Step Up! Into Your Purpose Today by Are you accomplishing your purpose from God? Do you even know what that purpose is? Do you want to find out what it is and then do it, fulfilling your destiny in Christ? I believe for all Christian believers, our primary purpose that He created us with is to worship and glorify Him, being formed into the image of Jesus Christ. I also believe that God created each one of us for a unique, specific purpose as He was forming us in our mother s wombs. It is often a life-long process to discover what that purpose is and to fulfill it. As we grow up, we are given hints of that purpose through the things that we love to do, our talents, and our skills.
Our beautiful girls, Heather, Eden, and Leah When I was a child, all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a wife, a mother, and a successful writer. We have 3 beautiful daughters, Heather, Eden, and Leah, so I did that! Being a writer has been a journey for me. I started writing in my diary and writing short stories when I was just a child. While all the students in high school English class dreaded and hated writing themes, I loved them and earned A s on them. In college I majored in journalism and won a Georgia Press Association scholarship one semester, worked full time as a reporter on the police and features beat, and did a summer internship at a weekly newspaper. Since then, I have self-published three books, and am the author of my blog Tablet Of My Heart (). Am I at the level of success that I desire to be yet? No, but I am on the path there. What about you? What did you love to do when you were a child? What do you love to do now? What is your passion? What are your spiritual gifts, talents, and skills? What do other people tell you that you do really well and compliment you on? What hurts your heart what do you want to see changed in this world? What is God stirring your heart to do? What is your big dream? These are clues to your life purpose.
Maybe you are thinking it s just too late for you to fulfill your purpose, or you are thinking: I m too young I m too old I don t have enough money to do what I really want to do I have too many problems I m struggling with a sin so God probably won t let me I ve got too many responsibilities right now to go back to college It happens for everyone else, but not for me My dream is too impossible My dream is silly or stupid Nobody would ever believe I could do that I don t know how to get started I m not smart enough I m not pretty enough I m not good enough I m not rich enough I m not enough It s just too hard Etc. Jesus and woman at the well Dear friend, God is the dream-giver and the dream-fulfiller. God wants to bless you and use you greatly, right now! Whether you are a man, woman, teen, or child,
God wants to use you just as you are, today. He doesn t want you to wait years from now. He doesn t require that you get all cleaned up to use you. Look at the disciples. They were plain, ordinary, sinful men. They were not all well-educated or wealthy. They struggled just as we struggle with our flesh. Yet God chose them, saved them, poured out His Spirit on them, and used them to change the entire world for His glory! And God wants to use YOU in a great way, too! Yes, starting right now. Today. God wants you to Step Up! into your purpose. To begin using your spiritual gifts for His glory. To touch people s lives. To share the good news of Jesus. To let others know all the wonderful things God has done for you, so that they can know Him as friend and Lord too. If you don t know what your spiritual gifts are, two resources that may help you are: Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit, by Lester Sumrall, available at Amazon: LESTER/dp/088368652X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283360261&sr=1-1 The 3 Colors of Ministry, by Christian A. Schwarz, available also at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gifts-ministries-spirit-sumrall- http://www.amazon.com/colors-ministry-trinitarian-identifying- Developing/dp/1889638161/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283360394&sr=1-1
You can also take tests online to see what your spiritual gifts are, and you can attend and become involved in a Bible-teaching church whose leadership believes in the spiritual gifts and encourages the members to use them for God s glory. Some people are afraid of the spiritual gifts or want nothing more to do with them, because they have seen the gifts abused. Satan always perverts the good things God has created, but we can t throw out the baby with the bathwater. 1 Thessalonians 5:20 (ESV) says, Do not despise prophecies. God s Word Translation of that verse says, Don t despise what God has revealed. These are gifts from God, and how it grieves His heart when we refuse to accept and use them. Think of wanting to give your husband a very special present on your anniversary. You took a lot of time, effort, and money to get him that carefullyselected gift which he had told you he wanted. You had saved money for months to buy it and special ordered it. He unwraps it on your candle-lit anniversary dinner of steak and lobster, and comments on how beautifully you wrapped it. You can hardly contain yourself until he opens it. He admires it greatly, and then to your dismay, he puts it back into the gift box and says he ll use it in ten years on your 25 th anniversary! Or he grimaces at the gift, says he wants nothing to do with it, and to throw it away! How would you feel? This must be how God feels, too, when we don t use the gifts He has so carefully and lovingly picked out just for us! Your spiritual gifts, your talents, and your skills make up a unique part of you and are to be used with your life purpose. I encourage you to discover what they are today and begin to use them for God s kingdom.
Maybe you think you re too young, old, not good enough, not rich enough, don t know how to start, it s too impossible, your dream is silly, you could never do that, etc. Dear friend, lay all these fears (and excuses!) at the feet of Jesus. Remember the old hymn, Just as I am? The middle of the lyrics say: Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt, Fightings and fears within, without, God wants to use you just as you are! Come to Him today and tell Him that you desire to fulfill your purpose and be used by Him. He couldn t wait for you to tell Him so He and you could start to fulfill your great destiny! Don t let fear or doubt hold you back anymore. Step up into your purpose today. Take one small step of faith. Just like Peter did, when Jesus told him to come to Him on the water. Peter had to get out of the comfort zone of that boat. He put one foot out on the turbulent waves, and then the other and then began to walk. He was walking on the water a feat no other disciple had done! As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he could walk and not sink!
Let water-walking faith begin to rise in your heart. God wants to use you in incredible ways, dear friend! Remember too, that what is incredible to God is not the same as what we think it is. Maybe you are a stay-at-home mom, nursing your crying baby, and you think you are not doing anything important, taking care of little demanding kids, trying to keep the house clean (some days!), and attempting to cook some kind of nutritious dinner again. In God s sight what you are doing is VERY important. You are fulfilling the great commission making disciples. You are shooting God s arrows forth His warriors. You are praying over little people who will one day be missionaries, teachers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, paramedics, firemen, engineers, construction workers, accountants, preachers, or God knows what, for Christ! You are doing a great work for Jesus! Whatever purpose God has called you to do, He will help you and equip you. It will be fulfilled in His perfect time. Maybe you feel that you ve been waiting and waiting to do the things that are in your heart to do for God and nothing is happening. Oh, I do relate, friend! Our oldest daughter Heather, Ray and I have been praying for years to go to Africa for a short-term missions trip. But God s time schedule is much different from our own. I always think God is SO slow! But He s always right on time, even when it s the midnight hour! Take heart. Your times is in HIS hands.
We can begin today, with one small step of faith like Peter. If it s a missions trip, we can begin studying and praying for the country where we desire to go; maybe learning the language; saving money or doing fundraisers. If it s writing a book, we can start writing one chapter a day or week. If it s public speaking, we can begin preparing our teachings, attending Toastmasters or taking speaking courses, talking to successful speakers to learn from them. If it s working with children, we can volunteer to teach Sunday school or at the local Christian school as a substitute teacher. We can start today, one step at a time. God will light the path for us as we lean on His wisdom and understanding for our future and our life purpose. As we seek God in prayer, His word, and worship, He will lead and guide us on the right path. He will show us what He desires us to do for His kingdom and His glory. He will bring people into your path who are divine appointments, to help you, coach you, mentor you, encourage you, teach you, and pray for you. If you feel that you don t know what it is that God is calling you to do or it s vague and fuzzy right now, God will give you clarity and wisdom as you seek Him. What God desires from you is your faith in Him!
Find some prayer partners to pray with you, encourage you, support and believe in you. Meet at the local Starbucks or for lunch, call each other on the phone, email or tweet to lift up each other and spur each other on in your dreams. Iron sharpens iron. Avoid negative nay-sayers who are critical and tell you how you can t possibly fulfill your silly, ridiculous dreams. There is enough negativity in the world; you don t need more to discourage you! Surround yourself with positive people. Meditate on God s word and be like King David, who encouraged himself in the Lord. God wants to help you achieve your dreams and fulfill your life purpose. He is the one who put that purpose inside of you for HIS glory! Today, step up into your purpose. What are you waiting on? I am here cheering you on, and so is God! You can do it! Copyright 2010 elizabethdjones@gmail.com Did you enjoy this pdf? Sign up today for my personal mailing list at and receive a free special report, Keys To Intimacy, plus bonus goodies like articles, audios, ebooks, the latest updates and much more! Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/refreshingwater Like my Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/kansas-city- MO/Beth-Jones-Christian-SpeakerWriter/187518037922?ref=mf Just as I Am hymn lyrics by Charlotte Elliott:
357. Just as I Am, Without One Plea Text: Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871 Music: William B. Bradbury, 1816-1868 Tune: WOODWORTH, Meter: LM 1. Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, 2. Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, 3. Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, 4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all I need in thee to find, 5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, 6. Just as I am, thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down; now, to be thine, yea thine alone,