by: Richie Allen
www.nonegativitynow.com

Miserable? Most of us have been there, some more than others. If you haven’t been there, pack your bags. Your time is comin’…

(Great way to start a post about no negativity, huh?)

I know this post isn’t dripping with positivity just yet, but let’s take a little time to be brutally honest here.

Have you ever felt like you’re not where you should be in life? Maybe you’re working a job you hate only because you have to make ends meet. I know there are many people who fall into this category. I’ve been there myself. Maybe you’re even involved in church ministry, wondering why you don’t feel fulfilled even though you felt “called” to do the work of God.

There’s got to be an answer to the misery and dismal condition many of us find ourselves struggling with on a daily basis.

Here’s a few questions you need to ask yourself first…

Question 1: Are you passionate about what you’re doing?

Passion is a big subject – way too big for a single article to cover. But it’s important to recognize whether you are truly passionate about what you’re doing. What would you be doing if money were no object? The answer to that question (and it shouldn’t be “laying around watching TV all day”) will give you some indication of what you’re passionate about.

Question 2: Where do your talents lie?

Have you ever sat down and written a list of the things you are good at doing? You might be surprised at how difficult that is to answer. There’s a wonderful book and assessment called StrengthsFinder 2.0 that helps you to pinpoint your strengths and narrow down where your strengths truly lie. I highly suggest going through the guide. It will definitely open your eyes.

Question 3: Where did your current direction come from?

When I was growing up, there were several people I admired that wanted the best for me. Some of them felt led to tell me what God wanted for my life. They meant it sincerely, but they should have allowed room for God to speak to ME about it, as well. You may have experienced something similar.

Were you really “called” by a well-meaning family member or friend instead of truly being prompted by the Holy Spirit? Be brutal with the answer to this question. This could be a part of the problem.

So, you have the answers to the questions above, but you’re probably still wondering, “What good does all this (possibly depressing) information do me?”

Not much good just yet. Hold on a bit longer.

The Intersect

The answer to the questions you have about your purpose lies in what I call the Intersect. The Intersect is the “magical” place where the favor of God resides and fulfillment is achieved. It’s that seemingly unattainable place that we spend much of our lives searching for.

We’ve made finding our place in life (the “will of God”) more nebulous and difficult than God really wants it to be for us. He didn’t design His will to be unachievable! He desires the best for His children.

“If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!” - Matthew 7:9 (AMP)

There’s a school of thought that says desire is all that is needed to do the work of God. I disagree. Despite what you may think, talent and abilities DO count in the will of God. Why would God give you abilities that aren’t in line with His will for you?

He wouldn’t.

He gives us our abilities and “bents”, even our idiosyncrasies, for a reason.

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner

So then, the favor of God exists at the intersection of your talents, your calling and the need for your abilities.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are doing work that is unfulfilling, dreary, and passionless, reexamine your talents, strengths, personality, and passions. Step back and realize that God made you unique, to fulfill a unique position in His kingdom. It may not be a “platform” ministry. So what? If you think church work is the only real calling of God, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Are you good at finances? Music? Speaking? Information technology? Art? Do you have a passion for any of those things? Follow that. God placed it in your heart for a purpose. It’s YOUR purpose.

by: Pastor Pete Wilson
www.withoutwax.tv

We’ve found a lot of different ways to measure spiritual formation over the years.

• church attendance
• clean language
• dressing the part
• paying for indulgences
• memorizing Scripture
• serving in the church

There is obviously nothing inherently wrong with any of these things in and of themselves. A matter of fact some of them may be foundational for spiritual formation, but not the way in which we should measure it. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of believing one can somehow measure their spiritual maturity by checking off how many of the “do’s” have been performed and how many of the “don’ts” have been avoided. However, real spiritual formation isn’t evaluated by how well we perform a list of tasks on a check-off list. Jesus said…

John 13:35 35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Matthew 22: 36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In other words Jesus said, spiritual maturity is measured in the context of relationships. Are you interested in how you’re doing at having Christ formed in your life? Then take at look at how you’re loving God and loving people.