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I
know, LORD, that a person's life is not his own. No one is able to plan his own
course. So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger,
for I would die.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24 NLV). Not
long ago I spent an extended lunch with a friend of mine.
He was going through a very difficult time in his life.
He was asking me for advice. His
wife had left with their three children and had given him her decision to seek a
divorce. It was a complicated
matter that had been dealt with somewhat for over six years. However, the
ultimate question he was asking centered on what he should do. I asked him the
same question I have asked many people through the years: “What do you want to
do?” His reply was very
revealing. He simply didn’t know.
When I further led him to explore what would bring him happiness, it
became obvious that he didn’t have a mission in life. Some people call that passion
“ambition” or “life goal.” It
is different for different people. Some center their lives on popularity, money
and possessions, political power, friends, or peer acceptance.
If we use any of these to determine success or happiness, it will lead to
a very unfulfilled life. By these standards, Jesus could be considered a failure. But he lived by a different standard, and over the centuries his life has influenced billions of men and women. How did Jesus become so successful? He had definite priorities for his life. No matter what problems arose or what people said or did, Jesus focused his time and energy on his priorities. What
are the priorities for your life? Many people scurry through each day with
little or no sense of direction. There always seems to be too much to do. Urgent
or popular things often get in the way of things that really matter to them.
Thus, they feel stressed out and dissatisfied with life. Don't make that
mistake. Decide what is really important to you in the long run. Then focus on
doing the best you can on your specific priorities. Finally, regardless of how
things may look or what others think or do, it is God's view that is important,
not the world's. So, like Jesus, make it your ambition to live each day within
God's will. Measuring life by God's standards worked for Jesus, and it will work
for you too. Ask yourself a serious question: What is there worth giving your life to? Once you have decided what is eternally important. All the other questions fall into an easy order. The answers become very clear. Ask the Lord what He would direct you to do with your life. Write your mission statement for life and then let it be the beacon that directs your path in daily decisions. Get your passion in life clearly defined and success is then only a step at a time away! |
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