Tag: purpose

Blueprint for a Perfect Relationship

Reposting of my most read post of 2016…

“Relationships are messy”, a catch phrase in our generation.eng_gods_blueprint Must we be resigned to difficult relationships…without hope? Sin makes relationships hard. Sinfulness makes them messy. Following God’s blueprint for relationships can help us endure the hard, reduce the messy, and ultimately bring Him glory. Two critical elements of a perfect relationship are love and honor.

  1. LOVE 

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. The Father loves the Son and shows Him all things He is doing. John 5:19-20a

The Father is transparent and the Son watchful. Because of the love the Father has for the Son, He shows Him all things that He is doing. The Son in return does only what He sees His Father doing. The works the Son does testifies that the Father sent Him. The Son glorified the Father by accomplishing the work the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4).

…but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. John 14:31a

The Son’s love is seen in His exact obedience to His Father’s commands. Not only by doing the works of the Father, but speaking the words the Father taught Him (John 8:28, 12:49, 50). The Son obeyed the Father’s command even to the point of laying down His life (John 10:17-18). Even though Jesus was willing to do exactly as His Father commanded Him, we should not think that what He committed to do was easy. As the writer of Hebrews tells us:

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8

Jesus showed love for His Father in His exact obedience even though it came with suffering and death on a cross.

2. HONOR

“For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:22-23

The Father honored the Son by giving Him the power of judgment. “The judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25), gave up His right to judge, because He wanted the Son to be honored. Jesus understood that He came into the world for judgment for all do not believe His word nor the One who sent Him (John 5:24).

…I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. John 8:49b

Jesus honored the Father by seeking to do His Father’s will.

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 5:30

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. John 6:38

Again, just because Jesus was the Son of God, we should not assume that His commitment to do God’s will was easy. After sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus, along with Peter, James and John went to the garden of Gethsemane. There He became distressed and troubled, telling them “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death” and asking them to remain there and keep watch. He moved away from them and began to pray…

And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36

As much as Jesus didn’t want to experience death on the cross, He knew that was the purpose for which He came (John 12:27). The end result was the Son honoring the Father and the Father exalting the Son.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:8-11

The Father loved the Son by showing and giving Him all things. The Son loved the Father by obeying His commands. The Father in turn brought honor to the Son by giving Him the power of judgment. The Son also honored the Father by doing only the Father’s will not His own. Their relationship resulted with each bringing glory to the other.

 This perfect relationship show that the Son and the Father are one (John 10:30). We may think that a perfect relationship of love and honor that leads to oneness is not possible for us, but that is exactly what Jesus prays for us to have.

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:20-24

Joy is Fulfilling Your Purpose

…it might not be what you think!

Last weekend, I led a breakout session at a women’s weekend conference. The first point from my session  is available here: Holding on to Joy During Difficult Times. In this post I am sharing the second point of that session.

We often equate our purpose with a calling to an area of ministry or service, one that we are uniquely suited to do…where we can find satisfaction, feel we are making a difference and serving God.

Several years ago a USA Today poll asked the question, “If you could come face-to-face with God what would you ask?” Would it surprise you to learn the answers most often were: Why was I created? What should I do with my life?

In Peter’s first letter he wrote to Christians who were suffering various trials. He knew they needed to be reminded of the purpose of their calling in order stand firm through the fiery ordeal in which they might find themselves.

Called to follow in Christ’s stepsfootprints

Following in Christ’s steps brings to mind loving (John 13:35) and accepting (Romans 15:7) of one another as He has us. Or His example of service through washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:15) and the compassion He had on the sick and hungry crowds (Mark 8:2). In this letter, Peter has a different purpose in mind, one that we might not be so willing to embrace.

For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness.   1 Peter 2:20-24 net

Okay, so is Peter saying our calling is to do good, even if we should suffer for it? Christ gives us an example of how to suffer well. He did not lash back or respond with anger, but trusted God to judge. It is because of Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die for us that we can fulfill our purpose of living for the righteousness of God.

Called to give a blessing

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.  1 Peter 3:8-9 nlt

I get that we are to treat one another with sympathy and love, even being humble. But really are we called to pay back evil and insults by giving a blessing?! To give a blessing means to speak well of someone. How do I speak well of someone who just insulted me or spoke evil against me?? It is only possible by following Jesus’ instruction to love, do good and pray for them (Luke 6:27-28). When our heart is right before God, we can give the blessing God has called us to give.

Peter knew how difficult this would be, so he quoted Psalm 34:12-16 as a reminder of the Lord’s response to those who do right and those who do evil.

For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days,

keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.

Turn away from evil and do good.

Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.

But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”     1 Peter 3:10-12 nlt

Purpose Living for the Will of God

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  1 Peter 4:1-2 nas

We are to armourselves with the same purpose of Christ. So what was His purpose? Peter points out that Christ suffered and died for our sins so that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). Our living for the will of God, may bring suffering but by it people by can led ultimately to honor God.

 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.  1 Peter 2:12 nlt

“Of course, the human tendency is to fight back and to demand our rights. But that is the natural response of the unsaved person, and we must do much more than they do. Anybody can fight back; it takes a Spirit-filled Christian to submit and let God fight his battles.”     Warren W. Wiersbe                                                   

We must remember the purpose of our calling is to follow the example of Christ even as it relates to suffering, to give blessings in response to evil and insults, and live not for ourselves but for the will of God.