Day three was a lesson that made me really stop and think about the things that drives us.
Guilt, Anger, Fear, Materialism, Approval
These five driving forces have the ability to hold on to us and allow us to lose focus of our God given purpose in life. I recall a season of each of these forces and I strive daily to keep my eyes on God that I do not revisit these seasons again.
Like Isaiah, "I have labored to no purpose, I have spent my strength in vain for nothing."
I remember a season when I worked diligently trying to acheive more and more financially believing that the more I had the happier my household would be. Actually this was far from the truth. Yes we tell ourselves this. If I had this I would be happy. If God would bless me with a husband I would be happy yet complain when we get him. If God would only allow me to get this house yet we do not care for it. Happiness is not tied to those things. Our joy comes from aligning ourselves with what God has for us.
Day one's lesson speaks of It not being about us. It is not! God will not force anything on you as He gives us free will to accept what He offers by divine revelation. As Jeremiah says "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."
If we trust God and allow our lives to align with His will our driving force shifts giving us peace!
Verse to Remember: "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you." Isaiah 26:3 (TEV)
As I encourage you, I encourage myself. Be encouraged!
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2 comments:
As I read day 3 I began to think about the true driven forces of my life. All I ever knew was that i wanted to be "successful". And although i weighed diligently to obtain my psychology degree i am now I'm a situation where my degree is not guaranteed to bring me my success. My current job has nothing to do with psychology and my pay is definitely not on the scale of what i expected it to be in order to be classified as a successful person. It was only after reading day 3 that i realized that i was being driven by materialism. As the big states these things would only provide me with temporary happiness. By the time i purchase the latest model car there will be a newer model that will make my new car old. We witness this every six months with the maker of Apple products. We buy new iPhones and iPad and six months later a newer one is featured. So to answer the question to consider my family would say materialism "was" the driving force of my life but as I redirect my life and my choices, the revelation of my true purpose ids the new force that drives me and help me to find the joy that this world can't upgrade or renew.
Sontrice, I so agree with you on this. I too was driven by my desire to be a "successful" Software Engineer that I worked 60 hour work weeks while attending college. My husband and I believed that this was the way for us to provide the life for our daughter that we did not have. When I got sick and was unable to continue on this path, God showed me that this driven path that I had chosen was not the purpose that He had chosen for me. I truly had to refocus my materialistic successful driven purpose to a Christ centered purpose for God to reveal my true purpose.
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