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What is the purpose of your life?
Pastor Arnie Wyllie
South Peace News
Your life is preparation for your eternity. You were not made to last forever, and God wants you to be with Him in Heaven.
One day your heart is going to stop and that will be the end of your body, but not the end of you.
You may live 60-100 years on Earth, but you are going to spend trillions of years in eternity - one place or the other - heaven or hell. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants you to practice on Earth what you will do forever in Heaven. You were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems. You are in one now, you are just coming out of one, or you are getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. You can be reasonably happy here on Earth, but that is not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.
Do you think that life was hills and valleys; you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountain top, back and forth? Rather than life being hills and valleys, it is kind of like two rails on a railroad track. At all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you are going into self-centeredness, which is “my problem, my issues, my pain”. The only way to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. Do not think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease?
Check what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-15: “Remember this - a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And do not give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
For God is the One who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
So, two good things will result from this ministry of giving - the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.
And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!”
You need to ask yourself, “Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes for my life?"
When you get up in the morning, sit on the side of your bed and say, “God, if I do not get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.”
God did not put you on Earth just to fulfill a “to-do list”. He is more interested in what you are than what you do. That is why you are called a “human being” and not a “human doing”.
Happy moments – praise God!
Difficult moments – seek God!
Quiet moments – worship God!
Painful moments – trust God!
Every moment – Thank God!
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