A 40-day Spiritual Journey: May 2011

The Covenant

With God's help, I (state your name) commit the next 40 days

of my life to discovering God's purpose for my life.

I accepted this challenge and told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on, which is how this discussion panel came to be. This is a forum to share the journey and share your revelations. Get a copy of the book, sign the covenant, read (only) a chapter a day and pray. Then join in the discussion, beginning with Day 1.

DAY 1: It All Starts with God

I was given this challenge by a friend. After reading the prelude, I was inspired for the journey. Many say that this best selling book will transform your life. Worse case scenario: I will become well versed in the Word and gain a closer walk with my creator.

Reading Day 1 left me looking for a deep underlying message. I got nothin’. In the end, the simplicity of the main point is what stayed with me. “It’s not about you.” Taking self out of the equation changes everything. I have to admit that the only thing that is holding me back from seeing God’s will for my life is me. I am afraid that His plan will deviate from what I have been diligently working toward my whole life. What if I have it all wrong? What if I have to give up the things that I love when I discover His plan for my life? I will no longer be able to claim ignorance and that part is a little scary. In the end it boils down to trust. Do I trust God and remove my own desires from the equation to put Him first? The question is moot. Our life’s purpose has never been in our control to begin with. Therefore, I must trust Him to fill that void. For me, it’s a built in sensor that tells me that there is more to my life. There is a purpose yet to be fulfilled.

NJ

Day 2: You Are Not an Accident

This is geared to make us consider our intricacies as a part of God’s divine plan. I can only focus on the awesomeness of God. That he had the foresight to create all is unfathomable. We cannot begin to comprehend all the he is and all that he has done and all for love. My favorite quote “The Bible tells us, ‘God is love.’ It doesn't say God has love. He is love! Love is the essence of God's character.”

NJ

Day 3: What Drives Your Life?

Peace is my constant prayer. As a matter of fact, the Perfect Peace scripture used here is one that I often quote to myself and others and to keep Him in remembrance of the promise. It has been my source of comfort and encouragement in many situations. I even had Isaiah 26:3 printed on a jersey a few years ago. So, I'm thinkin' "must be for me!"

In meditating on this passage, I felt like I could underline so much that applies to my own situation. I won’t label myself as a wanderer or one who lacks focus. Outcome Engineer is what I prefer. I am my own task master, driven by my need to feel needed, to fix manage and control and I thrive in supportive roles. I cannot rest nor have “Peace” until I know that all my ducks are in a row. I also like to think that I am driven by God’s will. I’m usually on auto-pilot as if I have a handle on what God wants of me. If I am truly honest with my self, I do what makes me happy or what I am comfortable with, under the guise of Christian service. Sometimes, I am inconvenienced but rarely am I willing to step out of my comfort zone. I am guilty of forcing my “square peg” good deeds or 3-T’s (Time, Talent & Tithe) into the “round hole” of God’s will. It sounds a little Cain-like to me.

The good news and what I love about God’s word is that He makes a point of using outcome engineers just like me. The Bible calls them murderers (Moses), adulterers (David), liars (Rahab) and cheaters (Jacob). God turns them into exemplary characters. They have the same issues and hang-ups that most of us have, yet God gives them focus and the desire to do His will, as well as, the gift of peace that is promised to those who trust in Him.

NJ

Day 4 Made to Last Forever

I believe in Heaven and Hell as true destinations of the Here-After, but it is not a punishment or reward for deeds done here on earth. Is the author saying that there are different stages of paradise and Hades? I think not. Either you are in or out. To quote a friend “The last time I checked, admission thru the pearly gates (Salvation) is FREE!” Jesus PAID IT ALL! Furthermore, people should try to live right, do the right things and be of good moral character because that is the right thing to do, not because of what they can get out of it. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you ‘cause you’re not going to like it if others wrong you. Honor God because He is worthy, not because you are fearful of the repercussions.

NJ

Day 5 Seeing Life from God's View

“Blessed are those who endure when they are tested.” The key word (for me) is “Endure.” I get an “E” for effort! Yay! If God views me by how well I do on His tests, I’m in deep trouble. As a matter of fact, most of the time, it’s an epic fail. I hang in there, try my best and learn how not to do it the next time. That’s how you grow. My mom used to say “Bought Sense” whenever I made a mistake that cost me dearly. “Bought sense is better than taught sense” is how the old saying goes. You may forget what you are told or taught. Indelible are the lessons that were purchased with your own hard earned resources or your own blood, sweat and or tears. Luckily, God grades on a curve (Grace) and sometimes He even gives me the answer sheet (Mercy). He already knows my strengths and weaknesses. I look to Him to soften the blow of life’s hard knocks, believing that my endurance will prepare me for the make-up exam. Like any good teacher, God wants His students/stewards to stick it out and eventually pass with flying colors.

NJ

Day 6 Life Is a Temporary Assignment

GIGO is a computer term for Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you put bad information in a computer, you can only get bad information out. "Be not conformed by this world" is what I get out of the message here. It means that we cannot be influenced by what the world deems as acceptable. If we pollute our minds with the garbage of this world we cannot expect to be Godly people. God In = God Out.

Day 7 The Reason for Everything

Well, this is it. Time to pull up my moral socks and see what I am made of. I feel like I have been moving toward a higher purpose and I thank God for the revelation. I have been a Christian my whole life and feel that I have always lived for God. I was raised singing His praises and going to church. I have taught my children to do the same. It's a lifestyle that we all relish. I also love to read and study God's word. When some of my friends have a question about the Word they usually ask me. To me, those things glorify God. I don't feel that I will be a great orator and preach the Gospel to the masses but I know that I can show the people that I encounter the face of God in me.

Day 8 Planned for God's Pleasure

This is a simple but important message: Worship Him in everything you do. How I wish that my off-spring would think about me when they are going through their lives. It’s not that I am selfish and want to be the center of attention but I think that my influence will be made evident in their daily choices. Unfortunately, my influence is both, good and bad. God is a much better role model. If God is a part of everything, it changes the perspective and the end result. I can hate going to work but if I work as if I am working for God, I am more likely to do a better job. Imagine a world where God is the first priority and He is honored in our every move. My work, no matter the task, can be a testimony, thereby glorifying God.

Day 9 What Makes God Smile?

My heart warms when someone blesses me by saying “May God smile upon you.” I feel power in the words but I rarely give much thought to my own actions bringing a smile to God’s face. Once again, the dynamics of this parent/child relationship parallels our own. Raising good, productive members of society is a good parent life's work. We want to raise loving children who know what it is to give and receive love as if it is second nature. We want them to trust and obey the dreaded “Because I said so!” knowing that what we tell them is in their best interest, even though they cannot see the big picture. We want them to show appreciation, not only by saying thank you but in using their gift to its fullest potential. Children that possess these qualities in our society are what we consider good. It's what makes us and God smile.

Love ~ Trust ~ Obedience ~ Gratefulness

Day 10 The Heart of Worship

The Heart of Worship is Surrender. God’s is saying “I got this.” Because of the “Free Will” thing, surrender goes against the grain. We can’t lose the battle. We are made in His image and like Him, we want to be in the driver's seat. It boils down to trust. Do we trust God to get us to the desired destination? Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Day 11 Becoming Best Friends with God

My favorite quote
"When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses. The more you meditate on God's Word, the less you will have to worry about. "

Day 12 Developing Your Friendship with God

God wants us to KIR. It's hard to remain worshipful while in a rut. This author's example of the people of God who kept it real is refreshing. They too had struggles and asked God "What's going on?" They reminded God of His promises just like we would do with our friends.