“So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." John 10:7-18 ESV
I can see why it is so easy to get stuck in the lie that God wants "something" from you and not "for" you. Maybe you believe it is your freedom. Or maybe you think all that God wants from you is your money and your time. You may have been avoiding God for your entire life just because you thought by having a relationship with Him would ruin your fun because of all His rules about life.
In the verse I have referenced above, Jesus is telling the crowd that had gathered that this way of thinking is completely backwards and contrary to who God is and what He is about. In reality, as Jesus points out, it is the "thief" aka our enemy, the devil, that ruins and destroys. And the thief comes in many different forms. It could be your career, something that in the right context is a great thing to have, but it drains you of all energy for everything else in life. Or maybe it is a culture that makes you think you have to work harder and longer to make more money to have more stuff because isn't that what being successful is all about, collecting more stuff you don't really need?
Perhaps it is your past, the things you try to keep hidden, that are whispering in your ear telling you lies that you aren't good enough for God. Well, whatever it is in your life, it is stealing from you.
Jesus came to give our lives meaning and purpose, not to take anything from us. He simply wants a personal relationship with us. There is absolutely nothing we can give Him that will get us closer to Him.
If you are like me, I am sure at some point in your journey of life you have asked the same question I have, "Why Am I Here?"
This question is built into the hearts and souls of every single person alive. It is ingrained into us that our lives have to matter for something, that we have a singular purpose on earth, something we are meant to do with our lives while we are here. We all want to leave some sort of legacy. The problem is, when we define what that should be, most of the answers don't reach beyond a successful and prosperous career and making buckets of money.
The answers I got about the question, "Why Am I Here?" that came from some of my friends and colleagues got me to thinking. What is a more complete picture of the full and meaningful life God wants for all of us? I came up with five things to ask yourself regarding a full life....
I can see why it is so easy to get stuck in the lie that God wants "something" from you and not "for" you. Maybe you believe it is your freedom. Or maybe you think all that God wants from you is your money and your time. You may have been avoiding God for your entire life just because you thought by having a relationship with Him would ruin your fun because of all His rules about life.
In the verse I have referenced above, Jesus is telling the crowd that had gathered that this way of thinking is completely backwards and contrary to who God is and what He is about. In reality, as Jesus points out, it is the "thief" aka our enemy, the devil, that ruins and destroys. And the thief comes in many different forms. It could be your career, something that in the right context is a great thing to have, but it drains you of all energy for everything else in life. Or maybe it is a culture that makes you think you have to work harder and longer to make more money to have more stuff because isn't that what being successful is all about, collecting more stuff you don't really need?
Perhaps it is your past, the things you try to keep hidden, that are whispering in your ear telling you lies that you aren't good enough for God. Well, whatever it is in your life, it is stealing from you.
Jesus came to give our lives meaning and purpose, not to take anything from us. He simply wants a personal relationship with us. There is absolutely nothing we can give Him that will get us closer to Him.
If you are like me, I am sure at some point in your journey of life you have asked the same question I have, "Why Am I Here?"
This question is built into the hearts and souls of every single person alive. It is ingrained into us that our lives have to matter for something, that we have a singular purpose on earth, something we are meant to do with our lives while we are here. We all want to leave some sort of legacy. The problem is, when we define what that should be, most of the answers don't reach beyond a successful and prosperous career and making buckets of money.
The answers I got about the question, "Why Am I Here?" that came from some of my friends and colleagues got me to thinking. What is a more complete picture of the full and meaningful life God wants for all of us? I came up with five things to ask yourself regarding a full life....
- Self: What kind of emotions do I want to be known for? What do you want your physical health to look like when you are 40 years of age? 55? 70?
- Marriage: Am I the husband my wife deserves? Do I take Ephesians 5:25 to heart and act it out? What do I want my marriage to look like in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years?
- Family: If I died today, would God be pleased with the father or mother I was? What kind of relationship do I want in the future with my kids? My siblings? My parents?
- Work: Am I really doing what God has called me to do with my life? Or am I doing what I want to do and really manipulating the situation? Am I making a lasting impact on those I come in contact with in the workplace? Positive or Negative?
- Church: How am I helping in the things God is doing in the world? Am I helping or hindering? Where can I lend a hand? Who am I in the church? Do I sit back and allow others to do everything or am I beside them working towards the same goal? Am I praying for my Pastor like I should?
I would encourage you to take some time and give some serious thought to the questions that I have listed above. They have both encouraged and convicted my heart at the same time because I know the areas that I need to improve upon to better serve God.
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