Day 17: A Place to Belong

Today was a difficult day. I had a long day at work, including a child throwing several objects in my face and at my head. Then I went to Costco with all the boys by myself and lost my car keys and the receipt. In the end everything worked out, but suffice it to say, it was a bit of a stressful day. I hope each of your days was better … 

I've been in church practically my whole life. I can tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. I always think of church as a hospital, for people who need healing in their lives and in their heart. That's why I am there. I agree with Rick Warren that God created us with a need for belonging. The church offers us a place to belong. 

Don't be fooled into thinking that the church is a place for angels or just a place full of hypocrites, instead think of it as a place for people who are on a journey together where they fall, make mistakes and help each there get up. Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Doing it alone, this journey of life, is difficult. So God has given us His Spirit and His family to encourage us along. 

For more resources check out www.purposedriven.com/day17

Day 16: What Matters Most

Life is about Love. I never thought about it this way. If you would have asked me, before I read this I would have said many things, but love was definitely not at the top of my list. Of course elements with love, like my kids, my family, etc … However, I can see all the pieces that Rick Warren is talking about and how they all lead to love. Jesus stated that the greatest commandment was Love others as you love yourself (Galatians 5:14).

However, for me the challenge is to know true love. I feel that often people are led astray, by what they think is love, but it is not true love. 1 Corinthians 13 describes love to us, a deep, lasting, unwavering, pure commitment. Our love becomes healthy and healed in our relationship with God and then this can be transmitted to others. Then LOVE can be a building block in our lives, a driving force, the expression of our commitment.

Jesus' commandments are about our relationships, so if you are stuck in that mode, where you say it's only me and God and I don't need anyone else, you are missing a large part of an important equation. I like Rick Warren's prayer where he says "God whether I get anything done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving others today." Can you pray over your love for God and others? Many of us have been hurt, and love evokes pain, indifference or aloofness, but we cannot be complete without love.


For more resources check out www.purposedriven.com/day16

Day 15: Formed for God's family

As soon as I read this devotion I thought of the word Koinonia a Greek word used in the bible to mean deep fellowship and sharing, but it goes farther in that is was the inner experience of community and the outer of experience of doing an activity jointly/fellowship. This ultimate harmony is found in the trinity. However, Jesus invites us to join in this fellowship even in our imperfect and fallen state.

As human beings we long to belong to something. Jesus invites us into his family.  This is often a point of contention, because Christians are not different than most people, exhibiting poor characteristics such as hypocritical, selfish behavior. However, the difference is that those that follow Christ, hopefully are on a journey together to be transformed by His teachings, His Spirit and His power.

Paul says "I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given his people." Being part of God's family gives you so much, a priceless inheritance, a hope beyond this world, an eternal family.

Rick Warren asks "How can I start treating other believers like members of my own family? I ask, what can you do to behave like you belong to the greatest family on earth?

For more resources check out www.purposedriven.com/day15

Day 14: When God Seems Distant

I was challenged by this devotion, reminding me that in God's silence there is opportunity for growth. Today we looked at King David (Psalms 51) and Job (Job 1), two men that went through a period of silence with God. David acknowledge his own sin and cried out to God. Job praised God and waited through 37 chapters of silence, while other criticized and he cried out to God. Rick Warren make a good point that all relationships ebb and flow, sometimes through times of great closeness and sometimes through times of distance. However, God's existence and goodness and grace, does not rely on our state or circumstance, but on His unchanging character. God wants us to tell Him how we feel, trust God to keep his promises, focus on God's unchanging nature and remember what he has done for you.

We have been challenged that worship is a lifestyle, where God is praised, prioritized and acknowledged in all we do. Therefore, He should be praised for all he has done. Today a student asked, "how can we praise God in the darkness and in the silence?" The only thing that I can say is to tell your heart, your mind and your mouth that no matter what the situation and circumstance you will praise God, for he is worthy of all praise.

I leave you with my favorite quote from today: "Never doubt in the dark, what God told you in the light."

For more resources check out www.purposedriven.com/day14 

Day 12: Developing Your Friendship with God

My thoughts about Developing your Friendship with God is that our life is built on the monotonous moments of everyday life. We often remember the extraordinary, the day that we got married or the day our child was born or a special trip or when something clicked for you, however life is really built on the everyday choices. The building blocks are made the moment you wake up, with what you allow yourself to think, what choices you make, if you pray, ask God for His direction, treat other with respect, use the bible as your guide for your choices.

The same with friendships, there are great times, but a friendship is built on the everyday, the quick conversations, the walk to the train, the meal at the diner, the person being there when things were hard. Through these moments a friendship is forged. Sometimes people come to my office and they tell me every single intimate detail, I call this emotional vomit. You do it once and you feel better, until the next time you can't take it anymore. You don't really want to come back and talk or work on any issues. This is not a relationship or intimacy. Sometimes we do this with God. We run to Him and tell Him everything or breakdown during a really hard time, but we don't invite him into the everyday. Relationship is forged in the everyday mundane details. Our relationship with God is in how you talk to your mom and how you behave at work, it is in what you do when no one is looking and what you put as a priority.

What are you doing to invite God into your everyday life?

Check out www.purposedriven.com/day12 for more resources.

Day 11: Becoming Best Friends with God

What do you think about when you think of a friend? Some people have positive connotations with the word friend, but many have negative connotations. So, the first thing to look at is your own association and to see that God intended friendship as a strong, positive and loving relationship. Proverbs 17:17 says "a friend loves at all times and a brother is born in adversity." The bible speaks a lot about friendship. If you have never studied friendship through the bible it is a great topic.

God says that he wants to be our friend. He wants the elements of a great friendship. Those elements involve intimacy, time, openness and trust. We build this with God by sharing our life with Him. If you think you are going to get close to God by just going to church every Sunday, you are mistaken. Rick Warren encourages us to constantly share our life and experiences. Also, develop the habit of meditation. To mentally digest, mull over, challenge yourself, explore deeply the meaning of His word.

Rick Warren asks a great question: What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to him more often throughout the day? I'll ask, what is one thing you can do this week to encourage yourself to think more about God? Can you write  a verse that you want to plant inside of you and keep it on the computer, on your phone? Can you take out 15 minutes to pray and meditate, etc … Think about one thing.

Day 10: The heart of worship

"Give yourselves to God … surrender your whole being to him and be used for righteous purpose."Romans 6:1 (TEV)

So, if the heart of worship is not singing the latest songs, then what is it? Rick Warren challenges us to look deeply at true worship and that true worship=surrender. I agree that in our culture the word surrender is negative, implies, losing, giving in and giving up. However, in the heavenly realms it is only in our surrender to God that we can find our purpose, peace and joy.

I was struck by Rick Warren's statement "look at Christ with his arms outstretched on the cross saying, "I love you this much! I'd rather die than live without you."" It's true, this is what Jesus said and did for each and everyone of us. "I'd rather die, than live without you." So, if Christ's love is so deep what prevents us from total surrender. Rick Warren says three things: fear, pride and confusion.

In order to surrender you just need to walk through it. There is no magic, no guarantees, no 3 steps or 7 promises. It is believing what God is saying and walking in it. Many of you know that when we came to Antioch, Noel was working for a large firm making a six figure salary. I had it all planned out in my head. I remember the process and that I was not in agreement with Pastoring a church, but Noel refused to do it without my consent and commitment. I asked God to speak to me and he did, very clearly. I remember that there was no way to keep the two lives, the corporate life and the Pastor life. With a one year old and a new mortgage, that was several thousands of dollars more than the salary he was offered, we just took the plunge and just believed that the God that was directing our path, would supply our needs. I was scared and I was worried and I wasn't sure how things would work out, but I just walked ahead and believed. Ten years later I can stand strong and say that God has been more than faithful. It wasn't the way I planned it, but it has been great. That is hindsight, when you are doing it all the fears and anxieties rear their ugly head. 

I wish there was an easy way to surrender. Surrender means to believe in God, to walk in his promises. It means to walk away from things that are not edifying and to challenge relationships, to place everything from your career, to your education, to your job and your friends in His hands. It means commitment to pray and seek God.

Recently, Matthew and I went to open up a bank account for him. However, he was concerned that the bank account was linked to me. He wasn't sure if I wouldn't "steal his money." The only thing that I could say to Him was that I loved him and that he needed to trust me. He said to me, "even though my brain is saying don't trust you, I'm going to do it." This is  similar to surrendering to God, our brain and heart screams all the reasons why not to move forward, but if we just do it, we will see how immense and good is His love.

Check out purposedrive.com/day10 for more resources.

Day 9: What makes God smile

Often our parents shape the way that we engage with authority figures. Many of us have been hurt and have made pacts with ourselves regarding whom we will trust and what we will do. However, when it comes to God, we cannot engage in the same way.

Everything that we have learned about engaging with others must be put aside. When we met, someone talked about fear as an obstacle. This devotion makes me think, even with the fear, go! It is not that we do not question or may not be anxious or even afraid, but that we allow those emotions to drive us. The people that choose to worship God and that do his will are not somehow devoid of these feelings, but they do not let these feelings paralyze them.

Rick Warren give us 5 things that bring pleasure to God, when we:
1. Love Him
2. Trust Him
3. Obey Him
4. Praise Him & Thank Him
5. Use our Abilities

Do you do these things? In what areas do you need to trust God? What do you separate as secular and spiritual? What do you need to reframe and look at differently, saying All things bring honor and glory to God. If you cook, cook for God, if you sing, sing for God, if you clean, clean for God, if you draw, draw for God. You get it, so where do you stand in your walk?

Day 8: Planned for God's Pleasure

We'll obviously this is late. A stomach virus has ravaged the Garcia home, thank God I'm fine, but everyone else was hit. However, that hasn't stopped me from moving ahead. I loved the devotion for Day 8. Especially about worship, Rick Warren says that worship is as natural as eating or drinking. All throughout history we encounter cultures that worship. Even when the state places sanctions against worship, people will hide and sneak and engage in subversive activities to worship.

I agree with Rick Warren, that we often confuse worship with singing, but worship is an state. We are in worship, worship is the lens through which you do things, the value that you give them. I often say that I don't work for my principal or my school, I work for God. All that I do, I do in an attempt to worship Him, weather it's speak to a parent or help a child or advocate for someone or complete paperwork, I do it to honor God.

How do you view worship? Isaiah 29:13 says "And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.^{[c]" God is looking for people that worship Him in their spirit throughout their everyday life. What does that mean, that means, thinking about God, praising Him, asking Him for direction and doing everything with the lens to honor God. In the Message, in Romans 12:1 it states "}Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out."

So, what can you start doing today, as if you are doing it for Jesus? 

Day 7: The Reason for Everything

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord has made everything for his own purpose.

I was struck by one of the comments of Rick Warren, he stated that "in the entire universe, only two of God's creations fail to bring glory to him: fallen angels and people." Wow, everything else, all of creation brings him glory.

So the question is how can I live to bring God glory? Even Jesus in John 17:4 says "I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail, what you assigned me to do.(The Message) " Jesus sought The Father's will and to earnestly compete every detail.  How can we also strive to such a task?

Rick Warren breaks down the 5 ways to bring glory to God.

1. by worshiping Him
2. by loving others
3. by becoming like Christ
4. by serving others with our gifts
5. by telling others about Him

Are you living to bring glory to God? If not what can you do to embrace these ways to bring glory to God?

If you want to check out additional resources you can go to www.purposedriven.com/day7

Day 6: Life is a temporary assignment

Have you ever done something hard? Have you ever done something you feel like you're not sure you will get through? I remember when Matthew was born I had such a hard time breastfeeding him. He was struggling, I was struggling and I wasn't sure what to do. I remember hiring a lactation consultant and she asked me to try her suggestions for 10 days. I remember telling myself over and over, I can do anything for 10 days. The temporary nature of my goal allowed me to get through a hard time. In my focus of the short term goals, I was able to learn a lot and went on to BF Matthew for a year.

This passage made me think of that experience. If our perspective is a temporary one, then our perspective changes, because we know that this is not it. Psalms 39:4 Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered and that my life is fleeing away." When hard times come I always tell myself, this too will pass. If I don't get something i want now, I know that I have greater rewards in eternity.

Do you have an eternal perspective? If yes, how does it affect your daily life? If not, what do you think would change, if you changed your perspective? Have you had an experience where the eternal perspective has helped you get through?

Check out www.purposedriven.com/day6 for additional resources.

Day 5: Seeing Life from God's view

Hi my friends, 

I enjoyed this reading and thought about my metaphor for life. I think life is a marathon. I value endurance and persistence. I always think about the long term. I may slow down, but I don't stop. This perspective has definitely been shaped by the bible. In Hebrews 12:1-2 it says "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." 

What is your metaphor for life? How has this metaphor impacted your perspective? Has your metaphor ever changed? 

Rick Warren gives us three metaphors to think about. Life is a test, Life is a trust and life is a temporary assignment. I think that when we begin to embrace the ideas and metaphors the bible gives us, it provides a framework for looking at life and giving meaning to our expreinces. 

The purpose driven life website has some great questions today to help you think about your life metaphors. Check out http://purposedriven.com/day5/. 

Day 4: Made to last forever

Eccl 3:11 God has planted eternity in the human heart. To think about an eternal perspective is to shift our perspective completely. I recently saw a picture on FB with twins inside a womb and one was telling the other about a world outside the womb and the other said, no that could never be. It is similar to our position, this life gives us an opportunity to develop a relationship with God and to make some choices. We are preparing for eternity. What if we are like the fetus in the womb, our mind struggles to comprehend eternity.

What would you change if you had an eternal perspective? What would I stop, what would I start, what would I invest in and what would I let fall by the wayside?

If your struggling to keep up with your reading check out http://purposedriven.com/day4/.

Day 3: What Drives your life?

What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? Take a moment to think about this. What would your family and friends say?

I remember many years ago a nun, who deeply impacted my life, passed away. I was so inspired by her life. She lived for others, she touched thousands of lives and made them better. One woman changed the course of my life and of Noel's life, Sister Mary Geraldine. Sister G, as she was affectionately known, was the director of a program we both worked in, but it was more than just a job it was her life's purpose. I can still remember her caring and her love, her tireless work and when I thought about a driven life, I thought about her. She loved teens, loved kids and loved the community. She was so focused in her mission that it has been over 15 years that she passed away and I still see the fruit of her work.

Think about Nick Vujicic, he has no arms, no legs, but he found his purpose and allows that purpose to drive his life. http://youtu.be/8jhcxOhIMAQ If you hear his story it wasn't always easy, he struggled through depression and thoughts of suicide. He heard his own voice tell him he would amount to anything, but he found Jesus and a life driven by the passion of purpose is powerful.

Now you may be thinking, it's too late for me, I don't even know where to start, that could never be me, but you can start by looking at what is the driving force now. What do I spend my time and energy on? Is this in line with where I want to be? Challenge yourself.

Paul said it best in Philippians 3:13, 14 "I am focusing all my energies on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on …"

Take some time t think about this and pray … God I may not have let you be the driving force behind my life. There were many things that distracted me and stood in my way. I really want to change that, to let go of the past, the resentment, anger, the ned for approval and fear that keep me stuck. Help me to move forward even when I am afraid or I hear the doubt. Amen

Day 2: You are not an Accident

This is an interesting day because I was very deliberate, my brother was a little over a month old and he was in critical condition. He was literally dying in my parents arms. The doctors gave him weeks if not days to live and they said to my parents that they should have another child right away to replace the one they were losing and voila, here I am. Except that things didn't work out the way the doctors thought and then my mom was pregnant and my brother remained critically ill and when I came along, although he was no longer in critical condition he was seriously ill and was severely impaired. It's now a joke that the two alcoholics that lived upstairs from my apartment were my babysitter's, but that was the reality of the need.

And despite this, there are no accidents. Psalms 139 is one of my favorite Psalms and I repeat it to my boys many times. "You know me inside and out, you know my every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something." Psalms 139:16

I don't know your story, but I know that you are not an accident and that "All things work together for good, for those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28.

Have you every felt that you were an accident, that you shouldn't be here? Has it been a struggle to believe that God created you with a very deliberate purpose in mind, like an artist, who doesn't finish his painting until it is perfect or the singer who doesn't stop singing until he hits the right note?

Day 1: It all starts with God

Welcome to this journey.

As I read day 1 the two things that stuck out the me were this idea that I was made for God and not God for me and that being successful and fulfilling your life's purpose are not one and the same. To give up control and be willing to seek out God's purpose for me may be somewhat scary, but it is a journey unlike any other, where the end is already known. We have already been declared victorious, free and able.

You'll get out what you invest in … think about this "Everything got started in Him and finds it's purpose in Him." Col. 1:16 (MSG)