Man has searched for life's meaning for centuries. Before I reveal this secret, let me tell you a quick story our pastor shared on Sunday.
Three men were working on a construction site and a reporter decided to interview them. He went to the first man and
asked him what he was doing.
"Laying bricks," the man replied wearily.
Next, the reporter went to the second man and asked him what he was doing.
"Building a wall," the man said with satisfaction.
Finally, the reporter went to the third man. "What are you doing?" he asked the third man.
The third man's face shone with a brilliant smile that lit up his entire
being:
"I am building a cathedral to the Most High God!" he declared.
Do you see the difference?
Each man was performing the same task, but the meaning they ascribed to the task made all the difference in their approach to it.
It’s the same thing with life.
If all life is to you is waking up, eating, going to work, paying bills, watching TV, and going to bed, then it becomes a drudge.
You become weary when you don't ascribe proper meaning to
your daily tasks, much like the man just "laying bricks."
But life is much more than that.
While their
tasks may be the same, a person who has the key to life gets so much more out of it than one who doesn’t.
Are you ready to learn the secret?
It is found in John 17:3. Jesus says,
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
Know Jesus. Know God. That’s the secret.
Now you might be saying to yourself, "That’s it?"
No, my friend. That is Everything.
You might protest: "But I already said the prayer of Salvation!" or "But I'm already serving in
a church ministry!"
That is not what I mean.
Making Jesus your Savior is meant to be the beginning of a
wonderful, daily relationship with God Himself.
Unfortunately, Jesus told us that there are professed Christians – even ones serving in God’s house – who do not know God.
Jesus gave this devastating picture of such people:
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My
Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23)!’”
Don’t miss this.
Just being in the same vicinity of life doesn't mean that you know the One who embodies it. I can be in the same room as the Queen of England. That doesn't mean I know her!
Life in
Christ is not an endless series of religious tasks to perform; it is about a daily relationship that permeates everything you do.
With that second mindset, you wake up every morning with expectation rather than dread. You are excited because you want to know how God will reveal Himself to you personally
today!
When you face challenging situations, you have rock-solid confidence that you aren’t alone in it. The Lord is with you to give you the strength and power to get through it according to this promise:
"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).'"
When you don’t know what to do, you can rest in God’s promise here:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James
1:5).”
This secret is so valuable! Don’t go through another day without living it out.
I urge you follow the
advice in Proverbs 3:5-6:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6)."
Did you get the part about
"acknowledge Him in all your ways"? That’s the daily living part!
Look for God in every situation you face and seek His direction.
So that’s the secret.
Ask yourself, "Am I living out a daily relationship with the most High God? Am I doing what I can do to stay healthy and bring glory and honor to Him in my words and actions?
Don’t take this secret lightly. Use it and watch your world change. Say this prayer of Thanksgiving with me:
"I love you, Father! Thank you for sending Jesus so that I can know the One who created me and loves me without limits. Thank you for guarding me and guiding me every day of my life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce others to You so that they might come to know the secret of life too."
Kimberly Taylor
Take Back Your Temple
P.S. A couple of months ago, I obeyed a directive
that the Lord gave me. He challenged me to donate a portion of all proceeds from the Take Back Your Temple program to an organization that fights childhood hunger.
I was afraid that the fundraising effort would fail. I was afraid of looking foolish. However, I decided to push past my fear and do it anyway.
I'm happy to say that
anyone who purchases the Take Back Your Temple program will be helping a child get healthier and come to know Jesus through our support of the Christian hunger relief charity, Compassion International.
You will change your life, even as you change a child's life.
To learn more about TBYT's new charity initiative, please
visit:
http://www.takebackyourtemple.com/program