Leaving the 99.....
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“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish" Matthew 18:12-14
There is a question I have pondered on and off for the last few years. It is something that wakes me up at night, and causes my heart to beat rapidly in my chest. It has haunted me at times, like a shadow looming over me beckoning me to acknowledge it.
The question is this: What is my purpose?
This question has caused anxiety, fear, panic even in my soul. What if I am not fulfilling my purpose? What if I am not doing....enough?
Some days, I am certain I know my purpose. It seems as clear as a crystal glass. However, other days, I am uncertain of just about everything.
I have asked God, "What can I do for You? How can I be of the most use?"
The answer has not been clear.
Until recently.
I have been reading through the book of Matthew. Inhaling the words of Jesus. Studying His life with a magnifying glass. I want to know Him. I want to really know the Son of God. I want to know the Man that died on a cross so that I could live and be in fellowship with a Holy Father.
His Purpose was so clear. Not once did He ask, "Father, what is my purpose?" He always knew.
How did He know?
He knew because He was in constant fellowship with The Father.
It is only when we stray from Him that we become unclear and confused.
God is not the author of confusion, but the author of Peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33
The purpose was never self-centered for Jesus. It was others-focused.
Notice how He poured His teachings into only twelve disciples. Twelve.
Yes, more followed Him, but He focused on twelve.
When He was walking in a crowd of people, He felt the touch of one woman at the hem of His garment. One woman.
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
She was important to Him. Although she was a nobody by the world's standards, she was a priceless treasure to Jesus.
Jesus didn't look to the world to find His Worth, He looked to the Father.
Jesus wasn't after a good reputation, a huge following, or making a name for Himself...
He was after the hearts of sinners. Like you, like me.
He was after the poor, the destitute, the rejected, the neglected, the leper, the adulterer, the prostitute....
He was willing to leave the 99, to go after the one.
You, are the one.
Wrap your pretty mind around that, sweet sister.
So, as I ask Him, "Lord, what is my purpose?"
I now see that it is discovered in the life of Christ.
The question becomes instead:
Lord, what is Your purpose? What are Your plans?
One little change in the pronoun from "my" to "Your" changes everything.
It becomes a declaration of surrender, of trust, of a heart that desires the Will of God over any selfish ambition of my own.
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have no purpose because we are not "successful" by the world's standards.
I have never written a book. I have never had a publishing opportunity. My blog has not to my knowledge ever gone viral.
If I look for my purpose in numbers or in crowd popularity, I seem to be a complete failure.
But....
What if God wants me to focus on the one, instead of the many?
What if it is a husband who is not aligned with Christ? Or even an unbelieving husband?
What if it is a wayward child whose heart seems to be hardened beyond repair?
What if it is a niece or nephew who has fallen into sin or a destructive lifestyle?
What if it is a sister or brother that is not easy to love and has even turned their back on family?
What if it is a co-worker who needs to know the Hope of Christ?
What if....
God's purpose for us is not found in the many...
But in the one.
What if our purpose is the very same as Jesus' was...
To make disciples of those in our very midst. Beginning with the one.
What if leading your husband to Christ is God's entire purpose for your life?
What if teaching your children to love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, and mind was the reason you, momma, were created?
What if showing the love of Christ to that so very hard to love family member was the reason you are here on this Earth?
Gosh, it sure narrows the road, doesn't it?
Our purpose becomes much more simple.
Simple, yet Holy.
Holy, because it puts the spotlight on Christ, and not ourselves.
That, my friends, is the purpose.
We must learn to disciple and take great care and interest in the life of one. Jesus will handle the multitudes.
finding His purpose,
jill
Subscribe to SHINE emails: Go here.
Prayer Requests: Go here.
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish" Matthew 18:12-14
There is a question I have pondered on and off for the last few years. It is something that wakes me up at night, and causes my heart to beat rapidly in my chest. It has haunted me at times, like a shadow looming over me beckoning me to acknowledge it.
The question is this: What is my purpose?
This question has caused anxiety, fear, panic even in my soul. What if I am not fulfilling my purpose? What if I am not doing....enough?
Some days, I am certain I know my purpose. It seems as clear as a crystal glass. However, other days, I am uncertain of just about everything.
I have asked God, "What can I do for You? How can I be of the most use?"
The answer has not been clear.
Until recently.
I have been reading through the book of Matthew. Inhaling the words of Jesus. Studying His life with a magnifying glass. I want to know Him. I want to really know the Son of God. I want to know the Man that died on a cross so that I could live and be in fellowship with a Holy Father.
His Purpose was so clear. Not once did He ask, "Father, what is my purpose?" He always knew.
How did He know?
He knew because He was in constant fellowship with The Father.
It is only when we stray from Him that we become unclear and confused.
God is not the author of confusion, but the author of Peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33
The purpose was never self-centered for Jesus. It was others-focused.
Notice how He poured His teachings into only twelve disciples. Twelve.
Yes, more followed Him, but He focused on twelve.
When He was walking in a crowd of people, He felt the touch of one woman at the hem of His garment. One woman.
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
She was important to Him. Although she was a nobody by the world's standards, she was a priceless treasure to Jesus.
Jesus didn't look to the world to find His Worth, He looked to the Father.
Jesus wasn't after a good reputation, a huge following, or making a name for Himself...
He was after the hearts of sinners. Like you, like me.
He was after the poor, the destitute, the rejected, the neglected, the leper, the adulterer, the prostitute....
He was willing to leave the 99, to go after the one.
You, are the one.
Wrap your pretty mind around that, sweet sister.
So, as I ask Him, "Lord, what is my purpose?"
I now see that it is discovered in the life of Christ.
The question becomes instead:
Lord, what is Your purpose? What are Your plans?
One little change in the pronoun from "my" to "Your" changes everything.
It becomes a declaration of surrender, of trust, of a heart that desires the Will of God over any selfish ambition of my own.
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we have no purpose because we are not "successful" by the world's standards.
I have never written a book. I have never had a publishing opportunity. My blog has not to my knowledge ever gone viral.
If I look for my purpose in numbers or in crowd popularity, I seem to be a complete failure.
But....
What if God wants me to focus on the one, instead of the many?
What if it is a husband who is not aligned with Christ? Or even an unbelieving husband?
What if it is a wayward child whose heart seems to be hardened beyond repair?
What if it is a niece or nephew who has fallen into sin or a destructive lifestyle?
What if it is a sister or brother that is not easy to love and has even turned their back on family?
What if it is a co-worker who needs to know the Hope of Christ?
What if....
God's purpose for us is not found in the many...
But in the one.
What if our purpose is the very same as Jesus' was...
To make disciples of those in our very midst. Beginning with the one.
What if leading your husband to Christ is God's entire purpose for your life?
What if teaching your children to love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, and mind was the reason you, momma, were created?
What if showing the love of Christ to that so very hard to love family member was the reason you are here on this Earth?
Gosh, it sure narrows the road, doesn't it?
Our purpose becomes much more simple.
Simple, yet Holy.
Holy, because it puts the spotlight on Christ, and not ourselves.
That, my friends, is the purpose.
We must learn to disciple and take great care and interest in the life of one. Jesus will handle the multitudes.
finding His purpose,
jill
