out with those people most don't want to hang out with. To not be scared of people that are different, make me uncomfortable, or uneasy. To not say I don't have enough time in my super busy schedule to do the things that have been calling on my heart. My prayer is to represent my God, as He is, not what I hope to someday sort of be. So my prayer is to get out of this "wait" stage and take action.
As I write this, I think even more so, this is why we often get lost trying to find our one main purpose that God wants to use of for. Part of me wants to believe he laughs at this. The stress we put on ourselves to find out. When in reality...maybe our purpose is just that... to live a life serving others. In all circumstances. With no desire or expectation for it to be returned. Maybe we would all be much more happier, helpful, humble and trusting people if we took a step back--looked at things a little differently, and got out of the waiting game, and got on the field to play.
My prayer is to be shown when and how to do those large grandiose things God may have planned for my life… but more importantly to let my arrogance be set aside, and to have my eyes opened to the small ones that I think we all too often dismiss as someone else’s problem. We’re all broken. We’re all human. We all have NO idea when we’re going to be meet Jesus. Therefore, my goal is to stop trying to figure out what my purpose as a “whole” is and start making my life whole by living in Him and for Him each day. That is the new plan of attack, and I pray you’ll be inclined to do the same.
