“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Psalm 139:23-24 ESV
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”
1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.””
Genesis 4:7 ESV
Now what’s funny is I was trying to pick from them which one I was going to share but I couldn’t share one without the other because the words I heard today was “intentional” and “purpose”. Because the enemy wants so bad for us to fall he will stop at nothing to keep us from walking and living in God’s will so we have to be intentional in our living. As Bishop said we have to “live life on purpose”. While God examines our hearts we also have to search ourselves and see ourselves the way God sees us and live intentionally. There is so much freedom in knowing who we are in Christ, embracing God’s will as your own and intentionally walking in it.
How can we be intentional or live life on purpose? I’m so glad you asked!
Be Intentional with your time and worship. Regardless of your schedule you have to set aside time for God. I noticed that God was waking me up at a certain time so I now intentionally get up at that time to give that time to God. Reading His word. Praying and sitting quietly with Him so that I can hear Him.
Because I value my relationship with God I’m intentional about the places I go and the company I keep as well as the way I carry myself. I don’t do some of the things I used to do or go the places I used to go. I have no desire to. Now I only want to live my live in a way that’s pleasing to God. My relationship with God means more to me than holding on to my past so I’m willing to let all of that go for the life God has for me.
I want God to know that I’m serious in my walk with Him and that He can trust me. It’s kind of like when we get into a new relationship with someone. Because we really like them and want to show them we are serious about them we carry ourselves a certain way that let’s others know we are in a relationship. This lets the person we are in the relationship with know that they can trust us and it leaves room for the two of you to continue to build your relationship and get closer. We set aside time for them so we can get to know them and they can get to know us and before you know it you’re in a serious relationship enjoying that person and your time together. Just like we intentionally make those moves with our new significant other we need to be just as intentional with God. If you are intentional with God He will show you what He has for you. He will lead you to what He has called you to do and get this; if He leads you to something He is not going to just leave you there. He will provide resources to make it happen. You just have to talk to Him and trust Him and know that He will meet and exceed your expectations (ALWAYS!) if you trust Him. God is generous enough to show us to give us a glimpse or a piece of what’s in store for us to let us know what our lives look like trusting Him and walking in what He has purposed for us.
Let me tell you, when I took the job in the mortgage industry I took it in the mindset that it was to help me pay bills. I was NOT doing anything with mortgages! (When we make plans on our own I’m sure God sits back and has the hardest laugh) It was 1 of 3 jobs that I had taken on because what I thought I was going to do with my life was not exactly working out. I went to beauty school and thought that I would have a career in that industry. I had no idea that I would let go of all but the one job in the mortgage (including the job I had that I went to school for). Me taking on the role in the mortgage industry and solely focusing on that was God preparing me for the life He has for me.
I now have a passion for Real Estate that I would have never discovered had I not trusted God to lead me to it. He literally brought me to it and opened the doors and gave me resources to make it happen. He showed me who I am and what my life is like with Him and I am SOLD! I don’t want anything else! Just like He did it for me He can do it for you!
The enemy is hoping that we don’t recognize ourselves and is hoping that he can hinder us from receiving all that God has for us. We have to recognize not only who we are but also whose we are and live intentionally and accordingly. We have to walk in our purpose, on purpose! Don’t let fear of not knowing or fear of failure stop you from being intentional! God has given you purpose for a reason! Someone is waiting on you to be intentionally great so live life intentionally and walk boldly in your purpose!
“To know your purpose, you must listen. To live your purpose, you must learn. To fulfill your purpose, you must lead.” -Anonymous
