Matthew 25:21 NLT
“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! ’
Do you have a personal mission statement?
Our Pastor, several months back, spent a weekend preaching on the mission of our church and handed a beautiful declaration of the purpose of our church.
My wife has a copy of it taped on our bedroom mirror, and I have one next to my bed. I look at it often and examine my actions against the declaration of the mission.
When we pray every morning, we end our prayers, asking that, above all else, that the words that we say and the actions that we take throughout the day and what we do in front of those we come in contact with are glorifying God in every way.
Sometimes we succeed, a lot of times we don’t. We talk to each other about our day, and we encourage each other to do better if we fail and praise God when we act against our urge not to obey God’s Words.
Christianity is a team effort, and it starts with God and us first and then goes out to those closest to us. Our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our friends, and our co-workers.
And everybody is watching.
The question that I continue to ask myself throughout the day is, “Are my thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions glorifying God?”
If they are not, I go to God and ask Him to show me where I am out of line, what sinful thought am I harboring in my mind, and the efforts that are holding me back from glorifying Him?
Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
I do this over and over until it is revealed to me. Sometimes it is with tears, and sometimes it takes a lot of time to get to it. But I stick with it. I press into Jesus over and over until it comes. Here’s the promise:
Matthew 7:7-8 NLT
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
What a beautiful promise!
It’s about our focus.
It’s in our direction.
It’s not about the world around us changing to our liking. Everything outside of our thoughts and actions is in God’s hands, and this includes other people, the circumstances that we find ourselves in, and the weather.
It’s about our hearts changing in submission to God’s will that is important to God.
James 1:2-4 NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
It’s about endurance.
On the other side of our trials and challenges is a joy that we can not understand, but it is there when we press into God in submission.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
My mission statement ends with this:
And when I wake up in the presence of my Savior, I want to hear these words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”
Heavenly Father, I pray for endurance.
I pray that You continue to work through my life and that You continue to provide me the desire to seek You out above all else.
When things around me are not going the way I think they should be; please remind me that You are in control. And that You are working all things out.
I pray that You will give me the strength, courage, and humility to submit my heart to Your Word.
I pray this in the loving name of Jesus Christ, Amen!! 🙏❤️
