Simple Life, Splendid Purpose: The Next Door of Opportunity #7
What sort of life do you live? I mean, how would you describe it?
Perhaps you love being busy, and a full schedule is your best way to function. You run around with the kids, involve yourself with ministries and activities, and are constantly on the move.
Or you’re the quieter type who doesn’t mind being at home. You have hobbies and friends but prefer a simple agenda and laid-back approach.
Maybe, too, you’re somewhere in between, being carried by the ebb and flow of life’s seasons. You adjust fluidly to change and embrace the next thing with open hands.
Whatever sort of life you lead, it’s unique to you. No matter if you’re a parent, employee, member of a board or council, neighbor, leader, student, friend, or professional—wherever you are and whatever you do is an assignment God gave to just you. It’s your opportunity to worship Him.
In doing so, we come to know Him deeper and have the privilege of making Him known to other people.
Sometimes we think—at least, I do—that a call from God is grandiose, moving, even overwhelming. We sense the stir in our inner being and respond with drastic life changes. It certainly can be that way.
But not always.
For every life committed to Christ, God reserves a duty. He calls us with purpose and saves us with intention, drawing us to obey Him in the various ways He arranges.
I have always read in the Bible about the diversity of the body of Christ and the uniqueness of each of God’s children. But not until recently have I begun to recognize and participate in the ongoing, communal effort to build God’s Kingdom and exalt His name.
I am greatly encouraged by this because I often feel insignificant. Maybe you do too. In the big picture, are we actually accomplishing anything? Do our everyday offerings of hard work and sacrifice affect anything?
Yes. Yes, they do. A lot.
It is the faithful life that merits great reward. And God has graciously given us His Word to daily guide our lives. What pleases the Lord? That which is done in secret for His glory, an honorable life, the ways of righteousness.
Simply living for Him where we are is His call for us. The Lord can do whatever seems right to Him with our lives when we devote ourselves to Him and seek His will. We trust in His mighty, merciful hand that is always working on our behalf.
God’s Provision: God gives us Himself! He is perfectly sufficient to provide every necessity and dispel every doubt. “The fear of the LORD,” Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “is the beginning of knowledge.” But “fools despise wisdom and instruction” (ESV). Paying attention to Him produces joyful obedience and establishes genuine purpose for our lives.
Word of the Week: Clay. I love the image of gentle hands molding the course of our lives to suit His purpose for us. Nothing in God’s hands is neither purposeless nor wasted. What an invigorating way to live!
But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
– Isaiah 64:8, ESV
May you and I walk in the clarity and confidence of God’s holy purpose.
Abby
Dear Younger Me,
Overanalyzing is a weakness, but oh, what you can do when you use your gift of analyzing as a strength! You’ll be teased at how much you overanalyze, and you’ll also be mad at yourself for it, but you’re going to be in awe when you finally find yourself in a position where your gift of analysis really does help to make things better. Grow in that gift, along with the discretion of when to be analytical and when not to be.
And some day, girl, you’re going to be able to own with more confidence that this is a gift. People will ask you what your strengths are, and you might feel wishy-washy as you struggle to give an answer about how God has gifted you (because your confidence is lacking), but I can’t wait for you to see this in yourself someday.
Love,
Megan
I don’t have to be the one to tell you that the world we live in is crazy! People harm one another, governments mislead nations, countries fight against one another. Even in our daily lives, we are assailed by society’s negative influences.
There is a lot going on. Not only do we navigate the complications of our own lives but additionally bear others’ burdens, whether close friends down the road or refugees in another hemisphere. We have constant access to information within our neighborhoods and across the globe.
How do we live? What do we do? A natural response plunges us into anxiety, fear, and irrational thinking. But in Christ, we have supernatural peace!
That’s what I’ve been dwelling on lately. There is so much to consider, navigate, address … it can quickly become burdensome. But God remains on His throne—and He’s not going anywhere.
Our Master is so powerful! Our Creator is so majestic! Our Father is so loving! He is the one in control of all things, and He cares for us. What an immense comfort to the Christian.
Knowing that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly holy is a fearful thing; He could strike us all down and wipe us all out—as our sin would deserve.
But instead, He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. And now, covered in the sacrifice of our Savior and bathed in the love of our Maker, we are secure in His mighty hands. The same arm that extends punishment to the wicked reaches out to protect the humble who call upon Him.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10:13
We certainly fear His greatness, though He repeatedly assures us to not be afraid. Our guilt is taken away and our sin atoned for (Isaiah 6:7). You and I no longer stand condemned but righteous. Clean, preserved, and welcome in the presence of Almighty God.
Amidst the turmoil of current events, our peace comes from God. Our hope comes from His promise to us. Our confidence comes from Christ’s life given for us.
Praise God for His consideration of us! Blessed be His name because He is God! And we are His people, the sheep of his pasture (Psalm 100:3).
God’s Provision: His promises! When we believe God, His Word comes alive to us. I’m only beginning to experience the depth of joyful anticipation, as I trust you already have! God never goes back on His word, changes His mind, or fails to complete what He sets in motion. Everything He has ever covenanted or decreed will absolutely come to pass according to His flawless assignment and timing.
Word of the Week: Hope. We are people of yearning and expectation because we know what awaits! Without a doubt, despite unsuccessful opposition, God’s eternal plan will unfold in completion. Nothing stands in His way. Our focus is on the Kingdom of Heaven, and that brings a smile to our face, a skip to our step, a leap to our heart, and a peace to our life.
May you know that peace today!
Abby
Dear Younger Me,
As much as you need to give grace to yourself and as much as you wish for others to give you grace, you have to be willing to give it to others. There will be seasons that will test your patience with others, and the tension is simply inevitable. You will have to learn through hurt feelings and frustration to extend to others the empathy that is very much a part of who you are. And while empathy does characterize who you are, it is also a choice you have to make to be empathetic when you would rather not be.
It is said that when you struggle to forgive, that you should remember how much God has forgiven you. Similarly, when you struggle to be gracious, remember God’s graciousness with you.
And when you feel the tension, ask yourself, “How can I glorify God?” When you see the situation through His eyes, you can move forward with His strength and His grace.
It’s not easy when you want it your way. But what a work God is doing in you to grow you in grace.
Love,
Megan
You inspire me.
Your lot in life, the work you do for the Lord, and the Christlike qualities present in your character all strengthen and encourage me in my own duties. We each have a responsibility, a story, a testimony. And we all need each other.
I smile to think God made it that way. He told us, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ … For the body does not consist of one member but of many” (1 Corinthians 12:12&14, ESV).
And now we are “the body of Christ and individually members of it” (12:27)! Man was never meant to be alone, and praise God, we don’t have to be!
But even more than a congregation of believers in the present, we are a part of an eternal entity, the universal church of Christ. We are adopted into the family of God, made into spiritual offspring of Abraham. It blows my mind to think the Old Testament saints paved the way for you and me.
Men and women of the Bible, like Samson, Sarah, and countless others, walked by faith (rather than sight) as temporary exiles on this earth, awaiting the fulfilling of the promise God gave them, trusting He would bring about the completion.
They inspire me.
Recently, some books and sermons have encouraged my heart greatly. The words of authors and speakers bring Biblical characters to life and help me appreciate their commendable faith amidst their glaring flaws.
It gives me so much hope because they are hardly any better than you and I. They struggled with weakness, selfishness, doubt, insecurity, loneliness, heartache, impulsiveness, and pride. They made plenty of mistakes, questioned God, suffered the consequences of their sins, and misrepresented the Lord in their moments of failing.
But He never left them nor forsook them. It was never the strength of the person that carried them, but the power and grace of God. He always lifted them up, disciplined them in love, and turned them again toward His face and His work.
And He does the same for us!
Most times I forget that my favorite Bible stories are real. The figures I admire were real people with real thoughts, real feelings, real families—and real faith. They lived life. The Scripture just doesn’t give us every single miniscule detail because then it’d be a million pages long and not serve God’s purpose.
Maybe you can relate.
God’s Provision: Our reassurance is that God, in His infinite wisdom, compiled the books of His Word for our instruction and edification. Nothing is left out that is necessary for salvation. God simply gave us the gift of knowledge to teach, empower, and encourage His beloved children.
Word of the Week: Lineage. Like a family tree. God has grafted us into His lineage of faith, along with our historical fathers and ancestors and our spiritual brothers and sisters—believers of all time and age.
That fills my heart with joy, honor, excitement, and gratitude! Such a realization motivates me to live for the Lord and absorb every iota of His Word. I hope it does the same for you.
Abby
Dear Younger Me,
Sing for Him. It’s tempting to want to use your God-given voice to impress others, but it doesn’t matter how beautiful you can sing if you’re not singing to Him and for Him. God wants your praise, not your performance. Your human nature tells you that you need to be the best at everything, but in the presence of God, who is perfect, your hope that others will be wowed by you is silly.
And it’s not just singing. God gave you your talents to honor and glorify Him, not yourself. In the hymn “Be Thou My Vision,” remember the words, “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Thou mine inheritance now and always.” Because at the end of your life, it’s not going to matter how many people thought you were awesome. In the presence of God, all that will matter is if He sees Jesus in you.
And think, how much more joy you could have as you sing or as you do what you do when you know you are doing it all for the glory of the One on high!
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
Wait patiently. I’m so excited for you to someday see what God has in store for you. You are worried now about the future, you are jealous now of others who have what you don’t, but God’s ways are so good in His perfect timing for your life. So good. I can tell you now that all you need to do is just be patient, which is hard. Those longings and times of impatience, though, will point you to God who is where satisfaction is found. Where all fulfillment is found. As you would wait for any family member or friend in daily life, wait for God. His leadership, His care, and His knowledge are so above you.
And goodness, how thankful you can be for the times that God didn’t fulfill your desires at the wrong times. More patience is required, but oh, how sweet it will be when you see what God was leading you to all along. So, follow Psalm 27:14, and all the other times this is said in the Bible, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.”
Praise Him, for He is good!
Love,
Megan
Do you ever feel small?
Maybe you’ve stood at the ocean’s edge or gaped upward at a jagged mountainside. Perhaps in your travels you’ve explored new places and met a fraction of the world’s population. Or you’ve accepted a new job, tackled an overwhelming project, simply woke up this morning—and felt small.
It can be a minimizing thing, but many times it’s a very beneficial position to be in. We behold the majesty of God’s creation, and we feel small. We experience the diversity of God’s people, and we feel small. We assume partial responsibility in God’s work, and we feel small.
Before God, we feel small.
Because we are! Maybe you’ve noticed. I’ve been reading the Bible lately; it leaves me in awe at God’s character, ability, and eternal plan—and at my own pitiful incompetence in daily service.
David ponders this very thing in Psalm 8. He muses, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (verses 3 and 4).
In other words, Why would God even care about us? Why should He pay attention to human beings?
The answer is the foundation of our hope and salvation.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” – John 3:16
God does not look upon us because of our righteousness, prestige, or reputation, nor our position, capacity, or personality. Nothing we are or do could capture His attention. The Bible doesn’t even say He turned toward us because of our need.
Just His love.
God’s Provision: Romans 5 says it: “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (verse 8). It’s in Ephesians: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (2:4-5). And we read the same in 1 John 4:9-10: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
And as we are saved, the Holy Spirit helps us understand. God is above all. The world He made is big; His love for us is even bigger—though we are small.
Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne,and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” – Isaiah 66:2
Word of the Week: Loyalty. Despite our depravity, God aligned Himself with us and committed Himself to us. We are His, miraculously adopted into His family and eternally protected by His sovereign power.
What a sweet mystery!
Abby
*All verses are quoted from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
Dear Younger Me,
The only labels in your life to follow are the ones God gives you.
Go to 1 Chronicles 4:10 and meet Jabez. His mom gave him that name because his birth was a painful one, and so his name literally means “pain.” Imagine how he felt for years, wondering if that’s all he would ever amount to. Did he take that name given to him to heart and believe he’d only ever cause pain? Did other kids make fun of or avoid him because of his name? Did others pass him by because they figured he’d be a cause for trouble?
But his story changes. The Bible says, ‘He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.’ God didn’t change his name, but God showed him that his name didn’t define him.
And the names you feel you are? The ones people have labeled you or you have labeled yourself based on what you think others think of you? Teacher’s pet…awkward…goody two shoes…not good enough…failure…Those don’t define you either. Oh, that you would pray like Jabez and believe in God for His hand on your life, the only one who can change your circumstances, the One who holds Truth, the One who calls you daughter, child, loved, redeemed, prized possession.
All names have meanings, but those are the names that mean everything.
Love,
Megan
How are you, friend? Blessings to you in Christ!
At some point, I think we have all wondered why we were where we found ourselves. Maybe you’re there now. It seems natural to be unsettled when we feel uncomfortable, confused, or useless. Sometimes moments, experiences, or seasons don’t make sense … at the time.
One thing I’ve found is that God is always working. He has a grand plan and is constantly advancing His purpose. You might be at home with the kids, on the job, caring for aging parents, heading a church ministry, or volunteering in the community. The times ebb and flow, but God’s sovereignty does not. His purpose for you remains.
I love God’s wisdom and patience because He sees and knows infinitely more than we do. What we find boring, He makes useful. When we think ‘pointless,’ He creates meaning. And where we fall short and complain and wonder, He reminds us that He is always with us, molding and using us.
Have you seen that in your life? You walked through something tough and were able to comfort another in a similar position. You learned a random skill and ended up really needing it later. You never thought much about such and such a time, but years down the road you started to understand.
God did that with me just this week. I recently returned from a semester abroad and experienced all the emotions that go along with that. How scary to fly for hours and arrive on another continent! How invigorating to walk into a new culture bursting with vibrant sights and sounds! How touching to connect with locals and cultivate precious friendships! And then how sad to leave, uncertain of when or if you’ll return to see them.
I lived it once and now I can relate to that experience. The Lord then allowed me to walk through it with a dear friend, a foreign exchange student who had spent the past ten months in our local church, high school, and community before returning to Germany.
There was no way I would have been able to truly empathize with her without having done the same thing myself. Not that I ever questioned the purpose of my time away, but I certainly recognized God’s hand in that situation.
I’m sure you’ve known a time like that too. It only reminds me of God’s kindness toward us in orchestrating events, strengthening us to do His work, and permitting us to enjoy the fruit of the harvest, time and time again.
God’s Provision: Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” He consistently and most assuredly works in all of our moments, experiences, and seasons.
Word of the Week: Okay. I’ve been saying this quite a bit lately. You’re going to be okay. It’s okay! We’re going to be okay. I don’t know what the future holds, for good or bad, but I know you and I are going to be alright! Why? Because our God holds us, He’s in control, and He’s always on the move—for our good!
In Truth,
Abby
