Day 10. The Heart of Worship

Surrender your whole being to him 

to be used for righteous purposes.

- Romans 6:13b -

Surrender is an unpopular word, dislike almost as much as the word submission. But surrendering to God is the heart of worship. It is the natural response to God's amazing love and mercy. We give ourselves to him, not out of fear or duty, but in love.

True worship bringing God pleasure happens when you give yourself completely to God. Offering yourself to God is what worship is all about. This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus your Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit.

There are three barriers that block our total surrender to God: fear, pride, and confusion. We don't realize how much God loves us, we want to control our own lives, and we misunderstand the meaning of surrender. 

Can I trust God?

Trust is essential ingredient to surrender. You won't surrender to God unless you trust him, but you can't trust him until you  know him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you realize how much God loves you, the easier surrender becomes. 

God is a lover and a liberator, and surrendering to him brings freedom, not bondage. When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant, but a saviour; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

Admitting our limitations

A second barrier to total surrender is out pride. We don't want to admit that we're just creatures and not in charge of everything. Life is a struggle, but what most people don't realize is that our struggle, is really a struggle with God. We want to be God, and there's no way we are going to win that struggle. We aren't God and never will be. We are humans.

What it means to surrender?

Surrendering to God is not passive resignation, fatalism, or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed. It doesn't mean giving up rational thinking. God would not waste the mind he gave you. Surrendering is not repressing your personality. Rather than its being diminished, surrendering enhances it. C. S Lewis observed: "The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become because he made us. You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. Instead of trying harder, you trust more. You also know you're surrender when you don't react to criticisms and rush to defend yourself. Surrendered hearts show io best in relationships. You don't edge others pit, you don't demand your rights, and you aren't self-serving when you're surrendered.

The blessing of surrender
The Bible is crystal clear about how you benefit when you fully surrender your life to God.
1. You experience peace
2. You experience freedom
3. You experience God's power in your life

Victory comes through surrender. Stubborn temptations and overwhelming problems can be defeated by Christ when given to him. Surrender doesn't weaken you; it strengthens you. Surrender to God, you don't have to fear or surrender to anything else. Nothing is more powerful than a surrendered life in the hands of God.

The best way to live
Everybody eventually surrenders to something or someone. If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your pride, lust, or ego. You were designed to worship God, and if you fail to worship Him, you will create others things (idols) to give your life to. You are free to choose what you surrender to, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice.

Surrender to God is not the best way to live; it is the only way to live. Nothing else works. All other approaches lead to frustration, disappointment, and self-destruction.
Surrendering your life is not a foolish emotional impulse but a rational, intelligent act, the most responsible and sensible thing you can do with your life.

Sometimes it takes years, but eventually you discover that the greatest hindrance to God's blessing in your lifebis not others, it is yourself, yourself-will, stubborn pride, and personal ambition.

If God is going to do his deepest work in you, it will begin with this. So give it all to God, your past regrets, your present problems, your future ambitions, your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts and hang-ups. Put Jesus Christ as a driver's seat of your life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don't be afraid; nothing under his control can ever be out of control. Mastered by Christ, you can handle anything.

Surrendering is never just a one-time event. Paul said: "I die daily." There is a moment of surrender, and there is the practice of surrender, which is moment by moment and lifelong. You must make it a daily habit. When you decide to live a totally surrendered life, that decision will be tested. Sometimes it will mean doing inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seemingly impossible tasks.


Question to Consider:
What area of my life am I holding back from God?

Day 9.What Makes God Smile?

May the Lord smile on you

Number 6:25

The Lord is pleased with those 
who worship him and trust his love.

Psalm 147:11

The smile of God is the goal of your life. 

Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. The Bible gives us an example of life that gives pleasure to God. The man’s name was Noah. From his life we learn the five acts of worship that make God smile.

1. God smiles when we love him supremely.

Noah loved God more than anything in the world, even when no one else did. Noah consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him. This is what God wants most from you: a relationship. God made you to love you, and he longs for you to love you, and he longs for you to love him back. he wants you to know him and spend time with him. his is why learning to love God and be loved by him should be the greatest objective of your life. Jesus called it the greatest commandment.

2. God smiles when we trust him completely

Noah trusted God, even when it didn’t make sense. When God asked Noah to build a giant ship, Noah didn’t complaint or make excuses. It took 120 years to build the ark. He faced many discouraging days. He trusted God completely even though he has a lot of questions and doubts. Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. You expect him to keep his promises, help you out with problems, and do the impossible when necessary. In what areas of your life do you need to trust God completely?

3. God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly

Noticed that Noah obeyed completely (no instruction was overlooked), and he obeyed exactly (in the way and time God wanted it done). That is wholeheartedness. That means doing whatever God asks without reservation and hesitation. Understanding can wait, but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding. We please God by what we do, and not only by what we believe.

4. God smiles when we praise and thank him continually

God smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to him. We praise God for who he is, and we thank God for what he has done. An amazing things happens when we offers praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy.

5. God smiles when we use our abilities

You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing “spiritual’ activities like reading the Bible, attending church, praying, or sharing your faith. And you may think God is unconcerned about the other parts of your life. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating. He doesn’t miss a single move you make. Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God’s pleasure if you do it with an attitude of praise. Like a proud parents, God especially enjoys watching you use the talents and abilities he has given you. 

God doesn’t wait for you to reach maturity before he starts liking you. He loves and enjoys you at every stage of your spiritual development. What God looks at is the attitude of your heart.

Taken from Purpose Driven Life.

God bless,

Maya

Day 8. Planned for God's Pleasure

You created everything, 

and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.

Revelation 4:11

You were planned for God's pleasure.

Bringing enjoyment to God, living for his pleasure, is the firs purpose of your life. When you fully understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant. It proves your worth. If you are that important to God, and he considers you valuable enough to keep with him for eternity, what greater significance could you have? You are a child of God, and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created.

One of the greatest gifts God has given you is the ability to enjoy pleasure. He wired you with five senses and emotions so you can experience it. He wants you to enjoy life, not just endure it. The reason you are able to enjoy pleasure is that God made you in his image. 

We often forget that God has emotions, too. He feels things very deeply. The Bible tells us that God grieves, gets jealous and angry, and frels compassion, pity, sorrow, and sympathy as well as happines, gladness, and satisfaction. God loves, delights, gets pleasure, rejoices, enjoys, and even laughs.

Bringing pleasure to God is called "worship."

Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. Depending on your religious background, you may need to expand your understanding of 'worship'. You may think of church services with singing, praying, and listening to a sermon. Or you may think of ceremonies, candles, and communion. Or you may think of healing, miracles, and ecstatic experiences. Worship can include these elements, but worship is far more than these expressions. 

Worship is far more than music. Every part of a church service is an act of worship. If it is offered to God in spirit and truth, it is an act of worship.

Worship is not for your benefit. When we worship, our goal is to bring pleasure to God, not ourselves.

Worship is a lifestyle.

Worship is not a part of your life; it is your life. Worship is not just for church services. Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God.

How is it possible to do everything to the glory of God?

By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it. 

This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship-doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus. This is what real worship is all about-falling in love with Jesus.

Taken from Purpose Driven Life Book

God bless,

Maya

Day 7. The Reason for Everything

Everything comes F R O M God

Everything lives B Y his power

Everything is F O R his glory

- Romans 11:36 -

What is the glory of God?

It is who God is. 

God's glory is the expression of his goodness and all his other intrinsic, eternal qualities.

Where is the glory of God?

Everything created by God reflects his glory in some way. You can see it everywhere.

We cannot add anything to this glory, just as it would be impossible for us to make the sun shine brighter. 

But we are commanded to recognize his glory, honor his glory, declare his glory, praise his glory, reflect his glory, and live for his glory.

How can we bring glory to God?

Jesus honored God by fulfilling his purpose on earth. We honor God the same way. When anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God. 

There are many ways to bring glory to God, but they can be summarized in God's five purposes for your life.

1. We bring God glory by worshipping him.

2. We bring God glory by loving other believers

3. We bring God glory by becoming like Christ

4. We bring God glory by serving others with our gifts

5. We bring God glory by telling others about him

What will you live for?

Living the rest of your life for the glory of God sometimes mean choosing a difficult path instead of an easy one. 

Jesus stood at a fork in the road. Would he fulfill his purpose and bring glory to God, or would he shrink back and live a comfortable, self-centered life? 

You face the same choice. Will you live for your own goals, comfort, and pleasure, or will you live the rest of your life for God's glory, knowing that he has promised eternal rewards?

It's time to settle this issue. Who are you going to live for - yourself or God? You may hesitate, wondering whether you wikk have strength to live for God. Don't worry. God will give you what you need if you will just nake the choice to live for him.

Right now, God is inviting you to live for his glory by fulfilling the purposes he made you for. It's really the only way to live. Everything else is just existing. Real life begins by committing yourself completely to Jesus Christ.

If you are not sure you have done this, 

all you need to do is receive and believe.

1. Believe

Believe God loves you and made youfor his purpose. Believe you're not an accident. Believe you were made to last forever. Believe God has chosen you to have a relationship with Jesus, who died on the cross for you. Believe that no matter what you've done, God wants to forgive you.

2. Receive

Receive Jesus into your life as your Lord and Saviour. Receive his forgiveness for your sins. Receive his spirit, who will give you the power to fulfill your life purpose. 

Wherever you are reading this, I invite you to bow your head and quietly whisper the prayer that will change your eternity:

"Jesus, I believe in you and receive you as my Lord and Saviour". 

Taken from Purpose Driven Life

God bless,

Maya

Day 6. Life is a Temporary Assignment

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.
- 2 Corinthians 4:18 -

To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths:
1. Compared with eternity, life is extremely.
2. Earth is only a temporary residence. We don't be here long.

Repeatedly the Bible compares life on earth to temporarily living in a foreign country. This is not your permanent home or final destination. You're just passing trough, just visiting earth.

Real believers understand that there is far more to life than just the few years we live on this planet.

Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven. When you grasp this truth, you will stop worrying about 'having it all' on earth.

God is very blunt about the danger of living for the here and now and adopting the values, priorities, and lifestyle of the world around us.

Compared with other centuries, life has never been easier for much of the Western world. We are constantly entertained, amused, catered to. With all the fascinating attractions, mesmerizing media, and enjoyable experiences available today, it's easy to forget that the pursuit of happines is not what life is about. 

Only as we remember that life is a test, a trust, and a temporary assignment will the appeal of these things lose their grip on oir lives. 
We are preparing for something even better.

The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why, as followers of Jesus, we experience difficulty, sorrow, and rejection in this world.

It also explains why sone of God's promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unanswered, and some circumstances seem unfair. This is not the end of the story.

In order to keep is from becoming too attached to earth, God allows is to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life-longings thay will never be fulfilled on this sode of eternity. Earth is not our final home, we were created for something much better.

It is a fatal mistake to assume that God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even in ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.

Your time on earth is not the complete story of your life. You must wait until heaven for the rest of the chapter. Ot takes faith to live on earth as a foreigner.

When life gets tough, when you're overwhelmed with doubt, or when you wonder if living for Christ is worth the effort, remember that you are not home yet. At death you won't leave home, but you'll go home.

Taken from Purpose Driven Life

God Bless,

Maya

Day 5. Sewing Life from God's View

The way you see your life shapes your life. 
How you define life determines your destiny. Your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use yoir talents, and value your relationship.

Bible says, "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God."

The Bible offers 3 metaphors of life:

1. Life is a test

God continually tests people's character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty.

God tests your faith through problem, tests your hope by how you handle your possesion, and tests your love through people.

A very important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life. God left you alone to test your character, to reveal a weakness, and to prepare you for more responsibility.

Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development.

Everyday is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.

The Bible says, "God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm, at the same time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out."

Everytime you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity.

2. Life is a trust

Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relatuionships and resources are all gifts from God that He entrusted to our care and management.

We are stewards of whatever God gives us. God just loans then to us while we're here. Everything that we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God has plaved in our hands. You must take the best care of it.

At the end of your life, you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. God will give you affirmation, promotion, and celebration.

Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust. God watches how we use money to test how trusthworthy we are.

God says there is a direct relationship between how you use your money and the quality of your spiritual life. How you manage your money determines how mich God can trust you with spiritual blessings.

Life ia a test and a trust, and the more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.

Luke 16:10a          

Unless you are faithfull in small matters, 

you won't be faithfull in large ones.

Taken from Purpose Driven Life Book by Rick Warren

God bless,

Maya

Day 4. Made to Last Forever

- 1 John 2:17 -

This world is fading away, 

along with everything it craves. 

But if you do the will of God, 
you will live forever.

There is more to life than just here and now. You will spend far more time on the other side of death, in eternity. This life is preparation for the next.

There are two kinds of people:
1. Those who say to God: 'Thy will be done'
2. Those to whom God says:' All right then, have it your way'

Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without Him on earth.

When you live in light of eternity, your values change. You use your time and money more wisely.

To make your the most of your life, you must keep the vision of eternity continually in your mind and the value of it in your heart.

For us this is the end of all the stories. But it was only the beginning of the real story. You need to think more about eternity, not less.

If you have a relationship with God through Jesus, you don't need to fear death. It is the door to eternity.

Taken from Purpose Driven Life Book by Rick Warren

God bless,

Maya

Day 3. What Drives Your Life?

You, LORD, give perfect peace 

to those who keep their purpose firm 

and put their trust in You.

- Isaiah 26:3 -

Here are 5 most common things that drives someone life:

1. Driven by guilt
They spent their entire lives running from regrets and hiding their shame. Guilt-driven people are manipulated by memories. They allow their past to control their future. They often unconsciously punish themselves by sabotaging their own success.

2. Driven by resentment and anger
They hold on to hurts and never get over them. Instead of releasing their pain through forgiveness, they rehearse it over and over in their minds. Some resentment-driven people 'clam up' and internalise their anger, while others 'blow up' and explode it onto others. Both responses are unhealthy and unhelpful. Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent.

3. Driven by fear
Their fears may be a result of a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations, growing up in a high-control home, or even genetic predisposition. Fear-driven people often miss great opportunities because they're afraid to venture out. Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.

4. Driven by materialism
This drive to always want more is based on the misconceptions that having more will make me more happy, more important, and more secure. Possessions only provide temporary happiness.

5. Driven by the need for approval
They allow the expectations of parents or spouses or children or teachers or friends to control their lives. Others are driven by peer pressure, always worried by what others might think. Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it. 


The benefit of knowing your life's purpose:

1. Gives meaning to your life
We were made to have meaning. Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.

2. Simplifies your life
It defines what you do and what you don't do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren't. Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which you base decisions, allocate your time, and use your resources.

3. Focuses your life
It concentrates your effort and energy on what's important. You become effective by being selective. It's human nature to get distracted by minor issues. Without a clear purpose, you will keep changing everything, hoping each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart.

4. Motivates your life  
Purpose always produces passion. Nothing energies like a clear purpose.

5. Prepares you for eternity
Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth. They want to be remembered when they're gone. The ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says.


2 questions that you have to answer when you stand before God:

1. What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?
God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust Him?

2. What did you do with what I gave you?
What did you do with your life - all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationship, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?

The first question will determine 

where you spend eternity.

The second question will determine 

what you do in eternity.

Be ready to answer those both questions.

God bless,

Maya

Day 2. You are not an Accident

Roman 12:3 says,

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us.

You are not an Accident

You are who you are for a reason

You're part of an intricate plan

You're a precious and perfect unique design,

Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason

Our God made no mistake

He knot together within the womb

You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose

And no matter how you may feel

They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind

And they bear the Master's seal

No, that trauma you face was not easy

And God wept thay it hurt you so

Bit it was allowed to shape your heart

So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason

You've been formed by the Master's rod

You are who you are, beloved

Because there is a God.      

Poem by Russel Kelfer.

We discover that meaning and purpose only when 

we make God the reference point of our lives.

Day 1. It all starts with God

It all starts with God

   

It's not about you.

The purpose of your life is far greater 
than your own personal fulfilment, 
your peace of mind, 
or even your happiness.

It's far greater than your family, 
your career, 
or even your wildest dreams 
and ambition.

You were born by His purpose 
and for His purpose, 
and until you understand that, 
life never make sense.

Colossians 1:16b

For everything, absolutely everything, 
above and below, visible and invisible, 
Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.