“When life has meaning, you can bear almost anything; without it, nothing is bearable.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?” (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 40). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I go to a downtown Starbucks and read two newspapers every day. That is my routine and I do it seven days a week. Now I jokingly tell those people going to work on Monday through Friday that I am retired and I am always retired and I never have a day off and it took a lifetime for me to get this job. An older successful business man this morning said that he was looking forward to the day that he could sit in my other chair and not have to go to work. That is what he is looking forward to.

But the first six months of my retirement were very difficult. Not having a significant reason to get up every morning was difficult until I found my purpose or really extended the purpose that I have had in my life. My purpose has been to make a difference every day in some individual, in my community and in the world. I had that all mapped out when I was working but wasn’t sure where it all fit in when I retired. That is where my frustration came in. But my time each day at Starbucks, my writing these blogs at Peet’s, and being a part of Mosaic Hollywood, a church that has a world-wide influence goes toward fulfilling that purpose.

I still have deep meaning in living my life every day. And I am able through that to handle whatever comes my way. The obstacles of life just have a way of helping fulfill purpose. I learn something from the experience that will help me share with someone I am counseling with at Starbucks or write about it on my blogs. I do not waste the experience. I mature from it, live it, and then share it.

Freedom with no purpose in mind didn’t do it for me. Having a purpose does without a doubt. That is where the excitement of life comes from and the ability to bear anything that life throws at me.

Of course that meaning comes from my relationship with Christ. He is the reason why I am alive and He gives me the confidence that I have that He will use me to make a difference in someone’s life every day for His glory. I have not retired from that and I won’t ever. And Heaven is living totlally with purpose, with meaning. That is what it is all about.

So what is the reason why you are alive today?

Comments

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life. It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed. Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life. Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you. You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good. Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...

“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog