How to break free from sin (S. 2, Ep. 22)
Grab your latte & let's chat purpose. Listen In On Spotify | Pocket Casts | Anchor | Apple Podcasts Season 2, Episode 22 How to break free from sinIf you’ve ever felt like you are just stuck in sin, maybe it’s an addiction you can’t get free from or...
How to Make BIG Decisions – The Guide that Will Never Fail You Pt. 2
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105).
When the Bible really doesn’t seem to answer our questions, the verse still applies.
When the decisions we need to make are non-moral, the Bible is still a guide.
Let’s live determined to have God’s wisdom guiding us, His Word being a light to our paths, and let’s watch our path, even in making big decisions, be guided.
But if there’s no verse for questions like where to go to college, what job to take or who to marry, how do we navigate these decisions?
The Life Guide That Will Never Fail You
I’ve found one simple thing to GENUINELY guide me. If you grew up in the church it sounds cliché. But the absolute reality is that the Bible is a guide.
Now before you roll your eyes and click out, hear the why.
Because this truth APPLIES.
It applies to what friends you should have, to who you should and should NOT date, to deciding on if you should go to that party, take that job, etc.
And if you’re mind is going where mine goes, NO. You’re right.
The Bible is not going to tell you to go to XYZ college and there won’t be verse telling you to move to Kentucky. But it will guide you and, in fact, it brings a lot of peace and guidance in even questions such as those.
Here’s why we can trust the Bible to be a life guide – in all areas, and here’s why we SHOULD.
Why Being Still Is Key to Purpose
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life I forget to take a much needed deep breath.
I find that my days are often full of to-do lists, friends to meet up with, places to serve in, and school work that keeps me occupied.
A lot of times I think this is what purpose is supposed to look like:
doing a hundred and one things and making a difference and impacting the world slowly but surely, even in the tiniest of ways.
Take a moment and think about that though.
Doesn’t that seem daunting? Going and going and not even taking the time to recover, to quiet my soul?
I think often we (myself included) believe we aren’t living purposefully if we aren’t actively serving or accomplishing things each day of the week.
But here’s the thing –
How can we expect to live purposefully if we aren’t purposefully finding and setting aside time to sit at the feet of Jesus.
Purpose in Trials
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Romans 8:18
This day five years ago was a Wednesday.
This day five years ago my life changed drastically.
It was the day my abuela was murdered.
It was the day that many doubts and questions flooded into my mind:
“Why did God allow such an amazing, God-fearing woman to be killed?”
“Why did God have to take her away so soon?”
“Why, God?”
But what I didn’t realize, for this time that I was so upset with God, was that He had His whole plan of her sweet life in His hands even before time began.
He knew she was going to live for Him.
What I didn’t realize was that this tragedy brought my whole family so much closer together.
He knew this death would help us lean on each other through hard times.
What I didn’t realize was that the Lord knows, even in the future, how her story might help so many others.
He knew from the beginning all of this was for a plan, a purpose.
What I didn’t realize was that my abuela had lived so purposefully that her life was most definitely not wasted.
God knew. God knows.
Constant Connection with God
Prayer is our connection to God. The connection between us, and the One who created us.
And partaking in that connection is vital for our soul. God never intended for us to live apart from Him. He created us to be in connection with Him and have relationship with Him.
And in a relationship communication is essential.
A few weeks ago, I heard Pastor Michael Todd use the analogy of a cell phone. We can do so much with our phone. We have the power to connect with people from across the world, learn all sorts of information, we can even order Starbucks straight from our phones (Praise the Lord!).
But if we go even a day without plugging our phones into the charger, how effective are they?
One Life, One Shot
One life to live. It can seem like such a cliché idea but the first thing that comes to my mind is not so much a thought but a feeling. A feeling of pressure, of an end.
It makes me think of the billions who have come and gone before us. The names we know and the names no one will remember.
Both of which could have used their one shot for better or for worse.
It makes me think that years from now, whether it’s decades, centuries or millenniums, will the things I have done mattered? Will I be remembered, and, if so, how? If not, will the way I have used my time been worthwhile or will it have been wasted? Will it be used the way the One who created time suggests I use it?
We can use it for good or for evil, to hurt or to benefit, to love or to hate, to grow or to coast.