My Purpose Filled Life Comes Without a Drill Sergeant

I want to start off by saying I know God has always been with me -- even before my conception. Cheers to my mom and dad’s hardcore belief in life. I was an unexpected baby (not to God, but to mom and dad). It had been 12 years since their last child, but mom was in a trainwreck that upset her “apple cart”, rather, her birthing cart. All the biological factors came together and whoa-la, here came Donna Sue! At first, I wasn’t a welcomed surprise. Mom was older and done with being a baby manufacturer, but God wasn’t done and if she were alive, she’d tell you I was her blessing. We were besties, inseparable, and eventually, I became her caregiver.

Once mom grasped the notion that I was a blessing and not a curse, she loved me with all her heart. I was diagnosed with a heart murmur at birth and she prayed for my healing to live. Obviously her prayers were answered and obviously, God purposely planned my existence. He created a unique path for my life. He created a unique path for your life, too -- even before your conception. In Jeremiah 1:5, God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..." If you are reading this blog, you are most likely a believer and lover of God and His Word, too. If you’re not, I pray this is the day you join me on the most remarkable journey of sweet assurance of OUR manufacturer and His purpose for our lives.

I wish I could say since I became a Christian at 8-years-old that I had completely understood God’s love for me. I wish I had always been on fire for Him and tight with Him, but, rather than “I wish I hads”, I am learning that's just not His requirements. Sometimes we see Him as a Drill Sergeant who requires a certain way to stand, act, dress, speak and "Oh, YES SIR! I promise to seek You more, read my Bible more. I'll get more involved. I'll reach out to others more!" But with all the ups and downs of life, those promises get a little watered-down. After all, we are just human, right? But what if it was for a different reason altogether?

What if the whole time we were trying so hard to draw into God, we were going about it the wrong way? We were making it a routine, a drill, a rigid, religious exercise that once we completed the tasks, we had completed our requirements, because, of course, that’s what a good Christian does…..right? But then one day, I realized God wasn’t my drill sergeant yelling at me to “Get up! Get going! Give me 10 (push-ups)!” I realized He shows up in the softness of a gentle breeze, or that big hug from a fellow believer or a worship song, or scripture that pops off the thin page of my Bible that was “right on” and what I needed for that day. That has been the ebb and flow that eventually got me to this day and time that pulled me into blogging and sharing my faith.

Now I am using the gifts HE has given me to glorify Him. I am able to understand what He is teaching me even more. I am confident when He says "yes" OR "no" to me because I know He has my best interests at heart. Now, out of my sweet relationship with the One Who loves me most, I want to serve Him. I want to read my Bible to find out more about Him and now read it in a way that sticks with me, sinks into my heart and sets me on my path and it may even be the catalyst for my next blog.

My relationship with Jesus has become radically different. It’s a built-in, 24-hour open-shop with Him. I just love HIm so much, I truly want, with all my heart to please Him out of a thankful heart. My thought life hinges on pleasing Him. “Forgive me, Lord, for thinking that!” “Thanks, God, for that advice.” It was sitting right there in front of me just waiting for me to discover the path that was made for me and embracing it. If you find yourself in a similar situation of wanting more from your relationship with God, don’t give up. You'll get there because He's always right there with you, for you and waiting for you. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Revelation 3:20

Love Transforms an Enemy Into a Friend

Yesterday I posted about an “upside down world – but, it’s a matter of perspective”. I started thinking about how upside down Jesus’ words seem to be in Matthew 5:44. “Love your enemies! Bless them that curse you! Do good to them that hate you! Pray for them who spitefully use you, and persecute you!"

How is it possible to love our enemies? How can we do good to anyone that hates us, curses us, uses us and persecutes us? And, even a step further, “bless them and pray for them”? How absolutely IMPOSSIBLE these words seem to be!

I think Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words explain it so well: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, 'Love your enemies'. It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says 'love'. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies."

I like to live by the words, What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD), in determining what action I should take in any given situation. He set the example for us in every area of our lives. He had enemies – plenty of them. They even killed Him. He loved them anyway. And if we believe in Him, it’s time to turn things “upside down” and “inside out”, and say to our enemies, “I love you. I would rather die than hate you.” When we live that way, we’ll find the strength to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who spitefully use us. Let’s don’t get even with our enemies. Let’s ask God to bless them instead. If we can let go of our anger long enough to pray like this, we’ll discover an amazing benefit – we’ll be putting ourselves in a position TO BE blessed and loved!