Meant to live for so much more

My favourite band has been Switchfoot for a long time now. Their songs resonate with a deep seated theology while yet appealing to a generation of grunge rock lovers. One of my favourite songs of theirs is 'Meant to live' which was also the OST of the 2002 Spiderman movie. The song itself bears reference to T. S. Eliot's poem 'The Hollow Men' and C. S. Lewis book 'Out of the Silent Planet'; both of which are brilliant pieces themselves.

The lyrics of the 1st verse of the song reads, 

"Fumbling in his confidence

And wondering why the world has passed him by

Hoping that he's bent for more than arguments,

And failed attempts to fly"

I really connect with this song because i have always felt that way too. I have made numerous attempts at various things and yet been really good / successful at very much fewer. Over the years, I've learnt to focus on these alone and filter out the rest as noise. One of the things that i'm stuck with from all this is the writing bit. Can't seem to get past it no matter how much i drown myself in other stuff. I feel this urge to write as i go through life, that i can only characterize as the prompting from the Holy Spirit; literally egging me on to jot down words that i didn't know i had in me. It is when i write that i feel satisfied and fulfilled whereas when i choose to ignore it, there is a nagging feeling of not having done what i should have. In my experience i have found that once i let that feeling of the need to write pass, the words and thoughts don't flow as freely. Hence i usually take it upon myself to write during such phases. It is therefore that the sense of being able to publish a short set of devotions on the Lord's Prayer was very fulfilling. You can get the e-book version here or Kindle version here.

This got me thinking about how we all look forward to doing something in our lives. Just like the chorus of the song i love which reads, "We were meant to live for so much more, Have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside," we often times feel like we were meant to do more with our lives, yet more often than not can't seem to lay our finger on what that is or how to go about it. We know that our fulfillment lies in achieving that purpose but the problem is finding it first. How do we go about figuring things out?

I believe that the best way is to let the Lord do His work in our lives, even as we continue experimenting to:

1. Make the Big Things Small: Often times we are called to / tasked with doing stuff that seems overwhelming to us. But we need to remember at such times that the Lord promises us as in Zechariah 4:6, "It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies" (NLT). We are often called by God to doing things that are much bigger than us. This is the only way out when He chooses us mere mortals to partner with Him, to accomplish tasks that make no sense to us in either the long or short run but are an essential part of His plan to achieve something much greater than ourselves or our lives. It is at such times that we need to remember that we are not alone. Most of God's saints found themselves in such a position. Noah was tasked with building the ark, Moses was to lead the people out of Egypt, Joshua with claiming the promised land, David with leading the Kingdom, Haggai with rebuilding the wall, Zerubabbel with rebuilding the temple; the list goes on. Yet in each of these situations, God's people chose to keep their trust in God and not stare at the mountain-sized task at hand. The end result - by the Spirit of the Lord, great things were accomplished. All because our God is somebody who makes big things small.

Perhaps He has placed in your heart a dream that everybody has told you is for someone else, too big for you or impractical. Yet you know in your heart, mind and in prayer that this is how He is leading you, especially because you can't seem to shake the feeling or the need to do it. At such times, remember that His grace is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9) and you are meant to do it by His Spirit alone. Choosing to rely on yourself is your worst enemy, while depending solely on Him is the only way out. When faced with such situations remember the poem 'Will of God' by Rebekah Nolt, "The will of God will never take you, Where the grace of God cannot keep you."

2. Make the Small Things Big: Sometimes, on the other hand it is the little things that matter. God asks us to take a seemingly silly step, which we want to just ignore or not do; especially since it makes no sense. It could be as silly as giving up our 5 loaves and 2 fish when the Lord posits us to think about how the 5000 shall be fed. It be even sillier like in the case of Balam in Numbers 22, where the Lord would make a donkey speak because the prophet wouldn't heed God's warning. Christ's birth and death itself seems like an insignificant thing and foolishness to anybody who doesn't understand the message of the Cross, yet it is perfectly in line with what the Lord tells the Corinthian Church through Paul in 1 Cor. 1: 27 - 28, "Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important" (NLT).

Perhaps you are faced with a thought, a prodding, a feeling that seems silly, even stupid. Perhaps the Lord has spoken to you / guided you to do something insignificant that doesn't make sense at all. Yet it is at such times that we need to remember that God cherishes our willing obedience and uses it for His glory, to accomplish tasks far greater than us. Because our God makes the small things big.

Where do you find yourself today? Let the Lord work in your heart and mind to accomplish what He has in store for you. You are alive for something much bigger than yourself. May you become all He wants you to be for His glory, honour and praise!

References From:
http://www.redlandbaptist.org/sermon/god-makes-big-things-small-and-small-things-big/

A Life of Purpose

It has been 2 years since i last penned my thoughts. Despite many an occasion that i was prompted to write, i chose to let it pass and probably lost out on writing a lot as a result. I intend to change that laziness and write when prompted. With that purpose in mind, what better way to start than to write about purpose in life!

Every one of us needs a purpose in life, whether by belief we are atheists or theists. The search for purpose and relevance is therefore quintessential of the human experience. After all, to know the relevance of our lives is to know why it matters or how it is important. Robin Sharma said about the same, "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." It is to understand why we are alive, where we fit in; it explains the reason for our existence. This search for relevance drives our lives, whether or not we accept it. It is the reason for everything we have done, do or ever want to do. We spend our lives in this search; yet have no clue why we need to find the relevance of our lives in the first place. How are we to understand this need for relevance in our lives?

17th century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal wrote in his book Pensées, "What else does this craving and this helplessness proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself." Our need for purpose stems from the fall recorded in Genesis 3. Further, Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (NLT). What are these good things that are planned for us?

There are universal good works prepared for us – such as obedience to Christ, witnessing, serving His Church and enjoying God, even in each other's presence – but there are also individual works. The Bible is replete with examples of God's personal touch on people's lives. The prophets were individually called by God for a specific time and purpose. Abraham, Noah, Joseph, Ruth, Esther, Mary and multiple others were used of God in their times, with their abilities and for His purposes. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 talks about the Church in terms of a body. Each member of the Church has a different purpose, just as each portion of the body is used for different things. Speaking of individual works, Psalms 32:8 reads, "The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." (NLT) What is that pathway? That is where most of us stumble. Yet the answer is in plain sight.

We should start by praying that the Lord leads us on this path by submitting to His will, whatever it may be for our lives. We should do this so that all glory be brought to Him alone and we do not let our will alone mislead us. Yet the key to finding our pathway lies in understanding that each of us has been created uniquely. Therefore some of us will find guidance from our elders or advice from well-wishers, some via discovering ourselves, our strengths and abilities doing tests, some by finding guidance from the Lord / God's Word, some others by being driven by a particular interest / passion while still others by trying multiple things before discovering one / a few that truly interest them. But the most important thing to remember is to wait for God’s timing. Typically, we want our marching orders NOW! But sometimes God is grooming us for better things – not yet in place. So He tells us to wait patiently while serving Him faithfully, by doing the best we can where we are currently.

However, regardless of where we are in our journey of life or what seems to be happening, thankfully we believers can find rest in the fact that our lives do have purpose. God created us with intent, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)