We live in a self-centered world \u2013 particularly in North America, where it is all about me: my goals, my dreams and my needs. A Nigerian fellow visiting America was astonished to see so many cars with only one or two people in them. He remarked, \u201cIn my town, if you go to the store everyone in your neighborhood who needs a ride goes with you! Someone driving alone would seem very selfish indeed.\u201d We want to know \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d or \u201cHow will this help me accomplish my goals?\u201d Even Christians have developed a consumer mentality as we shop around for the best worship teams, most exciting children\u2019s programs, most inspirational pastor and most creative ministries before we are willing to join a church.<\/p>\n
In reality, we were not created for what we can achieve or the goals we can reach, we were created for God. \u201cAll things were created by Him and for Him.\u201d(Colossians 1:16) Christ is the reason for creation. We exist for Him, because of His love and His desire to be known and to be worshiped by us. We exist to accomplish His purposes. In the beginning God gave mankind various assignments and tasks to accomplish. Even when mankind chose rebellion and independence rather than God\u2019s way, God always had a restored relationship with His people in mind. It was always God\u2019s intention to repair the broken relationship that came from Adam and Eve\u2019s sin. Through Noah, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, David, Isaiah, Jonah and on through John the Baptist, Mary, Peter, Paul, on up until today, God has systematically fulfilled His plan to redeem and restore mankind to their proper relationship with Him.<\/p>\n
We may think world events, the rise and fall of civilizations, man\u2019s inventions and discoveries, and all the details of history are not connected to God\u2019s plans, but they are. He has been working in and through everything to achieve His purposes. Each one of us has a part in God\u2019s story. We were chosen, equipped, and prepared to play a special role in God\u2019s plans to redeem a lost world. Our history, our background and current circumstances fit into His-story. Scripture tells us that \u201cHis eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.\u201d (Job 34:21) and even when we turn our face against God, the Scriptures say, \u201cA man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.\u201d (Proverbs 16:9) In other words, God is big enough to work in the midst of our successes, our failures, our obedience and our disobedience to continue to move us towards His Kingdom purposes (Romans 8:28). We don\u2019t invite God into our story. He is inviting us into His. Whether you acknowledge God or not, He is still moving everything towards His end goals. As individuals and as families we can choose to be a part of that or not.<\/p>\n
When we open our eyes to God\u2019s activity around us, seek Him in His Word and in prayer and pay attention to the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we open our lives to the adventure of God working through us to accomplish His purposes. The same love that created us, continues to draw us and guide us into that place where we destined to be \u2013 with Him, living for Him, drawing others to Him.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We live in a self-centered world \u2013 particularly in North America, where it is all about me: my goals, my dreams and my needs. A Nigerian fellow visiting America was astonished to see so many cars with only one or two people in them. He remarked, \u201cIn my town, if you go to the store […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n