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Religion
God's Vision for Your Life By Pastor Phillip Howle web posted September 1, 2010 RELIGION – What did you want to be when you grew up? Was there any certain job that appealed to you as a kid? Is your current field at all related to what you dreamed about when you were small? I certainly did not dream about being a pastor when I was younger. I did not want to be an overweight guy in an ill fitting suit, who never wore shorts, seldom laughed, and had a comb-over. And no I will not tell you who I am describing. I always wanted to be a paleontologist. I wanted to dig and explore dinosaur bones. I even had a sweet puff paint dinosaur sweat shirt that was killer! Man, I miss puff-paint. But needless to say, my dream did not come to fruition. My passion for dinosaurs and puff-paint faded as God had other plans for my life. Besides, I am fair skinned and all that desert sun would have fried me to a crisp! God later gave me a dream or vision of becoming a pastor in the parking lot of Velux in Greenwood as I was getting off work during the summer before I got married. I knew then that God wanted me to preach. I also knew that accomplishing God’s vision for my life meant that I had to look at my life and count out the steps I had to take over the next few years. First, it meant I had to tell Rebecca, at that time my fiancé that she had to get ready to work and put me through seminary. Which by the way she did pull sixty hour work weeks juggling two and three jobs, and was amazing! I had to apply to seminary, and pray that they would let me in. Then get ready to move, and look for jobs in Raliegh, NC. Then I had to finish seminary, pray God would lead me to a church, and then strive to be the best pastor for God’s glory I could be. I had certain steps to take and continue to take to make God’s dream and vision for my life a reality. God further gave me a dream of being a great Godly father, and has given me two beautiful boys to raise to love Jesus and serve Him. This last dream requires a lifetime of steps to bring into completion. Do you know God’s dream for you life? Do you know what it is that God has called or is calling you to do? I can’t say for certain for each of you obviously. But what I can say is God wants you to be your best in all that you do, so that He receives the glory. This is very clear from 1Corinthians 10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory.” Then Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6:33 “But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” This overarching vision is great because when you achieve this all other areas and responsibilities of your life fall into place. God’s vision will give you direction. It will tell you where to go, it will give you guidance. God’s vision is your spiritual GPS. You can continually ask yourself “will this choice or action help fulfill God’s will and purpose for my life?” If you lack vision and direction you will waste and squander your life never being all that God had in store for you. Paul, when standing before a king in Acts 26:19, said "And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven.” Paul suffered shipwrecks, being stoned, beaten, slandered, betrayed, all to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for his life. Jesus lived with the vision of the cross continually before him as he shows us in Luke 9:51 “When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem.” For both these men nothing would stop them from achieving God’s plan and purpose for their life. So what are you living for? Who are you living for? Will what your doing in life right now bring about God’s full glory through your life? Will you look back as you face and ask the question why I wasted it all? Or, will you be as Paul, who said in 2Ti 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (8) In the future, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.” Or be like Jesus who was able to boldly say knowing He has fulfilled the will of His Father at the cross in John 19:30 "It is finished!" Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” Praying that I fulfill God’s plan and purpose for my life in all areas! Pastor Phillip © Copyright 2010 EdgefieldDaily.com All original
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