Tuesday... Do you know your assignment?

The Apostle Peter wrote a letter in the later part of the New Testament of the Bible and here is the way he started it. In verse 1 (MSG) of the first chapter of 1 Peter he writes, "I, Peter, an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds."

Peter knew why he got up every morning. And that is a great thing to know. He didn't lay in bed and wonder what he was going to do each day. He was assigned to reach out to people who had been scattered from their home. And if you read these two letters you too will be encouraged especially if you are going through tough times.

So why do you get up each morning? God has an assignment for each of us. Do you know your's? A good thing is to start your day by thanking God for your yesterday and them asking Him for the assignment for the day and the strength to do it.

Now I know my assignment and I am energized by it each and everyday that I do it. I am retired from doing that which I used to be employed to do but I have not retired from doing God's assignment each day that I have here on earth. And I am built to do it and I am energized each day that I do it.

We are about to go into the World Series of baseball. Now in baseball there is a pitcher and a hitter. The pitcher throws a ball and the batter is to hit the ball. Now the batter has a bat. It is a fairly long piece of wood and on that bat there is what is called a sweet spot and if the batter hits the ball on that sweet spot the ball will go far.

Now God has created each one of us with a sweet spot. It is that part of your personality and your ability that when you are using it you will be energized. Too many people are doing work that drags them down. When they get home they are worn out but others are working in their sweet spot and are energized when they are working. God has given each one of us a sweet spot that we are assigned to use.

Now read this verse again. It says, "I, Peter, an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds." Now I think Peter is energized by doing what God has assigned him to do because God has built him to do it and called him to do it.

Pastor Rick Warren came up with a tremendous tool that helps us find what God has created us to do. He calls it our SHAPE. S - Spiritual gifts. H- heart, what do you really love to do? A - abilities. P - personality. And E - experience. All of those show us how God has shaped us to do what he has assigned us to do.

Now I have found my assignment at this point of my life and I love to do it and by the way I am not paid to do it. I am retired. When I was working I also was energized by what I was doing because I was on a life assignment by God and I got paid.

After Peter wrote these two letters he looked for and did his next specific assignment from God. Now he did have an overall life assignment. He was called out by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles but he also has some specific assignments. Now one of my very important life assignments has been to be the best husband and father and grandfather I can possibly be. And I am energized by my deep love for my family. Love does that. I don't always feel that I do a good job but my love for them and my love for Jesus keeps me at doing my assignment.

So do you know your assignment and are you doing it? This is just a thought on making your life more meaningful and energized. So would you strive to seek out Jesus' assignment for you today. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Todays Beginning

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