You want to live with purpose? Make sure you’ve got a grip on three things the Bible says will last forever and keep your eyes on the eternal. Here’s a snapshot of how to draw your power for living the Christian life from the One who designed and called you:
[ F a i t h ] • Jesus calls His followers to a life of faith because they need to see life through the Father’s eyes, not their own. When we focus on ourselves, we have a very small context for interpreting our flaws, failures and trials. It’s easy to kvetch (I need more money, I’m bored, I want a vacation, etc.) because the focus is on me. But faith enables us to live BIG – big picture, big purpose, big power. Each of these 3 game-changers is a verb, not a noun. I must exercise my faith by believing God and keeping my focus on His ways, not mine. What did Jesus say whenever the disciples lost focus and stopped “faith-ing”? Oh, ye of little faith. Therefore, in contrast, having big faith means trusting God in spite of circumstance. The Holy Spirit is the One who supplies the power for experiencing the life to which Jesus called us, so we call on Him in faith. Holy Spirit, empower me to see myself and others like You see us, and free me from the limited perspective of my circumstances. Guide me into truth. Help me to faith You, to live headfirst and to proclaim Christ.
[ H o p e ] • In the same way that faith teaches us not to worry when we don’t have food and to see that giants are small when our God is big, we find hope in Christ’s resurrection, and the reality that God will raise us too. So if you feel like you are losing ground in your struggles, do not despair. It isn’t my intent to sugarcoat the very real pain you feel as your fight your battle. Just remember that this is a fight to the death that you can’t lose, because death can’t keep you. Just as faith calls us to live big not small, hope calls us to live for eternity, not for the moment. Jesus, in the midst of my pain and trials, renew my hope in the promise of resurrection. Empower me to live fully for You each day in light of eternity. Help me to share my hope in Your salvation.
[ L o v e ] • The greatest reason to remove our focus from ourselves and our circumstances is love. We are created for relationships – with our Creator and one another. If you have found your walk of faith to be dull and uninspiring, you are missing out on love. Not romance, not passion, but deep, meaningful, expressive, relational love. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13.) The same love that moved the Father to give His Son for my sin, the same love that moved Jesus with deep compassion for the lost and helpless, the same love that moved Jesus to forgive the soldiers below Him who had just nailed Him to the cross. That’s the love I want, I need. That’s why the “love chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13, is read at nearly every wedding ceremony, and the passage ends with the 3 game-changers: faith, hope and love (and the greatest of these is love.) Father, immerse me in Your love and empower me to love others as You do. Deepen my relationship with You and fill my heart with Your love, that I would give You glory through worship and evangelism.
