Today I’ve discovered what the joy part of “longsuffering with joy” means to me. My joy is eternity. My joy is living in heaven everyday with Christ, the love who died to bring me home. My joy is knowing that life on this earth is a temporary assignment and that when I die, I get to go home. This explains to me why I’ll never feel an absolute contentment while here living. I am joyfully overwhelmed with peace knowing this to be true. Knowing death isn’t the end of my life, only the door to eternity. Now I understand how it’s truly possible to endure hardships and pain without despair. Because, there is always hope, a hope that is laid up for all of us, for every nation, in heaven. This hope is Jesus, who came in love to reconcile all things back to himself.
Believe and receive His Spirit and Him as Lord and savior!
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
It baffles and humbles my dear friend Elizabeth and I that there is no work requirement for this love so freely given. Only requirement is to accept Him, accept Him as the payment. Bizarre how this seems to be the most difficult part of the relationship, huh?
I understand how brief life is on earth. Being referred to in the Bible as an alien, pilgrim, foreigner, stranger, visitor of this land all makes clear sense now. After graduating college the questions completely surfaced, “What am I here for? What is my purpose for being?” No matter when we ask them, don’t we all ask those two questions?
God wants us to ask Him those questions because He made each and everyone of us. We find our purpose as we exist in Him and know Him in our relationship with Him. And I’ve discovered that as I seek and live out my purpose I enjoy who He is and give Him the glory of the life we lead.
The book The Purpose Driven Life has really helped me confirm my thoughts. I recommend every person read it to have the knowledge it offers and then decide whether they are ready to believe and receive it or not.
My joy for heaven explains my unrest for what the world says will bring fulfillment. With this fundamental knowledge plainly laid out for me, I now am equipped to make the best decisions for stewarding my future well.
I will always live in abundance by the grace of God. Now is when I will decide what to focus my time and energy on in order to build up to the focus I’ll have in years to come. Now is when I’m able to discover how my gifts will play into my purpose and how I can best use them to proclaim The Good News.
This phase of my life is the training and equipping phase. My life will be devoted to making the Only Living God known. (Psalm 135:15-18). The couple Schools of Ministry that are in my future will be the preparation for that work. They will be used as a tool and an instrument by God to shape me, confirm gifts, find my specific purpose, and then send me off to work using those gifts and qualities. We all have unique gifts to bring God praise.
I will live my life set apart for Christ’s sake so everyone will know what He has done for all nations in love.
longsufferingwithjoy 