The options of discovery are around us

If you know what God uniquely gifted and purposed you to do then the question about what you should be doing is answered very quickly. Knowing what are talents and skill set is provides us a complete foundation for happiness and direction for our lives. Talking with individuals can often be challenging because many times we simply have no clue about what we are suppose to do, what makes us happy or what are next step is from where we currently stand. Most often I will hear people say “you know that’s a good question”, when asked what they want to do. Or something like”I just can’t make my mind up” when wondering which direction to go. Attempting to figure out for myself, the answers to those questions, are more than challenging. Most of the time we are concerned about making the right decision but we spend more time worrying about making the wrong decision, and thus we become stuck, not moving in any direction, and we basically do nothing at all when in this type of position. Having been whereof I am writing I can say with total confidence I get the feeling and I understand the frustration. However, when I began to understand that God had a plan for my life, things began to change. I discovered having a foundation from which to evaluate and judge my actions and dreams from was a game changer for me. I know I am a Christian. I may not always act like a Christian, my words may not always sound like a Christian but I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever in whose I am. Because I believe this to be a fact for me in my life, I have continued my search in seeking what talents He gifted me with. I have been in a long on going search for many years about His purpose for my numbered days here on earth. While I have not discovered all the answers I’ve sought, and while I have not always received immediate answers for my questions, my faith in Jesus Christ has been strengthen because I at least know some of what He had gifted me to do. One of the challenges in confirming the foundation on which we stand, surrounds the issuer of what we know. Most often we like to know and understand everything before we jump in, at least that is a normal caution when it comes to Christianity. Yet in life, there are plenty of things, too many to write about that we volunteer to do, join in on awhile we haven’t the slightest clue as to what is going to be required, we just join in. Given these truths we all can identify with, why is it we are so slow to join in on God’s band wagon of activities, purpose and calling? Why are we so slow to react to happiness and direction when it is available to us through several discovery channels? We can pray and ask God for clarification. We can listen to His messengers who preach and share God’s truths from the Bible, we can be encouraged and directed through music that honor and glorifies God and we can ask questions of others in how they found their purpose, gifts and talents, if we would engage in that conversation. The options of discovery are around us, I’m just figuring that we really don’t want to know. Maybe we think we are not obligated if we don’t really know or especially if we don’t ask. Like there is some chance we are not held accountable if we don’t acknowledge there could be answers if we only ask God for His help. Avoiding the question or avoiding the issue, some believes will solve the problem because the issue is just not addressed. That would be a false truth, even if people act as if the practice is valid. I want to be happy in life. I have found my greatest happiness when I serve God and I am following His plan. For me, a part of that is just loving people. All people, whoever they are, and wherever they are. I’m not a pre-condition type preacher either. No pre-requirements in seeking Him or attempting to discover your talents or your purpose by His design. The only requirement I find in scripture would be you asking Him to help you see. Until then

What was the last thing?

The subject of personal responsibility no doubt conjures up in your thinking thoughts that the hammer is about to fall on someone. I’m agreeing with you if that’s you're thinking because that is normally the situation. A failed follow through, a slacked response to an urgent situation or a totally disregard of a concern now has consequences of which we are about to be held fully responsible. I would like to direct the thought of personal responsibility toward myself and to the fact that I have publicly announced that I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe He is the Son of God. This confession is not just a word statement but it is also an action statement where my words and action are working in conjunction with each other in a positive manner for the cause. Often personal responsibility is held accountable in professional office settings, in meetings of leadership with businesses and organizations and even in the public view as things relate to legal court proceedings. I have heard some individuals assume their personal responsibility for words, actions, situations and such with the attitude that it relates only to them, and them alone. Their decisions don’t have any impact on others. This attitude is often heard in an expression like “this is my business and it doesn’t have anything to do with you.” John Donne was an English poet and he coined the phrase “No Man is an Island”. The meaning is quite simply, we are all connected, even if we chose not to be. For Christians and for our personal responsibilities as followers of Jesus, our responsibility is to Jesus Christ as His disciple. This relationship is built on accountability, conversation, words and actions. Jesus before He was crucified at Golgotha, that is the place of the skull, He had gone to a garden to pray. Along with Him were some of His disciples. He instructed them to stay at one spot while He went a little further ahead of them so He could have a conversation in private with His Heavenly Father. After a time of talking (praying) Jesus went back to where He had left the disciples. To His dismay they were all sleeping. Maybe it had been the longness of the day, or even that of the entire week. No doubt because of all that had been taking place, sleeping opportunities had been limited. Maybe the disciples missed the importance to Jesus when He had asked them to sit and pray. Well, I should just write it wasn’t a “maybe” it was a “they did” miss completely the importance of His request. Of course Jesus left them as they were with a reminder for them to pray and in the end, Jesus left them to the decision of their own, to sleep while He continued with His personal responsibility. For Jesus He knew that the Cross was before Him and soon He would be put to death. My question about personal responsibility for us who confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior is this. What was the last thing that Jesus asked you to do? In writing I don’t exactly have the ability to pause in such a way as to allow plenty of time for self-reflection, personal thinking and even a time of meditating, but oh how I wish you would ponder the question, what was the last thing Jesus asked you to do? It could be you don’t want to consider this question because you already know the answer. Could be you are not interested in thinking back to that moment in which you know you clearly heard God’s voice and made a personal decision not to respond in a manner He had requested? Whatever creates the pause in answering this question I’m asking you to explore. We as Christians have a personal responsibility to Jesus and we have a personal relationship too, even though it might not be described as that by us. Nevertheless the relationship and responsibility remains even if we act or deny its existence. The disciple missed the importance of that hour of prayer in the garden with Jesus. They missed the opportunity to be a leaning post for Jesus as He contemplated the days He faced that were before Him. They missed the opportunity to be there for one another. Yes, we can all pray alone, but the encouragement others receive from praying with others is a moment shared that is rarely ever forgotten by those individual participating. You and I, by not being personally responsible, are missing opportunities to grow our faith, belief and confidence in Jesus and we are impacting others by robbing them of a chance to see faith in action. So…….what was the last thing Jesus asked you to do? Until then