Are You Fulfilled? (3)
“I delight to do Your will, O my God.” Ps 40:8 NKJV
To keep your dream alive and find fulfillment in the pursuit of it, you must allow yourself to keep dreaming. God gave Joseph two dreams: in the first, other sheaves of wheat bowed down to his; in the second, other stars bowed down to his. Note, he dreamed progressively higher, from sheaves to stars. Most creative people intuitively understand the importance of dreaming as a process for inspiration, motivation and fulfillment. George Lucas, creator and producer of the movie Star Wars, says one thing that kept him and his colleagues going during the difficult times was this: “We were always dreaming of how it was going to be.” If you are not a naturally creative person, then you have to learn how to keep dreaming. And if you can do it with a sense of humor, that doesn’t hurt. There’s a story about a student riding a bicycle on a college campus. On his tee shirt was the message: “I am going to be a doctor.” On the bike was a sign that also had a message: “I am going to be a Mercedes.” That’s somebody who had learned to keep dreaming! Andrew Carnegie, who was a Christian philanthropist during the early 1900s, said, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.” In other words—keep your dream alive and it will keep you alive. When David said, “I delight to do Your will, O my God,” he simply meant you’ll find your highest fulfillment in doing what God put you on this earth to do.
Published on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 @ 11:21 AM CDT
Are You Fulfilled? (2)
“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be…rewarded.” Heb 10:35 NIV
Consultant Dan Sullivan talks about the difference between our “ideals” and our “actuals.” He says, “The ideal is a picture we create of future desirable events and situations that enables us to move forward in time. The ideal does not actually exist outside our minds, nor is it achievable.” Why? Because it depends on everything being perfect. Life is, at best, messy. It’s filled with surprises—both good and bad. If you need the ideal picture of your dream to come into being in order to feel fulfilled, you will never be fulfilled. That doesn’t mean you should cast aside your ideal vision. It is useful for helping you to establish goals, find internal motivation, and strive for excellence. However, you also need to temper it. Where idealistic dreams expect to be realized immediately, realistic dreams make you appreciate the time it takes for them to become a reality. Where idealistic dreams do not tolerate anything less than perfection, realistic dreams leave room for you to be human and imperfect. Where idealistic dreams set you up for disappointment, realistic dreams set you up for success. The man who never made a mistake, never made anything. Indeed, the man who never made a mistake probably gets his salary from the one who does. The reason God doesn’t whitewash His heroes in the Bible is to let you know that in spite of your flaws, He can use you to accomplish great things. You say, “But am I not supposed to work on my weaknesses?” Yes, but you’ll only succeed in what you’re called to do by working from your God-given strengths.
Published on Monday, May 7, 2012 @ 11:35 AM CDT
Are You Fulfilled? (1)
“In due season he will honor you with every blessing.” Ps 37:34 TLB
There is usually a huge gap between the birth of a dream and the achievement of that dream. The question you have to ask yourself is whether it will be a fulfillment gap or a frustration gap. If it’s a frustration gap you’ll be miserable most of the days you’re in it. And every day that you’re frustrated instead of fulfilled, you lessen the odds that you’ll be able to keep moving forward toward your dream. Author Seth Godin calls this gap between when you set out to do something and when you actually start to see significant results, “the dip.” The dip represents the adversity you must face, the learning curve you must go through, and the hard work you must be willing to invest between conception and realization. If the dip you are in seems to be a road without end, here are some Scriptures you need to stand on: “Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing.” “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Heb 10:35-36 NIV). “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2Co 4:18 NIV). God has promised you more than just the fulfillment of your dream; He has promised joy in each step you take toward it.
Published on Sunday, May 6, 2012 @ 11:28 AM CDT
Four Ways to Build a Relationship with the Lord
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.” 2Pe 3:18 NKJV
First, make up your mind. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by osmosis. You don’t just wake up with it one morning, you have to set your heart on it and make it your highest priority. Otherwise it won’t happen. “The Bible says: “Let not that man suppose he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jas 1:7 NKJV). Second, break up your will. Until your will is surrendered to God and brought into alignment with His purposes, you will go in circles spiritually. Israel went in circles in the wilderness for forty years, yet they were only eleven miles from the Promised Land. Don’t let that happen to you. “Now may the God of peace…make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight” (Heb 13:20-21 NKJV). Third, wake up your faith. Obey the leadings of God’s Spirit. Don’t be afraid, He will not let you down. Just make sure you don’t let Him down. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is…a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb 11:6 NKJV). Fourth, take up your cross. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Mt 16:24-25 NKJV). If you’re serious about building a relationship with the Lord, do these four things.
Published on Saturday, May 5, 2012 @ 11:50 AM CDT
The Benefits of Making Jesus “Lord”
“No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1Co 12:3 NKJV
Making Jesus “Lord” of your life means that He must have the first and last word in all things that concern you. It means you are called to walk with Him, to prove yourself valuable to Him, to please Him and do what He wants, when He wants it, and in the way He wants it done. Here are three great benefits that come from putting Jesus behind the wheel and making Him “Lord.” (1) When you don’t know what to say, He will tell you. “The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I may know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away” (Isa 50:4-5 NLT). (2) When you can’t defend yourself, He will fight for you. “The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me…they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident” (Ps 27:1-3 NLT). (3) When the burden feels too heavy, He will carry it for you. “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall” (Ps 55:22 NLT). And these three benefits are yours when you make Jesus “Lord” over every area of your life.
Published on Friday, May 4, 2012 @ 11:38 AM CDT
