Your Ministry

It's All Ministry!

Believe it or not, you have a ministry. You are the leader of your own ministry that serves everyone you come in contact with. You may not be an ordained minister or pastor a church, but you are still a minister. Your ministry is your life. Your life is a service to others.

Whatever it is you do during the day is your ministry. Whether you are a parent, a secretary, a teacher, a cashier, a bus driver... you name it. Everything you do is a ministry. The question is if God is reflected in that ministry.

God has allowed you to occupy those roles and work in those places. He's given you your co-workers, students, children, etc. for you to impact their lives. The work that you do every day He's given expressly for you to handle.

How are you treating your ministry?

Are you working with a joyful spirit or are you begrudgingly trudging through your eight hours? Are you speaking life to those around you or are you speaking words of gossip, slander, and discord? Do you look for ways to be a light to those who you see that are living in darkness or do you even acknowledge their spiritual state?

Every facet of your life is ordered by God. How you handle your life - your ministry - is extremely important. Remember that you are not just existing, you're living on purpose! Don't neglect your ministry!

Don't see your life as just what you have to do in order to 'make a living'. You are supposed to be doing so much more. See each day as an opportunity to share the love of Christ, to minister to the lost, to reach someone who has never been reached, and to do something great for the Lord.

Doesn't that totally change how you look at your life? Your life is a ministry. Go ahead and make it one of the greatest ministries on the planet!

Verse of the Day: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation... 2 Corinthians 5:18

Let's Go!

Let's go to work!

I am excited! I don't know if it's the new year, the fast that I'm participating in, or something else, but all I know is God is talking and I'm listening!

God has been showing me that this year is a year of living purpose. No more should we just be existing, dreaming, praying, and waiting. This year we will make our way prosperous! (Joshua 1:8) We've written down the vision, now let's go out and bring the vision to pass!

There comes a point when you've done all the planning, analyzing, and forecasting. All of the wisdom on how to take the next step has been gathered. There's no more research that can be done. It's time to step forward. Let's all make some moves this year!

How long are you going to wait to move? What more do you need to begin? God has put His vision on the inside of you; it's time for you to let it out. Start moving in your purpose, begin to live in the promise now.

Don't let this year pass by and having you sitting in the same spot where you began. Let December find you leaps and bounds ahead of where you are now! Think of how proud of yourself you and the Lord will be looking back at how productive you've been this year.

But it all begins with you taking that step to move forward. Things can't start happening until you start the ball rolling. Get to moving! Start your project, live the dream, walk on purpose! This is going to be a great year! Your work will make it certain!

Verse of the Day: And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! Psalm 90:17 (NLT)

Thanksgiving Friday!

Can you guess what I'm thankful for this week?

That's right! My purpose in God.

I'm thankful that I'm not an accident, that I'm not here by accident, and that God made me expressly for His purpose on purpose. It's wonderful to know that God took time to intentionally put together all of my qualities, talents, and abilities. I am perfectly suited to take on the assignment He's given to me. I can't lose! I'm here on purpose!

I'm also thankful for wisdom this week. I had some things on my mind and decisions to make, and the Holy Spirit was there to guide me in His great wisdom. I know that as I continue to look to Him in all things, He will not steer me wrong. I took some steps and know that I am on the right track. Thank You, Lord, for Your wisdom!

I'm also thankful for provision. I can say that I have lacked nothing in the past year. I have been in good health. My emotional well-being has been strong. I have not been financially pressed. And my spirit has been prosperously increased through my relationship with God. I am rich beyond measure! Lord, I thank You for Your marvellous provision! I give You praise that I lack no good thing!

What are you thankful for this week? What great thing is God doing in your life. Don't neglect giving Him praise and thanksgiving!

Verse of the Day: ...but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Psalm 34:10b

Reason For It All

Yesterday I referenced how Jesus was living on purpose long before He started His ministry. Jesus made a point to visit the temple to talk with the rabbis and priests and learn the Scriptures. He was such an astute student that He amazed His teachers! (Luke 2:47)

Jesus also studied His teachers. He recognized where they were making mistakes and mistreating God's Word. He realized how their lives were not lining up with what they were preaching to the people. And when His turn came to instruct, Jesus made sure that the same could not be said of Him. He was also able to use His wisdom to skillfully combat their criticism when the Pharisees and Sadducees came to stop His ministry.

The ordinary things of life also were impactful to Jesus' ministry. He took note of the farmer, the shepherd, and the fisherman as He grew up. He watched how they went about their work, and He was able to use that knowledge to reach thousands of farmers, shepherds, and fishermen when He began to preach.

You may be on your way to your ultimate moment of destiny. Yet, right now there are things going on that are still relevant to your mission. Every circumstance and every instance is an opportunity for you to learn, grow, and sharpen your purpose.

God leads you down certain paths for His reasons. You're not experiencing what you are for nothing. Begin to ask the Lord to show you how to link your current place with your future promise. Don't just allow life to wash over you. Recognize there is a purpose in it all.

Verse of the Day: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Psalm 37:23

New Year, New Look

Hey All!

Just a note to let you know that when you log on during the month of January you'll be seeing some different changes and tweaks going on. I'm working to get this blog better: better looking, better writing, better all around. By the end of the month, it should be set.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for your patience!

Tiara

Here On Purpose

I'm meditating on purpose this week, and yesterday the Lord ministered this to me:

You were created by God on purpose for a purpose, and when you make God's purpose your purpose, all things will come together for your good.

Isn't that amazing?! God made you on purpose. Everything about you that makes you you, God put there intentionally. All of your gifts, talents, traits, and mannerisms, God packaged together specifically when He created you.

Then He picked the nation, city, family, mother and father, even the year to purposefully insert you into the history of this planet. He timed your birth perfectly for you to fulfill His special purpose. You are no accident. You are here for a reason.

When you look at purpose this way, you can't help but be humbled. And you can't help but be motivated. If God lined everything up 'just so' to get us here, the least we can do is walk in His purpose for us. We can't waste such a specific, special plan.

If you don't know your purpose in God, I suggest you get before Him and allow Him to show you why you're here. If you do know your purpose, identify what stage you're in and take those necessary steps to keep your mission going. If you're walking in your purpose already, keep going! Don't lose the faith and remain strong.

Jesus knew His mission. He accomplished it in about three years. Yet, before He hit the climax, he was in preparation years before. At twelve we see Him "about my father's business" sitting at the feet of the rabbis  in the temple. He had His eyes on the prize long before He spoke a parable or performed a miracle.

No matter where you are in life, you are still on assignment. God created you on purpose for His purpose. Sync up with your Creator and start living on purpose. You're not here just to exist. You're here to be a success. You won't experience true success until you embrace your true reason for living.

Verse of the Day: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6

Living On Purpose

This past weekend we all marched into a new year. 2012 is in full effect, and most folks are rejoicing about their new opportunity to achieve something great. Everyone's Twitter, Facebook, and blogs were filled with declarations that 2012 will be "the best year ever" and that the new year would see them achieving their dreams and aspirations.

Everyone was taking note of the new windows, doors, chances, and openings that were suddenly available just because the calendar was changing to January 1st. And it's true: we all have an opportunity to begin anew. But can I say that the same old you is the one who is privy to all these new opportunities?

The same you that reveled in the new years of 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, and as far back as you started realizing the new year was relevant is the you that's walking into 2012.

Now, we all grow and mature, but somehow we lose sight of our January 1st selves by mid-January. In a few weeks all of our excitement has dwindled to a simmer, and by February it's a distant memory. Those opportunities for greatness somehow fall by the wayside, and our aspirations to do better fall back into our normal output.

BUT NOT THIS YEAR!!!!

This year I offer that we live on purpose striving to do better, be better, and achieve more than we ever have before. This year we will change our mindset and begin to think with the mind of Christ. We will take on the work God has called us to do and watch our efforts bear fruit.

No longer will we just say the words. Nope, this year we will walk the walk and let our actions speak louder than our declarations. God has put us on this earth to achieve great things for Him, and this year we will purpose to get some of those things done!

Who's with me?

Verse of the Day: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7a (AMP)