Marbles in Glass Jars: Living a Life that Counts in 2012

Philippians 3:8
What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Come over to our house and you will find something new tucked away in the back corner of our bookshelf, behind the picture frame and above the books.  There sits a clear glass jar, and a bag of red marbles in a bag right beside. 

This year we decided to do something tangible as a reminder of what it is that we are really living for day in and day out.  

The past few years I would have to say that our jobs have been considerably demanding.  I- a counselor part time and a stay at home mom, he- a resident working and studying many hours.  On top of this balancing a marriage, maintaining a home (cooking, cleaning, groceries, laundry...) the task of 24/7 parenting, spending time with family, leisure activities, and making sure we also have a social life.  I'm sure you can relate, life can get really busy.  And the busyness can easily take center stage.

I love this passage in Philippians because it's a genuine reminder from a man who accomplished so much in this world- that none of that accomplishment actually matters...in light of knowing Jesus and making Him known. 

Sometimes our worldly tasks become our sole focus- rather than what they were meant to be- only a means to an end.  For us as believers- that end is nothing less than loving God and sharing his love with the world around us.  Everything else we do on this earth is just the avenue by which we get there.  It's just the journey, not the final destination. 


I think sometimes we get too comfortable with this world and our roles in it...not realizing that one day, all of these things will fade away, and only one thing will remain.  

So back to our glass jar.  This jar, for us, is a representation of the things that really matter in this world.  It's a reminder of what we were made to do.  Every time one of us shares the love of Jesus with someone in our lives, we place a marble in that jar as a reminder to continue living this life to store up our treasures in Heaven (and stop worrying so much about our 401K). 

I want 2012 to be a year in which I look back and say that God used me for great things: even if those great things mean smiling at a homeless man, serving at a women's shelter, or praying with a struggling neighbor.  I want to redefine my definition of "greatness" this year, so that it is no longer in line with the things of this world and completely in line with heavenly things.  Great things are in store.  Will you join me?

What a Homeless Man, Me, and John Piper have in common:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

I learn so much from my daughter.  This little 10 month old has so much to teach without even trying.  God uses her in so many ways to help me understand the things that He's been trying to teach me for, oh, about 28 years now.  


Last night my husband and I were praying together after we put her to bed.  When it was my turn to pray I found myself praying about her purpose.  I don't know where that came from, really, but the words just started spilling out of my mouth.  And as the words flowed from my mouth, the tears flowed from my eyes.  I realized that this is a topic that really strikes a cord for me.

Purpose.  You know, if you ask me, when it comes down to it I believe that's the one ingredient necessary for a healthy and meaningful life.  There is really nothing more important.  My prayer for this little girl is that she learns God's purpose for her life the moment she has the ability to understand what that even means. 

I want her to see that her purpose is so unique, so special, and so important.  I want her to understand that the God of this universe has a spotlight on her life and on her soul...she is His focus.  She is His love.  She is His life. 


I see so many teenagers and adults in my office that have never grasped their purpose.  They haven't even gotten a glimpse of it.  Not in their parent's eyes, not in the worlds eyes, and in turn, absolutely not in God's eyes.  For them, life is so broken, so painful, and so meaningless.  They don't understand that they have been created for significance.  They don't see that their life has indescribable value.  They don't fathom that God has plans for their life that are beyond what they could have ever hoped for.    

But, you see....that's the truth.  It's the God-honest truth.  It's the truth for my precious little baby, and it's the truth for my hurting clients.  It's the same truth for both the brilliant John Piper and for the homeless beggar that stands outside in the cold.  It's the same truth for you...and for me.

My prayer for you, precious reader- is that today, you catch a glimpse of His purpose.  Today, you see a glimmer of the great plans He has for your life.  Plans to give you hope.  Plans to give you a future.  Plans to take the joy that is in your life and use it for the encouragement of others.  Plans to take your seeds of suffering and pain and bring life to the dead world around you. 

Plans for you.  A purpose.  Will you receive it?

What's Your Story?

1 Peter 4:10-11
¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 

When God puts something in your heart, it is very difficult to ignore Him.  You can make excuses, and you can even pretend you didn't hear Him, but at the end of the day those who decide to follow His leading find themselves blessed beyond imagination.

God has put the concept of service on my mind the past few weeks.  Being a new mom, I had taken a temporary "sabbatical" from serving others and focused on serving my new baby girl.  To be quite honest, I didn't have the strength, energy, or desire to do much else the first few months of being a mom.  But lately God has slowly been challenging me to take a step of faith and reach out to others in this new stage of my life.

My last post was a challenge for each of us to take a look at the gifts we have been given and put them to use...and as I said before, I can't seem to get this topic off of my mind.  A discussion I had this morning reminded me of a story I had read last year in Donald Miller's Book: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. 

In this book Don talks about his friend's teenage daughter who was making some poor decisions in her life.  Her dad finally realized that his daughter was making these choices in an effort to find purpose and meaning.  He realized that he had not put much effort into helping his daughter create a  "story" for her life, something significant to live for.  And so, she decided to go make up a story of her own "a story of risk and adventure, rebellion and independence". 

This father decided to take the initiative to really give his daughter something to be passionate about...to help her write a good story.  He held a family meeting and presented the idea of raising money to help build an orphanage for needy children through an organization he had researched.  His daughter's face lit up at the prospect of having something meaningful to live for.  They found her taking initiative, raising money, and coming up with brilliant ideas to serve the poor.  She even planned a family trip to Mexico to take part in building the orphanage as a family. 

Soon, she broke up with her loser boyfriend, and began to focus on greater things.  As Don records in his book, "No girl who plays the role of a hero dates a guy who uses her".  

And that's the reality of living our lives the way God intends for us to live them...through His power, we become "heros" in the stories of our lives, living to make this world a better place just as Jesus did.  We take on the identity that He longs for us to have and the purpose that we were made for.

Too many people are walking around, without a significant story to live for- living roles they were never intended to live.  Rebellion and risk look enticing to someone who has nothing better to do.  In my sincere opinion, I believe that 90% of America's youth are going down the wrong path because no one has taken the time to help them write a good story for their lives.  They are bored...looking for an adventure, which is precisely what they were created for. 

God's adventures for our lives and for the lives of those around us are above and beyond what we could ever imagine...if we would only take the time to let Him lead us.   

I'm ready to take my story to the next step...are you?

 

Everything is "On Purpose": Ephesians 4 (Day 4)

Ephesians 4:11-13; 16 (Click here to read all of Ephesians 4)
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of Christ...


From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  

So far this tour of Ephesians has been like a treasure hunt, revealing priceless treasures we have in Christ that can easily go overlooked in our day to day lives. We've discussed the gifts of power, life, and love and the obstacles that get in the way of believers accessing and using these gifts.

Today Ephesians 4 brings us to something new.  In reading the text, I find that this treasure is not as obvious to see as the past three, but it's meaning rings loud and clear through the entire passage- from beginning to end.  What I am talking about is the beautiful gift of Purpose.

It's been said that one of the greatest fears of man is to live a worthless and invisible life.  If you ask me, that fear ranks pretty high on my list as well.  At the core of our beings, each one of us is longing for meaning in this life, for something or someone to justify their existence.  We discussed one of the greatest needs of our inner man yesterday: the need for love- and I believe the need for purpose follows closely behind.

Here Paul discusses some specific gifts that God has granted to those in the body of Christ- and other passages in Scripture also expand on these spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-12).  But it wasn't really until I dove into this passage that I associated the idea of spiritual gifts with spiritual purpose.

God has given each and every single one of us a unique design, programmed with the greatest gift of all- our purpose.  Within each one of us there is a significant spiritual purpose created as an avenue in which we can take part in drawing closer to God and changing our world. 

This message is so important to me right now because to be honest, I haven't always felt so "purposeful" lately.  I tend to wrap up my significance with the roles I have in life and build my worth on things of this earth- my paycheck, my degrees and education, and my career.  And let me tell you, right now, all of those things are on a standstill for me. 

The beauty of this treasure is that for me, my purpose is far deeper than those temporary things.  God has given me a designated position in the body of Christ, a role intended just for me.  Every day I am called to tap into my spiritual gifts whether it be teaching, hosting, or encouraging those around me.  God wants these things to be my primary focus as part of his Church.  Therein lies my purpose.

You would think that more Christians would be capitalizing on these aspects of their lives, waking up with the high calling and purpose of being God's instruments and doing His work.  Rather, it seems that everything else...all the temporary things...all our "earthly jobs" kick in to high gear and take over on a day to day basis.  

God has given you a purpose.  A spiritual gifting (or maybe even 5 of them).  A high calling.  Don't allow the clutter of your life to hide and conceal the beauty of your role in doing the work of Christ.  Take some time today to really consider the gifts he has given you.  Take inventory of the things that give you purpose and meaning- and exchange them for the things of higher calling. 

If God has given you the gift of encourage - than go encourage others, write a card or a note, say an uplifting word.  Of hospitality?  Then open your home, cook a meal, or make someone feel welcomed.  Of teaching?  Then become active, open your mouth, and share the things you have learned.  Whatever you gift is...your purpose is great. 

Don't have a clue where to begin?  Take some time to take an online spiritual inventory that might help to shed some light on your unique gifts.  But most importantly, bring these things to God in prayer.  Ask the author of your purpose to reveal to you the beautiful gifts he has instilled in you, to open your eyes to His purposes for your life...and then go do something about it. 

Arms Open Wide by Hillsong United

VERSE 1:
Take my life I lay it down
At the cross where I am found
All I have I give to You oh God

VERSE 2:
Take my hands and make them clean
Keep my heart in purity
That I may walk in all You have for me

CHORUS:
Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine

VERSE 3:
Take my moments and my days
Let each breath that I take
Be ever only for You oh God

BRIDGE:
My whole life is Yours
I give it all
Surrendered to Your Name
And forever I will pray
Have Your way
Have Your way

Background Noise: On Life's Significant Moments

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

I was thinking about what it would look like to take a cross-section of my day and view it from God's perspective.  I would not be surprised in finding out that the things I dub most significant would probably fall under a totally different category from His vantage point.


I got to thinking about this after a conversation I had with my husband.  You see, he is currently involved in some important medical research.  It's funny because going into work everyday this past month, the main focus in his mind was to accomplish productive research and gain beneficial results. 

Recently, his research was pleasantly interrupted by a conversation he had with an Atheist co-worker.  This conversation had significant spiritual implications as they discussed the intricacies of the human body and the possibilities of a Divine Designer.

This got me thinking, because deep down I believe that THESE are the most significant moments in our lives.  These are the treasures buried beneath the sand of our busy schedules.  It's so easy to get caught up in things that have no ultimate significance from an eternal perspective:  that big exam, that new job, the financial situation, that future career goal...but at the end of the day, it's all just background noise.


Don't get me wrong.  I believe God has placed us where we are at for a reason.  If you're a pharmacist, do your job well.  If you deliver Sunday morning papers, do it to the best of your ability.  If you're a doctor, a stay at home mom, or a pastor...pour yourself into doing your best.  But please, never let these roles take priority over the ultimate role we have been given:  to be lovers of God and lovers of man.

These are the things we were created for.

God has given us other things in our lives to enjoy as we are living our ultimate purpose...but it would be a severe tragedy to live our lives focused on the appetizer and never really get to the main course.  And sadly, for many of us...that is a description of our day to day lives.

May we be challenged, today and everyday, to live for the significant moments.  May we be empowered and enabled to see our lives from the perspective of our Savior, savoring the moments of eternal significance and living to love Him and to love others.   

And may everything else begin to fade away as simply background noise.