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40 Days of Purpose - Day 30 - Shaped For Serving God
johnny2k.com — We each have unique gifts given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. God designed each of us uniquely for His specific purpose for our lives. In this chapter, we learn that each of us are designed with a combination of five factors, an acrostic called SHAPE. This chapter discusses the first two, your Spiritual gifts and listening to your Heart.
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- johnny2k, on 07/03/2008, -0/+4Tonight, I must make a confession. In all humbleness, I have had to get on my knees and pray, and talk to God. I know that I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. (No, you don't have to know what they all were.) But there is one I CAN tell you about that directly relates to this particular post.
My confession, or confusion, comes from knowing that I may have some talents on loan from God, and I've always been willing to use those for God's purpose. But, when it comes to employment - in order to make a living - I've ended up on the short end of the stick, so to speak. In fact, in doing what I believed was the right thing to do, I've actually lost jobs, or not have been promoted, or failed to do whatever it takes that makes some people have "successful careers".
But then, every morning, I have to look at that dude in the mirror. And I ask myself, should I remain a "failure" all of my life? Is there something that prevents me from using my abilities to make a living? Would it be bad for me to use what God gave me to make a better income? Or any income at all?
These are the questions I have been asking of God, and I'm still waiting for His answer. I continue to ask if this is what He wants my life to be like, in periods of destitution, or is there something He can lead me to where I can finally get ahead? I ask Him, that "wouldn't it be great if I found success so that I could teach others how to get out of hole (that we most likely dugg for ourselves)"?
While I'm pretty sure my current doom and gloom attitude would be reflective of the way this Wolrd now operates, I would think that there are many Christians out there that can offer me some good advice, and help me out of the current funk that I'm wallowing in. Yes, that's the question. Is there a way where I can use the skills I have been given without compromising to the point where I have to live by the World's values?- camelseye, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2Psalm 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him...
Ps 119:67, 71
Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now I have kept your word.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn your statutes. - Harvester1, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2Hey, John! Failure, my friend, is a relative term. In these last days, I'm afraid the enemy is attacking a good many Christians on a financial level because it strikes at the very heart of the American feeling of self worth. Can you use your God-given abilities to make money? Of course. And yes, you may at times be passed over because you hold truths that make some people feel uncomfortable, or because you cannot do what the Lord has forbidden. I'm not sure you'll be rakin' in the dough, but a failure you're not! God will see you through the hard times. Paul said "And my God shall supply all of my needs through His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." What you do on your site is more important than any paying job you will ever have. God will honor that.
- GlobalistShill, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2I'd like to share the following excerpt from 'The Toltec Teachings' by Theun Mares. It is obviously not from the Bible, but it resonates with me. My apologies if you feel it is not appropriate:
"Man's destiny is to learn by experiencing all of the countless possible manifestations of life contained within the universe.
In the beginning, no man ever knows what is entailed in learning because he does not know what it is to be a man. Thus he desires rewards which are mostly in conflict with his destiny and which therefore cannot be materialized.
The warrior is a man who fights for his freedom from social conditioning; for his freedom to think and decide for himself; for his freedom to move his assemblage point at will and thereby access any view of the world he may choose; and above all, for his freedom to enjoy his life and the abundant experiences it brings him. To live one's life in this way does not mean that all one's desires are automatically fulfilled, for this depends upon one's destiny in a particular lifetime. But it does mean that one's destiny, whether it is to be wealthy and to live in a mansion, or whether it is to lead a humble life in a small home, will unfold peacefully and quietly. In that quietness of life one finds the joy and wonder which springs from knowing that one is walking a Path with a Heart, for the heart is ever where our true destiny lies. Before we have come to know who we really are and what our true fate in this life is, we always have a great many wishes and desires which we believe will make us totally happy should they be fulfilled. But when our destiny finally unfolds we are always, without exception, struck by the beauty and wonder of it all. Even in our wildest imaginings we can never dream up anything even remotely as good and as exciting as our own true destiny.
The warrior is a man who has learned to love life and all the many richnesses it brings him - most of all the path where he walks. There is for the warrior no greater joy than to walk a path with a heart. On this path he walks, thrilled by the wonder of it all, and in his joy he gives thanks in his heart for this marvellous privilege by embracing everything he encounters with love and gratitude."- johnny2k, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2My gratitude to you, globalistshill. It was totally appropriate. Thank you very much!
I liked this:
"Even in our wildest imaginings we can never dream up anything even remotely as good and as exciting as our own true destiny"
A lot of my - no, OUR - prayers are being answered as I write. First, I feel very much uplifted. Second, I'm not going to give up (we all knew that, anyway....), but the strength to persevere is growing, and I owe it all to the Lord. Third, because of all my friends, my prayer warriors, I am starting to regain my confidence and reinforce my Faith that all will be good in the end! This could have been the best thing to ever happen to me!
All I can say is hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Thank you all for your comments!
- johnny2k, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2My gratitude to you, globalistshill. It was totally appropriate. Thank you very much!
- camelseye, on 07/03/2008, -0/+2Psalm 34:19
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