Purpose.

Happy Sunday to all my TCP Friends!

Today, I was feeling a bit under the weather and was not able to make it to church.  However, because my church is SO fly, I can watch my pastor's sermon online.  Shameless Plug: If you are looking for a wonderful, anointed, bible teaching church, please visit Living Praise Christian Center at www.livingpraisechurch.org.  You can view the messages live at www.lpcc.tv.  My Senior Pastor Dr. Fred L. Hodge and his wife Pastor Linda Hodge are beyond amazing.

I know it was God that kicked my groggy butt out of bed this morning and told me to log-on, because the message was just for me, someone who is leaping out on faith to walk in His purpose.  I had to share, because I know that you could be just as blessed as I was.

I am going to paraphrase from my Pastor.  If you want the real thing, you'll have to take it up with him :-)

As I have said in a previous post (Passion.), I have had a long struggle to find my passion, or purpose.  My Pastor reminded me today that only the maker of a thing can define its purpose. Since I acknowledge that God is my maker, my purpose comes from Him. "For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) He has already preordained how we should live in His will.  If you walk in the footsteps He has already laid out, you will be victorious.  In the timeless words of Charlie Sheen, you will be "winning."

So, you are probably thinking, "Cool, so it's great to know that God knows my purpose, but could He clue me in?"  He already has.  It is right in front of you, or rather right inside of you.  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) The gifts that you have are not given to you by mistake.  He gave you and I the necessary gift sets to accomplish our purpose.  So, what do you love to do?  What do you do effortlessly that others seem to struggle to accomplish?  Bingo.  That's one of your God-given gifts that was given to you to fulfill your purpose. Don't you hate it when something is right in front of your face and you can't see it?  I do.  When I decided to do this cooking thing, I could feel God saying, "finally, I think she's got it!"

Ok, so now that you have a glimpse of your purpose, you need to focus on it.  Don't let it get snatched like Michelle Obama snatched the candy from the kids at the White House Easter celebration (WHC Dinner Video).  Don't rely on other people to determine your purpose and watch out for fulfillment decoys.  Don't let anyone impede upon the purpose of God for your life. Haters come in all shapes and sizes.  They masquerade as family and friends (trust me, I know).  When you come up with ideas and dreams, they are so big because they aren’t from the origin of man, but the origin of heaven.  Your haters can’t see the possibility of you manifesting such a dream, because they don't understand that God has given you the potential.  Just say, "hi hater" and keep it pushing with faith and obedience.

Inside of you is the potential necessary to accomplish His will in your life.  Potential is the ability to carry out a plan, but only when you tap in on it. If you don't tap into the potential, all that big talk you have about how you found your purpose will make you look like a fool if all you do is sit around and talk.

I encourage you to step out in faith to show God that you believe what He said.  I did, and I feel SO much better.  I even smile more. I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be.  You need to have enough courage to obey God by tapping into your potential.  God will birth out of you something wonderful.  Let go of your excuses and embrace your potential!

Be blessed TCP Friends!