Purpose Driven Life Day 39

Day 39, June 8th, "Balancing Your Life" 
     - "Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone." (Rick Warren). I consider myself a very balanced person. I go to church, I do school, I work, and I have fun. Life is a pentathlon of 5 purposes:
 1. Love God with all your heart
 2. Love your neighbor as yourself
 3. Go and make disciples
 4. Baptize them
 5. Teach them to do all things
2 Peter 3:17 says, "You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing." We have to keep our lives balanced in all areas.

HABITS TO DEVELOP TO STAY ON TRACK
    1. Talk it through with a spiritual partner or small group
        - You should discuss the principles of this book with a small group. "We learn best in community, our minds are sharpened and our convictions are deepened through conversation." (Rick Warren). Review the principles of this book as often as possible. Pray, encourage, and support one another in every area of life. "We are meant to grow together, not separately." (Rick Warren).
   2. Give yourself a regular spiritual check-up
       - We need to evaluate ourselves regularly. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." The five vital signs of spiritual health are; worship, fellowship, growth in character, ministry, and mission. Do a regular check-up and make sure you are "well" in each area.
  3. Write down your progress in a journal

       - Keep a spiritual journal and record all of the life lessons God has shown you. I've kept a spiritual journal for the last 5+ years. I need to review it more and learn from the lessons God has already taught me. Regularly reviewing your spiritual journal can save you a lot of heartache and pain. Hebrew 2:1 says, "We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." Writing things down and recording what we have learned can help us to not forget. Life is a journey. Record your doubts, fears, and struggles. Our greatest lessons come out of our pain. God uses pain to fulfill our purposes in life. "Every problem is purpose driven." (Rick Warren). Whenever you are going through pain realize that it is for a purpose and look to God to get you through it.
   4. Pass on what you know to others
       - It is important to pass on what we have learned through our hurts. Proverbs 11:25 says, "The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." Share the purpose in your pain with others so that they can learn from it. "Those who pass along insights get more from God." (Rick Warren). Sharing your pain with others can help prevent others from going through that pain. "The more you know the more God expects you to use that knowledge to help others." (Rick Warren). The more you grow in your faith the more God expects you to share.

IT'S ALL FOR GOD'S GLORY

Point to Ponder: Blessed are the balanced
Verse to Remember: "Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." Ephesians 5:15
Question to Consider: Which of the four activities will I begin in order to stay on track and balance God's five purposes for my life?

Purpose Driven Life Day 18

Day 18, May 18th, "Experiencing Life Together" 

  - Life is meant to be shared! Today, typically when we think of the word fellowship we think of socializing, food and fun. Real fellowship is unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, etc.  Fellowship should be done in a small group. "You can worship with a crowd but you can't fellowship with one." Rick Warren. When you start getting upwards of ten people in a group one or more people will leave and a few others will dominate. Small group fellowship is best done with less than 10 people. Fellowship can be anything from small groups, bible study, or a Sunday school class. Rick Warrens says if we see the church as a ship the small groups are the life boats. Matthew 18:20 says, "This is true because if two or three people come together in my name, I am there with them." Small groups are powerful. God promises us that whenever two or three gather he is with them. Thats why it is so important when you are dating or married to someone to pray together. It helps both of you grow together spiritually and its powerful!

IN REAL FELLOWSHIP PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AUTHENTICITY

  - When we experience real fellowship we can have heart to heart sharing. We can become open about our lives so that we can experience real fellowship. We have to be honest in order to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. It's not healthy to hold things in. We need people we can go to to talk things over with in any scenario. Rick Warren says, "We only grow by taking risks and the most difficult risk of all is to be honest with ourselves and with others." If there is some sin in your life that you are hiding you shouldn't be. You should come into real fellowship and share that with others so that they can help you and pray for you.

IN REAL FELLOWSHIP PEOPLE EXPERIENCE MUTUALITY 

 - Mutuality is the art of giving and receiving and depending on each other. This is the heart of fellowship. We become more conscious of our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. Now, I am currently not part of a small group but I would like to think that my friend Liv and I are kind of our own small group. We are both going through this book together and sharing our thoughts daily and helping each other grow in our faith. The thing is the church that I am currently going to does not have a small group for my age. Maybe I should start one. Thats scary to me but if God calls you he will equip you.


IN REAL FELLOWSHIP PEOPLE EXPERIENCE SYMPATHY

  - This means that the people you are in real fellowship with enter and share the pain of others and yourself. Rick Warren says, "Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs, the need to be understood and the need to have your feelings validated." This is so true, I know there are only a few people I can go to for true sympathy for things. Others do not enter into that pain with me.

LEVELS OF FELLOWSHIP
   1. Fellowship of Sharing and Studying God's Word
   2. Fellowship of Serving (mission trips)
   3. Fellowship of Suffering (entering into each others pain and carrying each others burdens)
This are listed from the shallowest to the deepest.

When we are in crisis or grief or doubt we need each other most. Job 6:14 says, "To the one in despair, kindness should come from his friend even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty." We should be kind and show friendship to those in grief, doubt, or crisis. They need us more then ever at that time.

IN REAL FELLOWSHIP PEOPLE EXPERIENCE MERCY

 - In real fellowship mistakes are not rubbed in they are rubbed out. The people in your small group should help you heal when you make a mistake not rub it in that you did something wrong. "You can't have fellowship without forgiveness." Rick Warren. God warns us to not hold on to grudges because bitterness and resentment with destroy fellowship. Colossians 3:13 says, "Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you." The mercy God has shown us should be the motivation for us to forgive others. Forgiveness should be immediate but trusting htat person again will take time to rebuilt. Have a forgiving heart.

Point to Ponder: I need others in my life.
Verse to Remember: "Share each others troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2
Question to Consider: What one step can I take today to connect with another believer at a more genuine, heart-to-heart level?