TonyScott.org

Living a Life of Purpose

C.S. Lewis said, “The command ‘be you perfect as I am perfect’ is not impossible for us to accomplish.  God is going to make us into creatures who can obey that command.  If we let Him, if we choose, He will make the filthiest and feeblest of us into a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating throughout with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly His own boundless power, delight and goodness.  The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for.  Nothing less.  He meant what He said.”

When we come to know intimately Jesus Christ, as new creations, there are no limits to what we may become.

The amazing thing about God in His relationship with us is that He gives what He commands.

God has indeed called us to live a life of holiness – you shall be holy for I am holy.

Spurgeon said that “holiness is the architectural plan upon which God builds up His living temple.”

It is His command and His plan that we be holy.  Our English word “holiness” comes from a root word which means whole, complete, health, sound, perfect in potentiality.

The power to grow and become like God is implanted in us at the beginning of our lives.  A seed of spiritual excellence is buried within just waiting on light and fire to come to life.

Ephesians 5:1:  Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].  Not only do we possess an innate capability of becoming like God, but the self-same energy that makes God holy dwells in us and blends itself with our life.

Since His life is within us, no limit can be put on our spiritual development.

Our Longing for Belonging

There are four things we know about people who become whole. 

1. Heal their hurts:

The purpose behind healing your hurts is to protect you from repeating the pain of your past in your present relationships.

Every relationship, in a sense, gives you another chance to resolve issues you didn’t get squared away in a previous one.

2. Remove their mask:

In learning to be whole, we must also take off our mask.

We vacillate between the impulse to reveal ourselves and the impulse to protect ourselves.  We long both to be known, and to remain hidden.  The primary reason we wear our mask is to guard against rejection.

If we wear our mask long enough, we may guard against rejection and we may even be admired, but we’ll never be whole.  We’ll never enjoy true intimacy.  If you are ever to achieve personal wholeness, it will be because you have the courage to drop your guard, take off your mask, and be real.

3. Sit in the driver’s seat:

It’s so easy to be passive – to move through life simply reacting to outside forces.  We watch the scenery flash by as life happens around us.  We show up, sit back and let fate determine our destination.

When it comes to achieving wholeness, to building a solid sense of identity and self-worth, we want something to happen to us.  But self-worth comes from hard work; it is earned.  You will never achieve it as a mere passenger; you must sit in the driver’s seat.

Everyone should have a personal statement of purpose and a small set of meaningful goals.  Your purpose will set your course, and your goals will serve as your road map to becoming the person God created you to be.

4. Rely on God:
You will never maximize your potential for healthy relationships until
you’ve learned to rely on God to meet your ultimate needs.

All of us look to relationships for a deeper level of personal fulfillment. 
We dream of relationships that will complete our need for significance. 

But only God can ultimately and consistently love us when we are moody, when we make mistakes, and when we feel rejected and unloved by the person we counted on the most.

The Psalmist said in 73:26 – My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart. 

I John 4:12 says – God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.

The beautiful thing about relying on God is that He instills hope within our hearts.

Prayer…it’s not just an activity

From the war front in Iraq, we have learned that thousands of land mines were buried in the sand in order to kill and injure American and coalition soldiers.

Finding those who know where they are buried or using technical equipment is a safeguard against this weapon.

Life has some “land mines” that can wreck or destroy our lives.

Suppose you as a soldier had to cross a field full of buried land mines.  A person who knew where each of them was buried offered to take you through.

Would you say, “I don’t want to be told what to do; I don’t want you to impose your ways upon me”?

Knowing that person could save my life, I’d stay as close behind him as possible.  I certainly would not chart my own course.

Jesus has given us the church as an instrument of instruction, guidance and protection.

Anything significant that happens in your life will be a result of God’s activity in your life.

The fuel, energy and life of the church is prayer.  Prayer is a relationship – not just an activity.  It is designed more to adjust you to God than to adjust God to you.

God doesn’t need your prayers, but He wants you to pray because of what He wants to do in and through your life.

We often think of prayer as an outlet for expressing what we need – a cry to God for help.

But prayer is the asking of God to fulfill His needs through us.

God’s original thought is not the letting of believers to achieve their own aims through prayer, but God accomplishing His purpose through the prayers of believers.

God wants to meet our needs and will as it relates to His purpose.

Prayer is responding to God’s will since He seeks our cooperation with Him.

Ordinary prayer is praying from earth to heaven.  Commanding prayer is praying from heaven to earth.

Will you be praying with me?