June 27, 2016
Good Morning Princesses!
This is the last week of June. Can you believe it? Summer is just underway and we are already approaching the 4th of July. I'll hold off for now as I have a tendency of getting carried away with a year overview. Before you know it, I'll have us well into Christmas!
Let's do a quick recap from last week, where we discussed God's love and what it means to you, to us. Because of God's comprehensive and indescribable love for us we can:
Embrace both our Strengths and Weaknesses
"If you got rid of all of your weaknesses...you'd have to wipe out the related strength too, because a weakness may simply mask an unbridled strength?" (Pulliam, pg. 66)
In other words, yielding both our weaknesses and strengths to God, is really God's plan.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV):
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Thus...your scars are not weaknesses. God wants us to depend more on Him and not ourselves- He is present in our strength AND in our weakness.
Discover and use our gifts and talents as "vehicles of His love"
Elisa comments that, "the way we use [our] gifts is more important than the gifts themselves". (Pulliam, pg.78). How we demonstrate God's love toward others through our gifts is part of our assignment.
Let God lead you and lead with Love. So, embracing your strengths and weaknesses, letting God use our gifts as vehicles of His love are two ways to we demonstrate God's love.
“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35
With LOVE as the foundation, by using the gifts that God has graciously and lovingly given us to express His love to others, let's discuss your purpose.
What's the Purpose?
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
On day 10, the readings turned to pursuit of purpose, discussing calling, career and everything in-between. Let's face it, it's not as easy as it may seem. We grow up thinking we want to be "X" when we grow up and sometimes, many times, life takes us on a different course. As believers, Christians, we know that it is really God who is the conductor of our course. Living life as man directs can cause us to listen first to others and put God's voice a distant second. When it comes to a career, calling or purpose, what has been your guiding life question?
I challenge you to look at your life (past, present and thinking about the future) with love as the foundation and the below as your question:
God, what have you made me to do in my generation?
Each of us has been charged with a purpose. When we have filled that purpose then God will call us home. Listen to the following excerpt from Beth Moore on God's Will.
However, until that time has come, rather than being caught up in finding our purpose as defined by man, maybe it's really not all that complicated (maybe we are the one's who have complicated the matter. Wouldn't be the first time!) Think about the following "what if statements" (Pulliam, pg. 95):
• What if purpose is about experiencing God working in you and through you in all your responsibilities and relationships?
• What if you defined your purpose through embracing this moment, this responsibility, this relationship, this circumstance with regard to God's bigger plans for your life?
• What if you found your purpose in simply enjoying all that HE accomplishes through you every single day, not in pursuit of something bigger, better, more meaningful?
As you consider the aforementioned "what if’s, begin to make a list of your passion(s). What fuels you? What gives you energy? Passions overflow in you and you can't take them out of you! Passions reflect the beauty of how God made you as well as how HE wants to use you.
Closing Thought-
If we want to know what God has made you to do, have a mind to know Him and a heart to serve Him.
Know that through the Holy Spirit you can:
• do things you couldn't;
• feel things you didn't; and
• know things you wouldn't.
For your praise and worship:
All Things Are Working- F. Hammond and RFC
Be sure to listen to God's Will above - B. Moore
Housekeeping:
Looking forward to chatting with you on Tuesday, June 28 as we debrief Phase 2: Assess the Goods via Google Hangout On Air
Remember, each day is an opportunity for us to...
Lead, Serve and GO!
Krista
Each day we have an opportunity to be the light and salt God has called us to be to others. Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
📷Tuesday, June 28, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (EDT)📷ONLINE Canton OHOrganized by GO! Women's Small Group Bible Study