Tag: purpose

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on the Time We Have Left

No one really knows how much time they have left.

Last week Gary and I got the shocking news that dear friends of ours were killed in a car/train accident. We held each other and cried for our loss, and then we cried some more when we thought about their family. Three children and their spouses. Nine precious grandchildren. How could they go on without Joel and Rosemary?

Joel and Rosemary Sult – Allison, Iowa

But they will go on. We all will. We can rejoice that our friends knew and loved the Lord and they’re now in heaven. We’ll cry, but we can also laugh when we remember their sense of humor, smile when we remember their kindness, and chuckle when we think of Joel singing barbershop tags with the angels.

It’s sobering when something like this happens. It reminds the rest of us that we don’t really know how much time we have left. Our lives could be over in the blink of an eye, or we could live well past one hundred. Only God knows when we’ll join him someday.

For now, we need to live for him, making the most of every day.

God has plans for us. He has a purpose for each of our lives. The Holy Spirit will show us those plans and purposes if we talk to him and choose to listen. He’ll also give us the wisdom and strength to do the things God has for us in the years we have left.

Our friends lived a full and rich life. They accomplished so much in the time they had here on this earth. We still can’t believe they’re gone, but we’re so glad we had the chance to know them and love them.

May all of us make the most of each day we have left.

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 NIV)

Are you tempted to live as if you had all the time in the world? How can focusing on God help you prioritize the plans he has for you in the time you have left?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Finding Purpose

It’s been a couple of weeks since my big swim meet in Sioux Falls. After all my worrying, I actually had a great time that day. I won a ribbon for each of the four events I swam. (It really helps when you’re old because there isn’t as much competition!)

Something strange has happened, though.

I’ve continued to swim a few times a week, but it has felt so hard! I don’t feel like swimming fast and I’ve been struggling to even get as many yards in during practice.

The only thing I can think of is that I’ve lost my purpose.

I no longer have a swim meet pressing me to work hard. Next year’s meet is too far away to make a difference right now, so my workouts have felt like a slog.

I’m going to have to remind myself of the good reasons I have for swimming: better physical and mental health.

Sometimes we can lose our purpose in life.

We don’t feel satisfied by our relationships, careers, and extracurricular activities. It seems like we’re just going through the motions for no good reason. We wonder why we should even try.

I was starting to go in that direction recently…but then came Easter.

Our men’s group sang “Because He Lives” for special music, and I teared up when they got to the chorus:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives

There. That’s my purpose. It’s not about ribbons or medals or excitement or even satisfaction. Life is worth the living just because Jesus rose from the dead and lives for me now.

He lives for you now, too. Let’s find our purpose in that.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

Do you ever lose your purpose in life? How can focusing on God help you get it back?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Getting Back to What Matters

I haven’t posted for a while. You may have noticed, or maybe you didn’t.

I know, if you’re like me, that your inbox is probably full of people telling you about their latest post, their latest product, their latest thoughts. I read some, I skim some, I delete some.

To be honest, I got into a “What’s the use?” kind of mindset after my last post.

I wondered if what I had to say really made a difference to anyone, especially with the chaos of the coronavirus situation weighing us down. There were other people posting humorous videos, providing free online concerts, and giving inspirational insights to get us all through this difficult time.

And then, about a week or so after I didn’t write, I heard someone quote Jeff Goins: “Just because something is successful doesn’t mean it has to keep going.” Now, I don’t know if I’d call my blog “successful,” but that got me thinking that maybe I had done weekly blog posts long enough. Maybe “Focus Friday” had run its course and it was time for something different.

Every week that went by just made it that much easier to not write the next week.

It’s not that I was getting depressed (although I’ve dealt with a few more ups and downs during this pandemic), but I was definitely questioning my purpose. I kept spending time every morning reading my Bible, but it felt harder to share what I was learning.

I can’t say that I’m back because I had some big epiphany. If anything, it feels a little more difficult to add my voice back into the mix right now. But this week, I have felt an urgency to get back to what matters.

God calls each person to different tasks and issues. For me, it’s writing and speaking about mental health. Even though I don’t have all the answers, I want to be someone who encourages people to hold onto hope and reach out for help so they can get (and then stay) emotionally healthy.

What matters, for me, is learning to love God, live for Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit work in me. If I focus on those things, the rest of this chaotic life will fall into place (or the unimportant things will just fall away).

It’s good to be back. If you’ve gotten off course, I pray you’ll find your way back to what matters, too.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message).

Have you strayed away from what matters? How can focusing on God help you to get back to finding your purpose in life?

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Terrific Tuesday: Let’s Focus on Wandering

I have no good excuses for why I’m posting late on a Tuesday night.

I’ve been busy and a little more stressed lately, but I’ve had plenty of time to write a blog post.

Maybe it boils down to self-sabotage. I’ve had so many weeks of posting on Focus Friday…maybe my brain protested in disbelief. Or, it could be something closer to what I saw on a TV show I was watching recently. One of the characters was musing about why she wasn’t doing something and she came to the conclusion that it was because “they” had told her to do it. She didn’t like being told what to do. Could I be that rebellious that I don’t even want to do something I tell myself to do?

Whatever the case, I just kept putting off writing this post.

And then I saw someone else’s blog post referring to the song “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” They made some insightful observations about verse 3 and their tendency to wander. I’ve always loved that verse, too.

“O to grace how great a debtor…Daily I’m constrained to be…Let thy goodness like a fetter…Bind my wandering soul to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.”

I am prone to wander. Maybe you are, too.

We’re prone to wander in our bodies (to places we shouldn’t go, or to eat things we shouldn’t eat, or to do things we shouldn’t do).

We’re prone to wander in our hearts (to love certain people or things more than God).

We’re prone to wander in our minds (to thoughts that get us into trouble as we believe Satan’s lies or trust ourselves instead of God).

As soon as we become aware of our wandering ways, we need to make a conscious effort to turn back to God. By constantly giving Him our heart and renewing our resolve to live according to His word, we’ll stay close to Him and we’ll be less likely to wander.

“How can a young person [or an older woman] stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray [wander!] from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9-11 NIV – brackets mine)

Do you often find yourself wandering? How can focusing on God help you to stay close to Him and live with purpose?