AUGUST 2022
Am I fulfilling God’s Purpose and Plans for my life?
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’’
This beautiful verse from Jeremiah talks about purpose, destiny and planning. In Ephesians 2:10 God says he has already planned and prepared the good works he has for us to do, so this is not a striving, it is a listening to His heart for us. God created us and He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our abilities, our strengths, our weaknesses. And yet He still gives us freewill to choose. Even though He has planned and purposed these things, these plans to prosper us and not to harm us, we can choose not to do them. He doesn't bypass our freewill. When we choose to trust Him in his planning, He does so much more than we ask or imagine. When He speaks, He so often doesn't show us the full picture, but as we take each step, he opens doors and aligns us with the right people.
So what does it take to be a winner in God’s sight? The world class sportsmen taking part in events such as Wimbledon tennis or the Olympics are, I believe, doing what God has designed them to do. It has taken hard work and dedication, plus many disappointments along the way to reach the top, but what victory it is to receive the gold medal or hold the winning trophy up high, and how many lives they can impact in the process. Does that mean that the mom who is caring for her family as part of her ‘good works’ any less of a winner? Not in God’s sight. Or that Nic Vujicic, who has no arms or legs, does not have plans that have been purposed by God that are impacting thousands of lives around the world. The purposes God has for our lives are not about how we look, or what we have or don’t have. The purposes of God are greater than that, and to see them outworked in our lives we need to be open and willing.
I have a digital vision board of things I want to do, and I want these to align with God’s plan for my life. At the centre is the verse ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”(Galatians 5:1) I want to be a part of the solution where God has placed me, not the problem. I want to find ways to work with the local community to build up our area, I want to be used by God to bring freedom to many, not only locally and further afield. I would love to find ways to help small business men and woman with their ideas to build up their businesses and create jobs. I would love to use my skills and training to encourage people to reach for their destiny. In fact God clearly told me ‘’ You will be a releaser of destiny in people’s lives’’ – and I hold onto that which I receive by faith. Like those sportsmen, I am prepared to put in time and effort, and I believe that God places things on our heart that align with His heart for each one, even if we don’t always get to hold up the winning trophy. Proverbs 16:9 says ‘’A man’s heart plans his course, but the Lord directs His steps.’’ I plan my course, but am happy to entrust my steps into God’s hands.
Mother Theresa talks about a ‘call within a call’. 17 years after her entry into the convent, she felt Christ calling her to work in the slums of Calcutta amongst the poorest of the poor. She was obedient, and God’s purposes were outworked through her in a magnificent way. There are people here in our Church family who right now God is purposing to do good work, both locally and in the nations. Some have had business and ministry blueprints downloaded to them, some have been called to change the atmosphere in the workplace through their attitude and actions, some have been called to work with the hurting, the vulnerable and the oppressed. My vision board seems small when compared to what many people have and will achieve, but God is a loving Father, and He takes what we offer and multiplies it!
Don’t be afraid to step into the river – don’t be afraid to align yourself with the vision ahead. Be a part of the team that makes this happen both in your own church and by partnering with Lapis Lazuli Ministries – don’t hold back. Each one of us has a part to play. God once told me clearly when I was feeling anxious as I moved from one work placement to another:: "Change brings growth and growth brings change – be afraid of neither." That continues to give me hope and peace.
Prayer is the engine room of the church, and it shifts atmospheres and moves mountains. Each one of us is called to serve where God has planted us, and we don’t have the luxury of sitting back and thinking other people can do the work. It is a joint responsibility. Many of us who do already serve do so faithfully, and again it is good to check in with God periodically to make sure we are serving out of that place of rest, and not of striving. Jesus served in ministry continually for three years, but made sure He had times to refresh and receive from His Father in the process. God gives us back so much more than we could have ever asked for, so don’t be afraid to ask Him: "Father, how can I co-labour with you, and how can I be a blessing to You, Lord, the one who created me?"
God's plans for each of our lives are perfect, and we can trust him to look after us and give us His hope for the future. If you have a testimony to share of how God has outworked His plans in your life do send it to [email protected]– we love to be encouraged by what the Lord is doing in the lives of his beloved ones. Amen.
Trish Riley
Friend of Lapis Lazuli Ministries/Pastoral Co-ordinator at Lighthouse London
