Lost: A Quest for Meaning

Often times I will hear Christians talking about how they do not fit in, the purpose for their life here. You may have even heard someone say, “I just need to find myself.” Everybody is looking for a place in this world; a place to belong to or to feel welcomed.

For most of us, the answer to that is usually with our family and closest friends. It is easy to find your deepest meaning and purpose when we are surrounded by the joy of loving family members, caring friends who accept you for who you truly are. And then again, maybe for some of us those are the people who make us feel the worst about ourselves. The place that should be safe and inviting is a place filled with disappointment and condemnation.

The truth is that most people who set out on a journey of self discovery typically begin looking in all the wrong places. How many of you know someone who has tried to find their identity at the bottom of a bottle? As if through continual drunkenness and selfish acts of personal mutilation of character are going to reveal to you your “destiny” in life.

Friends, save yourself some time. Let me help you in the pursuit of “self-discovery.” Because most people who end up on this journey and start with all the wrong answers usually tire themselves out to the point that they just don’t care anymore or they will eventually end up at the origin of who they are…just after lots of hurtful trial and error. The truth about the matter is that self-discovery begins with knowing who God is and knowing who you are in relation to God. Once we grasp this massive brain thumping truth, we can really begin to see where we fit it, how our life has so much meaning and how the actions of the world around us my not make sense before but put into context with God’s plan for our lives, we can learn to see things the way He sees things.

I primarily want to discuss this question of “where do I fit in?” or “where is my place in this world?” Because these are pretty simple answers when we go to God’s holy word and see what He tells us our place is.

John 15:19 says “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Jesus is telling his disciples that this world is not meant for you. You do not belong to this world but I have chosen you out of this world. What a privilege it is to know that Jesus himself chooses us from among the billions of people on this planet to be his. Understand, the act of coming to faith did not happen because we are so skilled at discerning truth. No, the bible tells us that Jesus draws us to himself. He chose us before we ever chose him! John 12:32 says, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

So, if we do not belong to this world, then where do we belong? If we can’t even find a place in our own planet, where then can we find peace and meaning? Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

The fact is that as Children of God, as Christians; our home is not among this earth. If you are seeking for a place in this world where you feel you belong…remember you do not belong here! Your home is in Heaven. If you are being persecuted, remember that Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

Okay, so where’s the comfort? How does that make me feel any better? For me, I try to remember and think on Heaven. If we could measure this life in comparison to eternity in Heaven it would sound something like this:

If you could take a measuring tape that had no end and begin to pull it out from your house, down the street to the end of the block, all the way to the end of your town, to the depths and end of your county, your state, all the way across the U.S.A. over the ocean and across the continents wrapping itself all the way around the world and right back to your front porch. Whew…that was long. Now imagine that your life’s existence here on earth amounts to about 1mm on that measuring tape. It can give you a quick reference for how this life we live here on earth, which is not our final home is such a vapor in the role of eternity.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, according to your word in Jeremiah 29:11 you remind us that you have a plan and a purpose for our life. I thank you that I don’t have to live wondering if my life has meaning. I know that I may not always live a purpose filled life but I pray that you would show me your will for my life. Help me to remember that this earth is not my home so when the world surrounds me and I feel out of place, I’ll know; my home is with you in heaven. -Amen

Waiting on God is NOT Sitting Still

Waiting on God is NOT Sitting Still

To "wait" on God entails confident expectation and active hope in the Lord. It does not mean we result to passive resignation. Often we hear people saying that they are waiting on the Lord for answers, or for that promotion at work, a direction in life. Most of the time those same people will result to passive resignation or idleness as that's what most of us assume when we think of waiting.
What do you think of when you hear the phrase, waiting on something? Do you envision someone sitting at a bus stop "waiting" idol for their transportation? Or do you see someone sitting immobile tapping their fingers on a counter as if to say, hurry up already!
Today's blog is to challenge the ever too common misconception of immobile waiting. I feel that when we resign to just slump over and wait inactively, we loose our strength. Like the muscles of the body; if not exercised and stretched will begin to atrophy and loose their strength, so does our spirit and our resolve for what we are waiting for.
In fact, the very idea of strength comes up almost every time "waiting" is mentioned in the bible. In Isaiah 40:31 it reads, "But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." You see the eagle as referenced here and through out the entire scriptures depicts strength that comes from our Lord. In Exodus 19:4 God describes the deliverance of the Israelites as similar to being lifted up on eagles strong wings. And again in Psalms 103:5 David reminds us that the strength of the people who are nourished by God is compared to the strength of the eagle.
If we want to find true strength, we must learn how to wait on God. But as we will discuss here, waiting isn't an inactive gesture as we mostly think of.
Webster's Dictionary describes the word "wait" as a verb. All of us know that a verb by definition is a word that requires positive action. In other words, waiting is kinetic. The top four remarks for "wait" or "waiting" in the dictionary are:
1. to stay in place in expectation of...

2. to serve

3. to be ready and available

4. to attend as servant

In the book of Acts chapter 1:15-26, this gives us a great depiction of how we are to behave during a period of waiting on the Lord. In this example, the 11 remaining disciples were given a promise just before Jesus ascended into heaven. They were told to remain in Jerusalem until the promise was fulfilled. These men were anxious I'm sure of this amazing gift and promise that came straight from the Lord's mouth. Undoubtedly they paced the walls of the upper room in anticipation for the promise of the father. But what is amazing about this story is that they didn't just sit around the house waiting for this thing to happen. They weren't idol in their mission to carry our the work of the new church. No, they got down to business and began to fulfill more of what had been prophesied about. The appointment and replacement of the 12th apostle. You see, when Judas did what he did in the garden, it had already been written. This was predicted centuries earlier by King David. Also, the replacement of Judas' position was prophesied as well.
These men carried out their business and began to organize the church. They nominated men who qualified to fulfill those responsibilities. They did not sit on their duffs. They actively served with expectation and active hope of what Jesus told them was coming. This of course was the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Going back to the dictionaries definition of the word wait, we see that there is a common theme among the examples. I believe that to wait on the Lord is to serve others or to be attendant and available. So often, we shut ourselves down in passive wondering as we wait to see God work in our life that we lose hours and days that could be used serving and growing in our righteousness.
Passive vs. Active Hope:
Anyone out there reading this probably like me has misplaced or lost their car keys or their wallets at some point in their lives. I am always being reminded by my wife that I am prone to lose my wallet. I believe its because the wallet is moved from the place I originally place it but that isn't always the case.
When I lose my wallet I usually end up on a wild goose chase looking through all the areas that I know I commonly leave the wallet. When I do this I am exercising Active Hope as apposed to Passive Hope. You see, active hope states that, "There must be a way and I am setting out to find it," while passive hope declares, "I am confident there is a way so there is no need to go out searching for it." The difference is the utilization of action where my hope is involved. I can say, "Gee, I hope I find my wallet." But if I am saying that from the couch cushion, chances are the fulfillment of my hope being turned into reality is highly unlikely. However, as I look for my wallet, I'm practicing active hope by pursing my desired outcome of finding my wallet.
I want to encourage all of us to become Active Pursuers of Hope as we wait on the Lord. We need to exercise more faith in waiting and find confidence in God's promises. People are much more likely to pursue something if they are confident that they will find it. If we lack the confidence, only given by stable devotion with God then we will be less likely to practice Active Hope.
I recently struggled with this entire idea in my own life. I was given a dream regarding my business and the desire to build Dream Centers all over America. I had prayed that God would make a way for the financial prosperity to be released to me so that I could be a funding vessel to help build God's Kingdom. These dreams were confirmed through many different people and different signs from the Lord. As time went by and certain opportunities that would have fulfilled the financial needs to this dream came and went with no success I began to get very discouraged. In fact, I went through a total depression. I began to breakout in hives all over my body and lost my zeal for....anything really. The problem was that I saw so many ungodly people around me prospering and moving ahead as I was just still sitting here waiting. I didn't understand why these people who were practicing wicked business ethics were getting what I thought was supposed to be mine.I finally realized that I was putting to much glory and emphasis on the dream rather than the one who gave it to me.
In Psalms 37:7 it says, "Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act! Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes."
I was focusing on the wrong things. Instead of worrying about the wrong-doers, I should have been patiently confident as I served others. The words "be still" are not a call to become inactive but rather a command to actively depend on God.
It is my belief that we have the power to serve our dreams into reality. With humble patience and the continued evolution of righteousness in our lives, we can actively serve during our waiting. Instead of groaning and passively doing nothing, we can be like the apostles and begin to organize so that when our dreams are fulfilled, we are ready to move without delay. Prepare your lives for what God is going to do in you. Make ready your heart by devotion and discipleship so that our mind and spirit our ready to receive what the Lord has in store for us. I leave you with this favorite verse of mine.

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Achieving Your Goals

Achieving Your Dreams

By Nicholas Guerard

"To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act." Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

Our society has become ever more increasingly self aware about the measure for what we must attain for ourselves. Take a simple look around you…watch a 30 minute segment of television, you will find that we are constantly bombarded with what the world thinks we should have, need to upgrade to, and when we should do it. I believe this methodology is called, "Keeping up with the Jones'."

Well as for me, I have never met the Jones' and I'm sure they are nice people. But honestly, I am truly tired of trying to keep pace with the ideal of people who do not care about you or even know you for that matter.

I recently was surfing the internet about information on the LA Dream Center. (www.dreamcenter.org/) I have recently become re-energized by the work that this team of people are completing in the inner city of Los Angeles. I found myself watching a viral video from one of Joyce Meyer's programs called, "Enjoying Everyday Life." Her special guest was Pastor Matthew Barnett from the LADC. The messages that they shared on this program was so inviting to my spirit that I had to go back and take notes as I watched it for the second time. I pieced these things together and finally it all made sense. Their topic was about the dream center and all it is achieving for Christ in the gang-ravished areas of LA. They spoke about serving and what God can do through those who are willing to put themselves out there. But what I came away with was much more than all of that. I believe I found some great principals to help us understand how to go about achieving our goals in Christ.

How many of you out there, like me, have motivational posters on your walls, your desktop, etc.? Things like, Endurance, Will Power, Success with all the taglines to go with it. Motivation is critical in any goal achieving diet plan, no doubt. I once heard a colleague say, "Motivation is temporary, it's a waste of time." I thought to myself, "Yeah, so is a shower but it's a good idea to take one once in a while." We all need motivation, that's a fact. But I've found that motivation misdirected can be like hitting a homerun and rounding the bases backwards. It serves no point! Again, there is so much pressure to produce, achieve and accomplish that we fill our minds with positive and motivational (temporary) pick-me-up's to keep us moving on. The problem is that we end up spending our entire lives trying to become successful and focusing on achievement when all we can really do is our very best. God decides what level of success he will grant in our lives dependant on how mature our spiritual walk is. He knows that success for some people is destruction on a plate.

You see it all the time with lottery winners or people who come into instant fame and financial successes. They haven't been taken through spiritual boot camp to develop the necessary characteristics and fruits of the spirit that is required to maintain any form of sanity with a high level of success and fame. For some, that is why we never reach our goals of becoming mega rock stars, or the next great entrepreneur. I believe that God is calling-up a new generation to stop focusing on achieving success, which by the worlds standards truly has no boundaries. Does anyone really know when they have crossed the threshold of success? No, I believe that God is urging us to focus our lives on becoming a "Blessing." The Bible says, "In all thy ways; acknowledge Him." If we would take every opportunity to see how we can be a blessing in each situation we come in contact with, I know that "real" success will inevitably find us by God's mercy and love.

So how does one begin the path to achieving your dreams? Well, if we are looking for a harvest in our lives, then we need to start sowing seeds. Have you ever known a farmer to stand by his field waiting month after month looking for his harvest to come? Sure you have. But what if that farmer never planted any seeds? Would he still expect to reap the rewards of his field? Of coarse not, it just doesn't make sense. Our lives are the same way with the exception that to often people are teaching us to sow seeds into our own soil. I believe that the way to really reap a harvest of plenty is to sow into other peoples soil.

It is so important to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. When we start to build another mans dream; in some way it releases God to begin bringing a harvest in our own lives. This isn't really a new concept but, for some it is really uncomfortable to accept. When we are told by the world that we should not let anyone stand in our way to accomplish our dreams or that it's okay to be selfish if you are pursuing a goal, we diminish God's ability to bring true success in our lives. Robert Solow once said, "It is a good idea to be ambitious, to have goals, to want to be good at what you do, but it is a terrible mistake to let drive and ambition get in the way of treating people with kindness and decency."

Here is a different way to view goal achievement... to give is to get! If we can make generosity our platform from which we launch all dreams, imagine what God can do. If generosity is our stance, our mentality and we sow seeds into "good" soil, it opens up amazing avenues for receiving gifts beyond our expectations. In 2 Corinthians the Bible says that when we give, God increases the fruits of our righteousness. If we would only stop waiting for things to happen in our own lives and start seeking ways to be a miracle to others; God would bless us beyond any self-serving act we can accomplish.

Lets look at life and all the things that come into our care as if it were like a hot potato. If we lived our lives by how quickly we could get ride of the hot potato it would open up a treasure chest for us to get more and be responsible for greater. We've all heard it said, if we are faithful with little, God can entrust us with much. When the treasure chest of blessings come, don't mistaken that for your stock pile of riches. Yes, I believe that God wants us to live abundantly and its okay to have nice things. But, if we only pursue success so that we can just accumulate more "stuff" then what are we really accomplishing.

So many preachers today are focusing on "Prosperity." It talks a lot about prosperity in the bible so I think they are right to preach about it. However, going back to the illustration about misguided motivation, we can fall into the same trap with misguided prosperity. God wants us to be prosperous but He wants us to have prosperity with a purpose. If we, (The Church) cannot be prosperous, how then will God build His kingdom on earth? The last time I checked it isn't free to build churches or feed the hungry. We can't expect the world to pay for those pursuits because they are all chasing their own desires. So then, it brings us back to prosperity with a purpose. That we might be a blessing to others.

This may not be true in every situation but I've found it pretty consistent in my experiences. I've rarely found a person who was truly living and walking with Christ that had "monetary wealth" who didn't have a God given burden for something outside themselves. It's been my experience that when God blesses, usually first he gives you a burden for a need that's yet to be filled. It may be a burden to see lost souls know Christ. It may be ministering to prostitutes that they might know they are valuable in the eyes of God and that He loves them. Whatever it is, I've found that when God breaks our heart with something, usually we should begin to prepare for what He's about to do, because He will always provide for a person who is willing to be the essel.

It is my belief that God is raising up a generation of His church that is going to be the most impacting force of Social Change in America today. There isn't a stimulus bill that can ever come close to the power of a unified body of Christ. So be encouraged and remember that when you sow into others you are never loosing. God will bring about a harvest in your life. It may not come in the way you are expecting. Often times I think we believe that the US Dollar is the only form of currency that God can use to show us prosperity. That's a mistake and we should be fully aware that when we sow, we can reap many types of blessings form Joy, to Peace and Righteousness as well as financial expansion.

People, be encouraged! If you are pursuing a dream today that God has given you remember the principals shared here in this letter. Taken them home and pray about what God would have you do to reach your destined place of success. Find a scripture to support your calling and burry that in your heart (Good Soil).Water it by meditating on His promises and then help someone else get their crop ready for sowing.

God Bless