What s My Purpose? April 2013 Pinky Promise Study

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1 What s My Purpose? April 2013 Pinky Promise Study 1. Pray in any prayer requests? 2. Introduce new members. 3. Shake it Off just start thanking God for your life & those who are in it. Clear your mind from the clutter and any distractions. Where am I!? Who are you, Lena said in shock as she opened her eyes. I m your doctor. You re in ICU. You were in a bad accident last night. Oh my God. The last thing Lena remembered was driving with her daughter and seeing a Do Not Enter sign. How s my baby? She s in critical condition too. Help me up, I want to see her. I wish it was that easy. We had to amputate your right leg and arm. What!? The words hit like a ton of bricks; she closed her eyes and cried, picturing how she used to change her baby s diaper, do her hair, cook, drive, dance, write everything would be harder now. Put yourself in Lena s shoes. How would you feel? Now picture God looking down at his people His people who are supposed to be one strong BODY serving a desperately sick and dying world. But instead, He s missing an arm here, an eye there, a toe, a backbone...so many parts. You may be thinking, Wow. That intro was SO dramatic! Is it really that deep?! Well Sis, the answer is YES. Read Romans 12:4-8 It breaks God s heart to see His children CUT OFF from their purpose because He knows it makes our life harder than it needs to be and it causes OTHER people to miss out on the blessings they were supposed to get through us. For this month s study, I want to share some Biblical truths about PURPOSE: 1) We ALL have a God- given Purpose. There aren t any extra people on this earth or any extra body parts. Everyone has a function. You are here on a PERSONAL assignment from God to help people and bring glory to His Kingdom in a way that He has gifted YOU to do. You matter SO much!! Only YOU can do what God put YOU here to do! Do I have any idea what God has put me here to do?

2 2) We ALL have gifts to use for our Purpose. When God shows you a gift, ROLL with it! Two huge ways Christians get off track from their purpose is: 1) Thinking they don t have a gift & 2) Underestimating the power of their gift. Honestly, your gift is probably so deep- rooted and natural to you that you don t recognize it. Maybe you have a natural thing for cooking. Maybe friends and strangers always compliment you on giving really good advice. Maybe you re good at writing or graphic design. Maybe you re good at organizing things. Maybe you have a gift for applying makeup. These are gifts!! God put them inside of you! Everybody can t do what you can do. And guess what- other people are DESPARATELY WAITING for you to step into your God- given purpose and help them out! Let me give you an example- let s say Ms. Cook has her gift of cooking. She s in the kitchen and constantly cooking- - no measurements, no recipes, just winging it and making finger- licking good food! She s always had the gift so she forgot that it s special, besides she s not going to work in some sweaty kitchen all day! Instead, she becomes a dental assistant because her aunt got her a job and the money s good. So, she chases the WRONG career for years. She feels unfulfilled. She knows something is missing. The whole time God looks down and waits for Ms. Cook to ask for His guidance. He has a beautiful plan for her to work at Subway where she will lead two co- workers to Christ, then He ll promote her to Manager so she can learn how to run a business then He ll introduce her to Ms. BusyMom who gives her the idea to start a food delivery business, then He ll bring her investors, then continue to blow her mind from there! Yeah it sounds crazy, but when you re walking with God, He ll open doors whenever, however and wherever! Remember, Pinky Promise all started from a bracelet! God is so awesome!! Never doubt what He can do with your gifts. What are some of my gifts?

3 What can I do today to take strides towards what I believe God called me to do? **Note that this isn t always some outward action; it could be as simple as spending time with God daily or learning to trust Him in small things. 3) NOW is the time to follow your Purpose. Forget about what you went to school for and instead of trying to be in a certain career to please your parents, seek to please Christ. Stop seeking money. Seek Christ! He is the only way to know and live in your purpose. The world tells us get a good job, follow your passion, do what makes you happy, or go where the money s at but that s not what God says. He says, Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you. He tells us to Be still & know that He is God, He tells us The plans that I have for you are good. YES your purpose will line up with your gifts and YES your purpose will provide for your need but go to GOD for direction every step of the way, not money, not your passions and definitely not your emotions! Remember that anything you chase over God is an idol. Too many people have made money their idol and don t even know it. I don t care how many years you ve been at your job or how high up you are, you simply cannot AFFORD to be out of God s will. Whatever purpose God puts on your heart is what you need to be pursuing with all your heart- making it a weekend hobby will not cut it! Yes we have to be wise and responsible and I m not saying quit your job tomorrow, but I am saying START FOLLOWING YOUR PURPOSE TODAY! You ve already written a list of your gifts, now find ways to practice and develop them. Spend crazy time with God. Pray for Him to give you guidance. Even if you feel far away from the purpose God has for you, focus on shining His light in whatever situation you re in NOW. God puts us in uncomfortable environments so we can grow in integrity, character, and skills and then move on. Each season in our life prepares us for the next so let God develop you in the fruit of the spirit. You need an abundance of experience before you completely walk in your purpose. We should treat every day like Training Day for our Purpose! No Christian ever arrives. I know I m walking in my purpose but I still have tests to pass and things to learn Every Day! Do I treat every day like it s Training Day for my Purpose?

4 4) Playing it safe is a SIN if it means you are ignoring God s direction. When you ask God for guidance on your purpose, LISTEN when He speaks! It may happen in one month or 10 years, but when God says move, MOVE! Do you know that my husband dropped out of college- - on a full ride scholarship- - during his junior year because God told him to follow a different path? To the world that seemed absolutely ridiculously CRAZY. But according to God s word in Romans 12:2 it sounds exactly right: Be not conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing, and perfect will. See, Cornelius had a renewed mindset because he constantly sought God so when God said move, Cornelius could test and approve that it was God s voice instead of some crazy inner feeling. There was nothing easy about it; stepping out for God is NEVER easy- - but it s worth more than ANY other thing in this entire world. Sisters, please don t be fooled! On judgment day God won t say, Oh its ok, I understand that you were scared about paying bills and stepping out on faith. No! He ll say, You wicked and lazy servant! just like the master did in Matthew 25:26 when his servant did not use the talent he had received. It s offends God when He gives you a gift and you don t use it for His glory. People need you. The body of Christ needs you. The WORLD needs you. Have I given my career over to God 100% or am I trying to hold on to some decisions? 5) If it doesn t glorify God, it s not your purpose. Some people confuse their dream with their purpose. Maybe God gifted you with a beautiful voice and you have dreams of being a superstar with lots of fame and money. That s a nice dream but it is God s purpose for your life? Philippians 2:3-4 says: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Look not only to your own interest, but

5 also to the interests of others. Your purpose is about helping others and glorifying God. Maybe God will lead you to a large platform or maybe He ll show you that your purpose is to work as a singing coach for youth in your neighborhood. You never know what God has in store for you unless you sincerely seek His guidance and follow His will. The only thing you can be sure of is that whatever He has for you will be prosperous (Jeremiah 29:11) and it will fulfill the desires of your heart! (Psalms 37:4) 6) Don t compare your journey with anyone else s! I know you ve heard this SO many times before but I have to say it again. God knew His children would deal with comparison and envy and pride when it came to their purposes so He inspired Paul to write 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 for us. Read these verses together. What do these verses mean to me? Action This month, partner with a sister you ve never partnered with before. Share your gifts with each other and then identify 2 actions you will do develop these gifts. Hold each other accountable to accomplish these 2 actions!