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Transcript:
Hello, this is Walking in Step with God, and I am Steve McDonald.
In today’s message, we discuss the opportunity we have to serve God and fulfill our purpose. To serve God in such a way that we allow Him to shape us and mold us and equip us to be used as a vessel for Him and have a positive impact on the world around us.
In our walk with God, one of the most powerful and meaningful things we can do is to seek His purpose for us and make ourselves available for God as He sees fit.
In other words, we position ourselves so that we actively invite Him to reveal to us the plans he prepared for us and then equip us with the wisdom, will, and desire to carry out these plans.
In this posture, we can experience a life of purpose and true intimacy with God. We can experience a level of peace and joy that we could not experience any other way.
Today, let us review 3 ways that God prepares us for our purpose when we posture ourselves to serve Him.
Before we jump in, let’s take a quick break. I’ll be right back
Welcome back. Let’s continue in our discussion on 3 ways that God is preparing us for our purpose when we decide to live out our lives in pursuit of serving Him.
#1 God gives us strength
One of the ways God will prepare us for our purpose in life is to give us strength. There are many areas in our lives where our strength alone may be insufficient in order to truly live a life that pleases God.
We are surrounded by things in this world created by man that may derive pleasure but are not honoring God. Part of our humanness is that we are susceptible to persuasion by lust, greed, envy, and pride, among other things. If we seek God’s help, we can be given strength to resist these temptations.
Often, we become wrapped up in these temptations long before we start our relationship with God. Thankfully, God has the ability to transform us and strengthen us in times of weakness. We can truly realize God’s gifts of strength by ensuring that we are actively participating in resisting these temptations and seeking out God’s assistance every day of our lives.
#2 God reveals our purpose
God has a plan for each of our lives and He wants us to find our purpose and live it out. When we do this, we experience His joy and fulfillment. It is not always easy to find our purpose, but it is worth the effort. God will guide us if we ask Him to.
Learning our purpose in life may be a process of discovery over many weeks, months, or years. This may involve making changes in our lives, such as going back to school, changing jobs, or moving to a new location. It may also involve taking risks and stepping outside of our comfort zone. The sooner we seek God’s revealing of our purpose, the sooner we can be equipped to fully realize the plans that God has in store for each and every one of us.
Do you have an idea of your purpose in life? Ask God to reveal His purpose for you. Ask Him to show you how you can fulfill your purpose and serve Him.
#3 God equips us to fulfill our plans
When we decide to seek out our purpose, God can and will reveal Himself to us in spectacular ways. One of the ways God will reveal Himself is to prepare us to carry out our purpose. Often, we don’t know what we don’t know when it comes to our purpose, but God always does.
If we decide to seek God’s purpose for us, we need only turn to Him to ask Him day by day to equip us, to lead us, and to guide us to His plans for us. When we present this request before God, He will delight in laying out the steps to align us with our purpose.
This process will be different for each and every one of us, but we only need to ensure that we keep our eyes on Him and ask Him to order our steps day by day.
Wrap Up
In this message, we discussed 3 ways that God prepares us for our purpose. We learned that God can give us the strength to turn away from the things of the world that will hold us back from aligning with our plans. We learned that God will reveal our purpose if we seek it from Him. The sooner that we decide to live a life that honors God and His purpose for us, the sooner we will live a life that realizes all that God has in store for us. We also learned that God will equip us with whatever we need in order to fulfill our purpose and His plans for us. We need not worry that we don’t know what we don’t know. God will get us up to speed if we ask.
Do you know your purpose? Do you have an idea of what God has planned for you? I invite you to ask God today and every day for the rest of your life to align you with His purpose and His plans for you. When He shows you, be prepared to adapt and adjust in the ways that are necessary to prepare you for what He has in store. The sooner you seek out the life God has in store for you, the sooner you will gain peace and joy.
Are you interested in discovering more about the guidance offered in this message? Learn more in the companion article Going Deeper with the Word: God Is Preparing You for Your Purpose