39 Balancing Your Life

 

 

 

PURPOSE # 5

 

 

You Were Made For A Mission

 

 

The Fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and he who wins souls is wise.

Proverbs 11:30

 

 

39 Balancing Your Life

 

 

Live life with a due sense of responsibility,

not as those who do not know

the meaning of life but as those who do.

Ephesians 5:15

 

Don't let the errors of evil people

lead you down the wrong path

and make you lose your balance.

2 Peter 3:17

 

 

Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone.

One of the events in the summer Olympics is the pentathlon.

It is composed of five events:

pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, running, and swimming.

The pentathlete's goal is

 to succeed in all five areas, not just one or two.

 

Your life is a pentathlon of five purposes,

which you must keep in balance.

These purposes were

practiced by the first Christians in Acts 2,

explained by Paul in Ephesians 4,

and modeled by Jesus in John 17,

but they are summarized in the Great Commandment

and the Great Commission of Jesus.

 

These two statements sum up

what this book is all about—

God's five purposes for your life:

 

1. "Love God with all your heart":    

Your were planned for God's pleasure,

so your purpose is to love God through worship.

2. "Love your neighbor as yourself":

You were shaped for serving,

so your purpose is to show love for others through ministry.

3. "Go and make disciples":          

You were made for a mission,

so your purpose is to share God's message through evangelism.

4. "baptize them into ...":             

You were formed for God's family,

so your purpose is to identify with his church through fellowship.

5. "teach them to do all things ... ":

Your were created to become like Christ,

so your purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship.

 

A great commitment to the Great Commandment

and Great Commission will make you a great Christian.

Keep these five purposes in balance is not easy.

But you can keep your life balanced and on track

by joining a small group for accountability,

by regularly evaluating your spiritual health,

by recording your progress in a personal journal,

and by passing on what you learn to others.

These are four important activities for purpose-driven living.

 

 

Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group.

"As iron sharpens iron,

so people can improve each other."

Proverbs 27:17

We learn best in community.

Our minds are sharpened and our convictions are deepened

through conversation.

Ask, "So what?" and "What now?"

 

"Put into practice what you learned."

Philippians 4:9

You can give and receive feedback about what you're learning.

You can discuss real-life examples.

You can pray for, encourage, and support each other

as you begin to live out these purposes.

Remember, we are meant to grow together,

not separately.

"Encourage each other

and give each other strength."

1 Thessalonians 5:11

I also encourage you to do personal Bible study.

 

Give yourself a regular spiritual check-up.

The best way to balance the five purposes in your life is

to evaluate yourself periodically.

God places a high value on the habit of self-evaluation.

At least five times in Scripture we are told to

test and examine our own spiritual health.

Lamentations 3:40;

1 Corinthians 11:28, 31; 13:5;

Galatians 6:4

 

"Test yourselves to make sure

you are solid in the faith.

Don't drift along taking everything for granted.

Give yourselves regular checkups...

Test it out.

If you fail the test,

do something about it."

2 Corinthians 13:5

 

For your spiritual health

you need to regularly check the five vital signs of worship,

 fellowship, growth in character, ministry, and mission.

"Let's take a good look at

the way we're living

and reorder our lives under God."

Lamentations 3:40

"Let your enthusiastic idea

at the start be equaled

by your realistic action now."

2 Corinthians 8:11

 

Write down your progress in a jouranl.

The best way to reinforce your progress

in fulfilling God's purposes for your life is

to keep a spiritual journal.

"It's crucial that we keep a firm grip

on what we've heard

so that we don't drift off."

Hebrews 2:1

We remember what we record.

 

Dawson Trotman used to say,

"Thoughts disentangle themselves

when they pass through your fingertips."

"At the LORD's direction,

Moses kept a written record of their progress."

Numbers 33:2

The New International Version says,

"Moses recorded the stages in their journey."

 

Our greatest lessions come out of pain,

and the Bible says

God keeps a record of our tears.

Psalm 56:8

Whenever problems occur,

remember that

God uses them to fulfill all five purposes in your life:

Problems force you to focus on God,

draw you closer to others in fellowship,

build Christlike character,

provide you with a ministry,

and give you a testimony.

Every problem is purpose-driven.

 

In the middle of a painful experience, the psalmist wrote,

"Write down for the coming generation

what the LORD has done,

so that people not yet born

will praise him."

Psalm 102:18

You owe it to future generations to preserve

the testimony of how God helped you

fulfill his purposes on earth.

It is a witness that will continue to speak

long after you're in heaven.

 

Pass on what you know to others.

If you want to keep growing,

the best way to learn more is

 to pass on what you have already learned.

"The one who blesses others is

abundantly blessed;

those who help others are helped."

Proverbs 11:25

Those who pass along insights get more form God.

 

Now that you understand the purpose of life,

it is your responsibility to carry the message to others.

God is calling you to be his messenger.

"Now I want you to tell these same things

to followers who can be trusted to tell others."

2 Timothy 2;2b

 

The more you know,

the more God expecdts you to use that knowledge to help others.

"Anyone who knows the right thing to do,

but does not do it, is sinning."

James 4:17

Knowledge increases responsibility.

But passing along the purpose of life is more than an obligation;

it's one of life's greatest privileges.

"If you teach these things to other followers,

you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 4:6

 

 

It's All For God's Glory

 

 

The reason we pass on what we learn is for the glory of God

and the growth of his kingdom.

The night before he was crucified,

Jesus reported to his Father,

"I have brought you glory on earth

by completing the work you have me to do."

John 17:4

 

When Jesus prayed these words,

he had not yet died for our sins,

so what "work" had he completed?

In this instance he was referring to something other than the atonement.

The answer lies in what he said in the next twenty verses of his prayer.

John 17:6-26

 

Jesus told his Father

what he had been doing for the last three years:

preparing his disciples to live for God's purposes.

He helped them to know and love God (worship),

thaght them to love each other (fellowship),

gave them the Word so they could grow to maturity (discipleship),

showed them how to serve (ministry),

and sent them out to tell others (mission).

 

Jesus modeled a purpose-driven life,

and he taught others how to live it, too.

That was the "work" that brought glory to God.

 

Today God calls each of us to the same work.

Not only does he want us to live out his purposes,

he also wants us to help others do the same.

God wants us to introduce people to Christ,

bring them into his fellowship,

help them grow to maturity

and discover their place of service,

and then send them out to reach others, too.

 

This is what purpose-driven living is all about.

Regardless of your age,

 the rest of your life can be the best of your life,

and you can start living on purpose today.

 

 

 

DAY THIRTY-NINE

Thinking About My Purpose

 

 Point to Ponder: Blessed are the balanced.

 

Verse to Remember: "Live life with a due sense of responsibility,

not as those who do not know the meaning of life

but as those who do."

Ephesians 5:15

 

Question to Consider: Which of the four activities

will I begin in order to stay on track and balance

God's five purposes for my life?

 

 

p 305~311

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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