“Up the hill and down the hill?! Those are our directions?”
“Yes.” Those were our directions. I’m not sure whether or not they got us to our destination. Yet I know we had to know where we were going in order to seek how to get there. Where are you going? Here’s yet another true life story to illustrate:
Months of prayer, a denial, another ask, an acceptance, all led up to this point.
Now we had been meeting for months. A mother in the faith, who took her time, wisdom, and insights, and by God’s grace, mentored me. It was a lesson titled, “Living with Focus.”* She made it clear that the Bible states God has a plan for each of us, and that the plan will bring glory to Him. As I have shared before: “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.” (Eph 2:10, NLT) Her challenge: seek God’s direction and set up the necessary steps to follow his direction. It always starts with the Lord, because He is the One who made you a masterpiece of His creation. He’s the One who prepared specific good things for you to do. Getting down to the nitty gritty, her challenge contained two assignments. Part one: List five to ten of your life aims, substantiating each with a verse from the Bible. This is to include every aspect of your life. For what specifically did God make you for? Would you take time to seek the Lord, with your Bible and in prayer, to find out? As I read the Word, I’m more and more convinced that the Lord did indeed make each of us for a specific time, season, generation, and purpose. I look at the lives of Moses, Gideon, Samuel, David, Mary, Aquilla and Priscilla. Each one created with gifts for the purposes the Lord intended for them. When submitted to Him, the Lord mightily uses your gifts for His glory. Part two: Prayerfully looking over your list of aims, summarize them into a concise statement of one or two sentences that you can memorize. The purpose is for this statement to help you stay engaged in God’s plan for your life. I see it as an anchor that holds me to Him, and the good things He’s planned for me. You want your statement general enough to include all areas of your life, yet specific enough to give you direction. Include active verbs, and for whom the mission is directed. Again, include a verse to support it. What is your personal statement? For what and whom has the Lord made you? I consistently pray my personal mission. It has shifted and changed slightly over the years, yet the main focus has remained. Where are you going? Perhaps you will need to go up the hill and down the hill to get there. Yet you can’t seek directions without knowing the destination. Today, plan a time to cultivate a statement that brings your destination into focus. You’ll be glad you did. © Sanctuary of Home™ All Rights Reserved
*Beverly Coniaris, “Spiritual Mentoring for Women in Life and Leadership”, copyright ©2007, Lesson 10 – Personal Discovery: Living with Focus, pg.48
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved All Scripture references, unless otherwise indicated, are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Comments
Tracy
10/25/2024 06:53:08 am
Such a good challenge to put me in focus of what God has called me to, not the many other things I think I should do! Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Mellany.
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Mellany Zepelak
10/27/2024 06:33:28 pm
Thank you, Tracy! Yet it's not my wisdom, rather my dear mentor, Beverly Coniaris', wisdom. If I had any wisdom at all, it was to receive and apply it.
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