Hello to everyone reading this!! Although it's been a while since I've written anything here, the need to post has been tugging at my heart - here and there over the years and a lot more frequently within the past few months - I would feel this longing to post, but for various reasons, I would ignore the longings. Why now?
Well, I'm glad you asked. It's like this...have you ever experienced times when it seemed like every time you turned on a Christian program or listened to your pastor's sermon, there was the same underlying message? You tried to ignore it, but time and again, the same message kept coming across in different formats? You felt unsettled when you heard these messages and felt a tugging at your heart or a longing deep down in your spirit? That tugging or longing is God trying to get your attention. He wants to redirect you or reconnect with you.
You may be thinking to yourself, "Yeah, right! That feeling isn't a longing, it's just guilt!! Why would God seek me?" Because He made you and He has a purpose for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Every one of us was designed with our very own built-in Godometer - a longing to not only seek out God but to have a close relationship with Him. Most of us aren't aware of our Godometer so we look for other things to fill the void in our lives. Things like alcohol, drugs, sex, or even food. We were made to crave God, not nicotine, drugs, love or sugar! We were made for a purpose and when you yield to Him to find your purpose, your life will take on a whole new meaning and you'll be elevated to a new level.
So, my friends, I'm going to challenge you. I dare you to go some place where you have no distractions, sit quietly and listen to that longing and feel that tugging at your heart. I dare you to ask God to reveal your purpose. It may not happen right away, but if you consistently and habitually ask Him, He will reveal it to you.
Now, just a bit of advice...do not, I repeat do not allow those voices in your head - I'm talking about the very vocal voices of doubt - you know the ones - they start telling you that you can't do it or that you're not good enough or talented enough. When you start to hear those voices, you need to tell them to "Shut Up"!!! God doesn't make mistakes!! He doesn't put dreams in our hearts that He hasn't already equipped us to do. Every time those voices start to attack you, "You're a loser, you can't do that, you're not smart enough...," you need to start chanting, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), God has put this dream in my heart and he has given me everything I need to succeed!!" The voice of doubt that was continuously nagging me was..."You're too old", but as my Pastor, John Nuzzo, says, "if you have a pulse, you're not too old!!" Amen, Pastor John, Amen!
Okay, now - go ahead - I dare ya!! I double-dog dare ya to take the next step and learn the dreams and purpose that God has for you!! When you discover what it is, you will be so over-joyed that you might find yourself dancing and shouting!! Post it here and we'll cyber-dance and shout together!! Then come back next week to see what's brewing at the Hope Today Cafe!
Please feel free to forward this to the other people in your life. Have a blessed week finding out your dreams and purpose.
