Establish

1Peter 5:10 That Jesus will personally restore, establish, strengthen and support.

Last week we looked at restore. God wants to restore, and as we come with an attitude of humilty, a willingness to focus on him and not circumstamce, and to be obedient, that Jesus will personally restore, establish, strengthen and support.
Last week.

This week we are taking a look at Establish:- what does God want to establish in our lives?

Dictionary definition.
es·tab·lish:
-to found, institute, build, or bring into being on a firm or stable basis:
-to establish a university; to establish a medical practice. to install or settle in a position, place, business, etc.:
-to establish one's child in business. to show to be valid or true; prove: to establish the facts of the matter. to cause to be accepted or recognized: to establish a custom; She established herself as a leading surgeon. to bring about permanently: to establish order.

These are helpful, but they don't really get to what Peter is trying to say when he says God will establish us. In 1 Peter 5:10, the word used means to make stable, to set fast, make firm, to render constant and to confirm as ones mind.

God wants to work in our lives to so that we are constant, set firm, stable. He wants us to be able, no matter the circumstance, to be steady and be able to withstand whatever is thrown at at us. He wants us to have a strong foundation in that is based solidly in him.

A building is strong when it has firm foundations. A building without firm foundations is damaged easily when it is shaken. The taller a building is, the deeper the foundations need to be. I looked up information on building foundations. There are many different types of foundations, and lots of information, much of it mathematical engineering stuff. But it was interesting, the following information particularly so.

Pile foundation-The most expensive and the strongest type of foundation, this requires specialist engineering to do. The soils are bored deep down into the earth and filled with concrete to be able to support loads of multistory building on top. Most skyscrapers are constructed with this foundation type, a waterlogged area of high building may also require this. It is the costliest hence it is used for high rise building mostly.

Building and establishing a solid foundation takes time and effort. It will cost us, but it will be worth it.

1 Cor 3:10-11
Because of God's special favour to me I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be careful. For no-one can lay any other foundation than the one we have, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is our foundation.

Eph 2:20
We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Jesus Christ himself. We who believe ate being carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

Our lives will be built on some kind of foundation. But as God establishes us, he reminds us that the only real foundation for our lives is Jesus Christ. The reason for a solid foundation is so that we can carry weight. Anything we choose to build in our lives will have a weight attached to it. God wants us to have firm foundations so that we can carry much weight. God wants to establish foundations in us so that we can build on those foundations something of worth and of value. The Corinthians passage goes on to say that we can build with many different types of materials, but God wants us to build with valuable materials. Materials that will last, that are able to carry weight.

What does God want to establish in your life?

1. Establish a foundation of Relationship through Discipleship.

God wants to establish a deep and firm foundation of Relationship with him. This is what we call Discipleship. Discipleship is a foundation. Everything we do depends on the level of relationship and discipleship we are prepared to develop in our lives.  A disciple is simply : A person who is a pupil, or an adherent of the doctrines of another. So as Christians we are to be pupils who are followers of the doctrines of Jesus. It is possible to be a disciple of many things other than Jesus.

Are you a pupil of the doctrines of Christ?

Jesus says that his disciples do what he tells them, that they live in obedience to his word. We can only build a strong foundation of discipleship if we understand his Word, if we read it, listen to it and most importantly do it. A foundation of Discipleship is a lifestyle that is built and established in relationship with God, that is developed on an ongoing basis.

Col 2:6-10
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Our relationship with God is the key element of that relationship. God has done his part for us by giving us Jesus. When we choose to follow him, it becomes an ongoing process of Discipleship through relationship. God develops strong foundations when we choose to dig deep, when we choose to develop the relationship with him. When we are saved, The process begins, but firm foundations develop when we dig deep; when we choose to become a true disciple; when we choose to follow Christ and to be a pupil of Christ. If you are a pupil, you are expected to learn something!

As a disciple, Jesus says that we will learn about him, about who he is, about what he says and what we are to do. If we are his pupils, we will learn from him how to live and he fully expects us to put it into practice. We have to make sure we have the basiscs right.

Phil 2:12
Make every effort to put into practice God's saving work in your life.

This is true Discipleship. God has already established his saving work in our lives, but he wants us to put it into practice. He says make every effort; the older translations say work out your salvation. He says put it into to work in your lives by being a true disciple, acting on what you know, developing an ongoing relationship with him.

John 8:31
Jesus said to the people who believed him "you are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings".

God wants to establish his work in your life so that you can bear weight for the kingdom of God. The deeper our foundations, the more weight we will be able to carry without collapsing. The deeper the foundation, the stronger the building on top; and the deeper our discipleship, the more we are able to carry the real weight of the kingdom of God. Sometimes to build a strong foundation, you have to dig deep, to get out the muck that is in the way and to lay the foundation.

Have you laid the foundation of Jesus in your life?

Have you been prepared to get in and dig out the muck that is in the way so that your foundation can become solid and strong?

Are you willing to let God deal with the issues that you have and the challenges that you face, so that his foundation is not hindered?

Discipleship means being deliberate in our relationship with God. It means taking the time to spend time with him every day. Make sure you are building on the solid ground of obedience and discipleship that comes from true relationship with God. Last week when we looked at restore; we looked at choosing obedience to the will of God and his call. Jesus told his disciples that obedience to his word is building on a solid foundation.

Matt 7:24
Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys them is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the flood waters rise, and the wind beats against that house it won't collapse because it is built on solid rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come, and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.

Jesus says that building on the solid foundation is wise. This solid foundation, based on Jesus is discipleship. You may wonder why some Christians are with-able to stand a pounding - and others collapse at the first sign of trouble - it depends on what they are basing their relationship with God on. Is it a firm foundation of discipleship, built in trust and obedience or on sand that gives way at the first challenge that comes?

How wise are you? How wise am I?

Are we choosing to build a solid foundation so that we are formly established in Christ?

Choose today to be a disciple in an ongoing relationship with Jesus. 

2. Establish a foundation of God's reality.

We all have a reality of some kind. In fact as human beings we have a great capacity when left to our own devices to create our own reality. Jeremiah says that the human heart is deceptive - it creates its own reality and justifies its own decisions.

Jeremiah 17:8-10
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?"

We all have a reality that is affected by the circumstances in which we live and exist. in fact we like to create our own reality usually so that we look good in it. But God wants to establish his reality in our lives. This is his truth, it is his perspective on life.

Isaiah 55:8,9
"My thoughts are completely different to yours", says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens ate higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Have you ever met anyone who thinks so completely differently to you that it is incredible. God says his thoughts are so different to ours. His perspective is a very different one to ours. I would rather yield to God's perspective than persist in my own. That is why a foundation of discipleship is so important. Discipleship shows us God's truth, but we have to take his truth on for ourselves.

There can be a difference between fact and truth. Sometimes they are the same, in fact if you look up these words you will often find them interchangeable. We hear people say the truth is or the fact remains.... But God says there is a truth that is beyond the facts. It is the truth of who he his, the truth of his word, it is God's reality.

God wants to establish his truth in our lives. This is the truth of who he is. God says base your reality on my truth, on what I say about you and the world. God's reality, God's truth can sometimes seem paradoxical.

Luke 6:38
Give and you will receive

Mark 8:35
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the good news, you will save it.

Seek God first, don't worry about anything else and God will meet your needs.

Matthew 6:33 The Message (MSG)
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

These all seem paradoxical, but they are truths of God's Word. The English definition of truth is - to show to be valid. God wants us to know his truth, for it to be shown to be valid.

2 Timothy 2:19
But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription - the Lord knows those who are his.

God's truth is a foundation for our life. Jesus says in John 8:32 - you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. When we have a foundation of truth in our our lives, we will live in freedom. God's truth frees us from worry and from anxiety. His truth tells us who we really are and and who he is. God's truth is the only truth that we can fully and totally rely on.

We live in a world where truth has become subjective - what is true for me, may not be true for you. God's truth is not subjective - God's truth is the true reality for our lives.

Conclusion
God wants to establish a basis of Discipleship and his truth in our lives so that we can bear weight for the kingdom, not tossed about by the circumstances of life, not tossed by false truth and doctrine, but established in relationship with him and in his truth.

Restore

1 Peter 5:10
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. (NLT)

Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. (HCSB)

Restore, Establish, Strengthen and Support.

Introduction
The people that Peter was writing to were suffering under unjust persecution because of their faith. Peter encourages them to stand firm. He has just spent quite some time encouraging them to holy living, to know that they are a chosen people and to live according to God’s call on their life, not getting trapped by the things of the world. They had probably already suffered much and would suffer some more, but Peter encourages them to remain firm. Jesus will restore them, He will establish them and he will strengthen them.

A Definition
re·store  [ri-stawr, -stohr] 
verb (used with object), re·stored, re·stor·ing.
1. To bring back into existence, use, or the like; re-establish: to restore order.
2. To bring back to a former, original, or normal condition, as a building, statue, or painting.
3. To bring back to a state of health, soundness, or vigour.
4. To put back to a former place, or to a former position, rank, etc.: to restore the king to his throne.
5. To give back; make return or restitution of (anything taken away or lost).

The Greek word means to render fit sound and complete, to mend what has been broken, to repair, and to prepare, to make one what one ought to be.
Peter is saying –God is in the business of restoring.

Whether it is because of our own stupidity or because of circumstances, God is in the business of restoring, repairing, making us who he sees us to be. When we need restoration, it is because we are no longer in a fit state. It might be a relationship, our lives etc., but God says Jesus himself will come and restore and repair us if we will let him.

In Joel, we read that the people had turned away from God, and had suffered the consequence at the hand of God for incredible disobedience and idol worship. By their own doing, they needed restoration. But God was gracious towards them. He promises to restore them, to not only restore, but to repay them what they had lost.

Joel 2:25-27
I will repay you for the years
that the swarming locust ate,
the young locust, the destroying locust,
and the devouring locust—
My great army that I sent against you.
You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied.
You will praise the name of Yahweh your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
My people will never again be put to shame.
You will know that I am present in Israel
and that I am Yahweh your God,
and there is no other.
My people will never again be put to shame. (HCSB)

His promise is that if we trust God, then whatever has been the reason for our need for restoration, Jesus himself, because of his great love and desire towards us will restore us.

Job 42:10
When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

The question for us is – if we need restoration – has it been due to circumstances or because we have disregarded God?

Have we, by our own attitudes and behaviours, ripped ourselves off of God’s best for us?
What opportunities have we missed, because we have not trusted?
What relationships have we broken or strained, because of our own stupidity or lack of understanding?

The good news is that whatever the reason we are in need of restoration, whatever has gone on in the past, whatever our circumstance may be – God is in the business of restoration.

Some thoughts about engaging the restoration process.

1. Humility

Develop an attitude of humility before God. Humility and humiliation are not the same thing. Humility is an attitude of the heart; humiliation is what one person does to another from a position of pride and power. God values humility greatly. When we come before God with our own ideas and agendas and place them higher than his, when we are too proud to admit fault or to admit our situation before him, then we limit the process of restoration to our ideas and not God’s perspective.

Isaiah 57:15
The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,
    the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place
    with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
    and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

2 Chronicles 7:14
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

When we have brought consequences upon ourselves we need to repent of our sin and our pride and come before God with a heart full of gratefulness and humility. In both James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 there is an exhortation to live in humility.

1 Peter 5:5-7
In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for
“God opposes the proud
    but favours the humble.”
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

The HSCB says clothe yourself with humility- it literally means tie around yourselves humility.

Humility before God and humility as we live our lives before others, brings restoration. If we are to engage with the process of restoration, whatever the cause, we are to be humble, we are to allow him to do his work, and in due time lift us up. We are to give our cares and worry to him – not doing so is actually pride. Anyone needing restoration must come in humility before God.

Prov 22:4
True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honour, and long life.

Psalm 18:27
You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.

It’s pretty clear that for God, humility, a humble attitude of heart, is key to restoration.

Am I living with an attitude of humility before God and others?

What attitudes do I need to repent of and change so that I can have an attitude of humility?

2. Turn towards God

Once we come with an attitude of humility, the process continues with a turning towards God. What do I mean by this? Keep God the focus of everything we do. Build into God’s perspective for your life. Look beyond the circumstances to the life God has planned for you and promises you in his word. Lift up your eyes from the situation you are in and begin to see the bigger picture.

Romans 5:10
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

God has a great life planned for each one of us.

Will we engage with his restoration, with his plan, by focussing on him, or will we sabotage his plan by narrow self-focus?

Where is our thinking? What do we dwell on?

Are we engaging God’s purpose in our thought life, our prayer life and our behaviour?

God wants us to focus on him, not because he’s a megalomaniac but because he is the one with the answer; he is the one who restores, he is the one who is able to mend what is broken and help us to become the people he has called us to be. (Remember our definition) Dwell on God’s ways and understanding. Keep your focus on him.

Psalm 121
I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

This psalm was written for people who were travelling to Jerusalem. The way was often difficult and treacherous, and there were many dangers. But the psalmist says, ”my help is not to be found in anything of earthly origin, my help is found in God”. God is the one who is able; he is the one who helps us. Our answer is not in the circumstances around us, but in who God is.

What circumstances am I focussing on that are damaging my restoration prospects?

What promises of God can I choose to focus on instead?

3. Choose obedience

Obedience is a word we do not always cherish. As a kid, we usually didn’t like being brought into line. We didn’t understand that our parents (if they were good parents) required obedience because it helped us to grow and develop properly, to learn and to become confident secure adults. As a parent, we understand why we require obedience from our children. It is to protect them, to nourish them and to help them grow in a way that is going to help them in life. We want them to flourish.

God wants us to flourish. As his children, we don’t always understand why obedience is so crucial, we want to do our own thing and get cross when God pulls us into line. As we mature in him, we hopefully come to understand that in obedience is life. In obedience is hope. Obedience enables us to flourish. As we engage God’s restoration for our lives, choosing obedience enables us to flourish and to grow. We need to give up the rebellion and the fight.

Phil 2:12-13
Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

God enables us to be obedient for our own good and our own well-being so that we can flourish.

Jeremiah 15:19
This is how the Lord responds:
“If you return to me, I will restore you
    so you can continue to serve me.
If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,
    you will be my spokesman.
You must influence them;
    do not let them influence you!

We are to be people that influence others for good, who show others what God’s restoration looks like. We are restored from rebellion, through humility and looking to Him that we may influence those around us, not be influenced by them. In 1 Peter 4:2-5 the people are encouraged to continue to live in obedience, to move away from the temptations of the world and to stop doing the things they once did.

1 Peter 4:2-5
You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.  You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

It’s a call to obedience. Others may not understand it, may be surprised that you are choosing a different road, may even have a go at your for it; but God says enough time has already been wasted in wrong living. King Saul disobeyed God’s command and then tried to make sacrifices to appease God.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
    and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

God is clear, he would rather obedience than us promising all sorts of things.

What “sacrifices” are we making to try and appease God instead of simple obedience?

How much of our time is spent following our own desires, instead of God’s plan and purpose for us?

God says don’t waste time in worldly pursuits; rather use your time to pursue his purpose in obedience to his Word and his call on your life. Our choice if we are to be fully restored is between “my way” and “God’s way”

What will we choose?

Where am I choosing my way over God’s way?

What am I going to start doing today to begin living in obedience to God’s way?

Conclusion

Restoration – from brokenness to wholeness, from sin to salvation, from the consequences of circumstance or of our own decision to true restoration requires:
Humility
Turning to God
Choosing to live in obedience even when it’s tough to do so.
God wants to restore, to bring us back to wholeness and to restore us to what we ought to be.

Purpose

We have looked at Worth Strength and Purpose
Worth:- Who We really are: valuable and of great worth in God's sight. We have intrinsic worth.
Strength:- We have the ability to choose, to think, to manage emotions and to find our strength in God.
Purpose:- God's purpose for us; our dreams and vision for the future, answering the question "What am I here for?"

Purpose can be defined as "the reason for which something exists, a desired end or result, an aim or an intention. To do something on purpose, by design and intentionally". We live for a purpose and we do things on purpose - being deliberate and intentional in how we live, not just letting things happen but having a deliberate plan of action.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."

God has a good plan and purpose. His desire is that we have something purposeful to do and to live for. Notice that if we want to find God's purpose, we need to listen to him, and to seek him with all our heart. I believe the mistake we make is to want God's purpose, but without seeking him wholeheartedly. We want God to solve our problems, but we want it on our terms instead of his. God says if we seek him wholeheartedly, he will hear us, listen to us and we will have an incredible purpose.

God's purpose is good, and gives us a hope and a future. Hope is important. We all function best when we have hope. Not just a wishful thinking, but true hope, based on the truth of God's word. We also have a future. Something that is positive and adds value not just to us, but to the families and communities in which we live.

1. I have a dream
Purpose involves us having a dream, believing that there is something that we are meant to do, and someone we are meant to be. I'm not talking about weird and strange dreams that come in the night, but of the dreams and vision you have for your life. This may be from an actual dream, or from an inner sense that there must be more. This sense can find itself outworked in the things we are passionate about. The things we dream about for our future, the things we focus on, are what we will end up living out.

Martin Luther King had a dream - a vision for the future, something that propelled him to live with purpose, to be deliberate and to serve something bigger than himself. His focus, his purpose was his dream and he lived and breathed it.

Genesis 37-50 is the story of Joseph. Its an amazing story. Joseph was a visionary and a dreamer. His life did not always go to plan, but he had a sense of purpose in his heart and a vision to live by. He walked through rejection by his brothers, sold into slavery and servitude in a foreign country, being falsly accused and thrown into prison and forgotten by those whom he helped. During it all, he never lost sight of the plan and purpose he had been shown and knew to be his purpose. He knew God was with him.

He lived each day, looking ahead, fully believing God had a good plan and purpose for him. I'm sure that some days it was difficult to see the dream being fulfilled, but he went on. His situation changed literally overnight. When it seemed he was completely forgotten, God used the king of a foreign country to bring Joseph into his true calling and purpose. He became the greatest administrator in the land of Egypt, carrying out God's plan and purpose. In the process he saved his family, a people group, from starvation. This people group became the Hebrew nation, that many thousands of years later would usher in the birth of the Messiah.

Genesis 45:8
So it was God who sent me here, not you. And he is the one who made me advisor to Pharaoh - the manager of his palace and the governor of all Egypt.
God's dream and vision for your life is bigger than your own.

Joseph had a dream that involved leading a family, God had a dream for him that involved eternity, and the entire world. God has a vision and dream for your life that is greater than your own. The things God places in our hearts, the desires, the things that stirr us are small compared to the entirety of what God has planned for you.

Eph 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

We often talk of this in relation to personal things that are going on in our lives. It is true and definitely speaks to us in these things, but I believe that this verse speaks so much more about God's amazing plan and purpose for your life; a purpose that is far greater than the paltry things we think are important.

How large is your dream?

What is God saying to you about his dreams and purpose for your life?

This might be dreams for your ministry, your family life, your education, your work, your community service and volunteering. I believe God is saying to us we need to enlarge the vision, enlarge the dream. What we are dreaming is too small. He has something much bigger in mind for us.

2. I have a place
God places us where he knows we will function best. He places us in church, in family, in teams etc. When we have place, we have the vehicle through which our purpose will be best fulfilled. God never does things in isolation. Our purpose is always connected to other people. Having a place is important to having purpose. Our purpose is never fulfilled in the imagination, but on the ground with real people in real situations.

We live in community with others, and God has placed people in our lives for a reason. Knowing where we belong is as important to our purpose as the vision we have. Humans are created to be part of families and to be planted firmly in family. I believe that knowing where you belong is crucial to how you serve and where you serve. We will best fulfill our purpose serving where God has called us to serve, where God wants us to be planted.

Ps 93:12-14
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon,
For they are transplanted to the Lords own house, they flourish in the courts of our God.
Even in old age they will still produce fruit, they will remain vital and green.

This is why its important to sow into the life of the church where God has placed you. It may not be a perfect family, but it is God's family and his purpose for us is best fulfilled in that environment. I'm not just talking about within the church. Church is our home and church is within the community, our community, where God has placed us.

How well are you planted and connected within the church community?
What attitides might need to change to build stronger connections and a deeper planting?
What are you passionate about?
What purpose is God calling you to with in the church and your community?

3. I serve a larger vision
This is about living on purpose, for a greater purpose than our own. It's an irony of life, and a spiritual truth, that when I choose to live for a vision and a purpose larger than my own, I discover that my own vision, my own dream is fulfilled and I find true purpose. When its all about me, myself and I, we miss the point of purpose. It's about God's greater plan and purpose, serving and  living for the bigger vision.

Poem
I had a little Tea Party
This afternoon at three
Was very small
Three guests in all
Just I, Myself and Me
Myself ate up the sandwiches
I drank up all the tea
Twas also I who ate the pie
And passed the cake to me.

This is a quaint little rhyme but it sums up how most of us see life. Its all about me. This is not God's way. He says that life is not just about me. Life is actually about others and the well being of others. There is a world that is dying and God's salvation is for all. Our purpose is to serve the larger purpose of taking God's good news of love and grace to the world. This is not a haphaxard thing. If we are to do anything, we need to be deliberate.

When we serve a greater purpose, a larger vision, we will discover, that in doing so, our own vision and purpose is fulfilled. We begin to see life from a different perspective and we understand that purpose requires us to be deliberate. It doesn't just happen. The apostle Paul says to the church in Corinth, that we live this life as though in a race that we run to win. He is determined to make his life count, to fulfil God's purpose.

1 Cor 9:26
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadow boxing.

Paul is living life with purpose, and on purpose. He is doing what it takes, being deliberate in every action, for a greater purpose than his own. Most of the world is living day to day. To a certain extent, we do to. But we must live day to day with eternity in mind. As we live each day, we are to be deliberate in living out God's purpose. This means that we don't just let life happen, but we are actively engaged with life.

It means we are actively engaged in serving and deliberate in our friendships and relationships. Not for our sake, but for the sake of others. This seems a paradox - but when we live this way, we find greater fulfillment, because we are actually engaging in something that is bigger than us and worthwhile.

Prov 16:3
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

Prov 16:9
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

Prov 19:21
You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail

As we serve God's greater purpose, as we are deliberate about life, doing life on purpose, then we will make plans according to God's purpose.

Whose vision am I serving?
What greater purpose is God calling me to serve?

Conclusion
Purpose - visons and dreams, a hope for the future, a place to serve and a greater purpose to serve. As we grab hold of thses, we will find God's purpose for our life and discover that we are living a purposeful life greater than we could ever imagine.

Strength

Strength
What does it mean to have strength?

Last week, the girls shared their testimonies on worth, strength and purpose and how they have found these to operate in their lives.
This week, we will take a closer look at strength.

Proverbs 31:25
She is clothed with strength and dignity and has no fear of the future.

What does it mean to be clothed with strength, so that strength becomes part of who we are? We can define strength in many ways: physical,  emotional, spiritual. This week looks more at the emotional and spiritual strength and where our strength comes from.

Ps 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Habbakuk 3:19
The sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes me a sure footed as a deer able to tread upon the heights

In other words, our true strength comes from God who enables us to have strength in him, when we do not feel strong, but who enables us to overcome. Our strength comes from the decisions we make, the thoughts we think and our ability to trust God in all things. Strength enables us to overcome challenges in life and to move on.

Have you noticed that people can experience the exact same thing and yet respond differently. This strength or resilience is related to lots of things but ultimately it comes down to choices that people make that enable them to either move forward or to be destroyed. When we live our lives from our convictions, based on who we are in God, and who God is, we will have strength.

1. I have the power of choice
We build strength when we understand that we have the power of choice. We have been given free will to enable us to exercise this power of choice. We always have a choice. The decisions we make each day will determine our future, not just the big decisions but the little decisions we make. What we choose to believe affects our life. We can choose to believe a lie or we can choose to believe the truth.

We have the power of choice. Sometimes we say "But I had no choice". This is a lie - we always have a choice. Because we have free will, and God has given us free will, he expects us to use it. We are able to make choices and decisions for our lives. Learning to make good decisions based on truth builds strength into our lives. In Deuteronomy, Moses lays out the choice for the people, blessings and curses that relate to the way they live their lives and whether they will choose to live in obedience to God or to themselves.

Deut 30:19
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh that you would choose life, that you and your descendants may live.

Prov 2:11
Wise choices will watch over you, Understanding will keep you safe  (note some translations - wise planning).

What values do we have?
What convictions about life do we carry?

They will affect the types of choices we make. A couple of weeks ago we spoke about worth. Our worth is a conviction that we carry. When we have strong, positive convictions about who we are, we are more likely to make good choices based on these convictvions, even when the decisions we need to make are really hard.

What areas of life do we hold strong convictions about? Our convictions may relate to God, family, self, health, finance, education or any number of things. When we hold strong convictions and live from them, they will affect everything and allow us to put appropriate boundaries in place. What we choose to believe will affect what we do.

If we are struggling with negative convictions the good news is we can change. We may hold convictions based on the lies we were told about ourselves - e-g. I'm no good, etc. But we can learn the truth and develop convictions based on truth. As we do this, the ability to make good choices also develops. We can choose to believe what others have said or what God says about us. We can choose to live by what is right.

We have the power of choice.

2. I can take control of my thinking
One of the most exciting things is that God has given us the ability to take control over our thinking. We are what we think, because what we think determines the choices we make, and we are the consequence of those choices. This is sometimes hard, but the truth is that we can change the negative patterns of thinking that creep in to our lives.

We are able to take control of the random thoughts and the not so random thoughts that flow through our brains. Our brains are amazing things and God has created them in a way that enables us to take control of our thinking. Our brians build structure according to what we constantly think about, so when we constantly think negatively, that is what is reinforced, but if we think in a positive way, that too is reinforced. The Bible says be transformed by the renewing of the mind, changing the way we think.

Romans 12:2
Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you which is good, and okeasing and perfect.

Eph 4:23
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

We are not to live like the world does, letting every random thought have its way, we are to take them captive  (2 Cor 10:5), and to make decisions about whether or not this thought is appropriate, helpful or unhelpful for us, and deal with it accordingly.

2 Cor 10:5
With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas and we teach ten to obey christ.

In other words, the ideas and thoughts that rise up that are in rebellion to the truth of God's word can be conquered and taken captive. When a thought comes into our conscious mind, that is when we are able to change the nature of it and how it affects the structures and pathways in our brains. We can actually change the pathways in our brains and we can choose to accept or reject the thought. We can choose to change our convictions and to have God's convictions about us as our convictions.

If the thought is already part of the structure of our brain we can rework the thought, we can transform our thinking, by understanding where that thought comes from. We can  look at the truth of that thought in the light of God's word and who we really are, and we can begin to change the nature of our brains and the thoughts.

Calvin and Hobbes is a cartoon about a little biy with an active imagination. He imagines himself in all kinds of situations and where necessary, he transmogrifies into something different. This is cute in the cartoon, and totally in his imagination, but the truth is we can change our thoughts - rewire and transform them, from something that is harmful to us, to positive thoughts.

For example, thoughts like "I'm no good", "I'm hopeless" etc. can be changed. We may think this because we have been told this and somewhere along the line we have chosen to believe it, even though it isn't true. But each time we dwell on it, we make that pathway stronger in our brain. Instead we can, when that thought arises, choose to reject that thought, and to "rewire" our brains by deliberately choosing to think about the truth of who we are.

It takes practice but it is very possible and God's word enables us to know the truth about ourselves, the truth about our situations and circumstances and to dwell on what is good and right and positive instead. By doing so we break down negative patterns and pathways and build good positive patterns and pathways.

Our thoughts are powerful. We can develop a stop think act approach to our thoughts. We can learn to "catch" the thought, to think "is this a good thought", "is it truth" etc. then we can act upon it by accepting or rejecting it. People with true strength, know how to take thoughts captive and to deal with them. God is the one who enables us to do this. He tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we can understand what his will is, what his thoughts about us are, what the truth is. Instead of believing the circumstance has control, we believe that God is in control.

Ps 63:6
I lay awake at night thinking about your promise.

Ps 103:5
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles.

What we think about is what we become. The psalmist is choosing to meditate on God's word, on the promises. He is choosing to rewire his brain and to know what God says about him, allowing what God says to dictate his life and actions. Instead of believing that God is against us, we can acknowledge the word of God that says that if God is for us, then nothing can be against us. We can think about the word of God that says, He is able.

What changes to your thinking might you need to make?
What thoughts do you need to take captive?
What will you do today to begin to change the way you think?

3. I am not dictated to by my emotions.
Feelings are real and they are given to us to help us understand what is going on internally for us, and to enable us to process and move forward. They help us to deal with situations, but they should never dictate our actions. When we are struggling with emotions, we need to look at the emotions, and to understand where they come from. Thoughts and emotions are connected. How often do we think about a situation and then we realise we are feeling an emotion, either good or bad, that is attached to that thought?

How do we deal with emotions when they arise, and seem to want to overwhelm us?We need to acknowledge that the emotion is there and exists.

1. What am I feeling? - identify the emotion - am I happy sad etc - e.g we teach kids to identify and say how they are feeling.
2. Why am I feeling this way?  - what are the circumstances etc.
3. What choices do I have? - we always have choices
4. What action will I take? - take positive action

What often happens is instead of processing the emotion before we act, we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed and act from emotion, rather than from good decision making processes. Instead we can learn to acknowledge, identify, and understand the feeling, then we can look at choices and act accordingly.This is learning to respond rather than react to a situation. Emotions unchecked affect everything we do but we can learn to be in control of our emotions instead of them controlling us.

Strong people do not ignore emotions, they have simply learnt to not let them dictate how they will act, or negatively affect their decisions.

In 2 Sam 11, we see King David allowing his emotions to dictate his actions and it caused him issues. He saw Bathsheba and lusted after her and he let his lust dictate his actions which lead to adultery and murder. Later in 2 Sam 19, he is in mourning, it was a difficult situation, but his son had been trying to take the kingdom, the soldiers had saved David's life but in the process his son was killed. This was a horrible situation, but in the process of mourning for his son, he was so overwhelmed, that he forgot what the real situation was - his son had actually been out to kill him. He let his emotions overwhelm him and forgot his duty to the people who had saved his life.

In Luke 22:39-46 we see a right reaction. When Jesus was going to the cross, he too was overwhelmed with emotion, so much so that sweat and blood poured from him, (the Bible says he was in agony of spirit) yet he did not allow what he felt, to dictate his actions. He said instead - whatever your will is God. He acknowledged his emotion - and he looked at the choices and made his decision on God's will and not his own. When we identify our feelings, especially when someone has hurt us, we can look at what happened and then make decisions based on that. We can choose to forgive, we can choose to talk to someone, we can choose to go to that person and work out the problem with them etc.

What negative emotions am I allowing to control my life?
What steps will I take to ensure my emotions do not rule my life?

4. My strength comes from God.
When we allow God into the picture, he brings strength to our lives. When we learn to trust him in every situation, even when we don't understand what is going on, when we learn that he wants his best for us, then we will find his strength sufficient.
The apostle Paul acknowledges this in 2 Corinthians.

2 Cor 12:10b
When I am weak, he is strong.

Paul understood, that when he felt weak, when he felt he was not able, that was when God was proved strong and able. There are times in our lives where things are heavy and we can't see a way through or understand what is going on. In these times we can draw on God's strength to enable us to go forward. He promises to strengthen the weak, to be our strength for us.

Ps 23:3
He renews my strength, He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name.

Ps 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield.

When we are feeling that its all too much, God is there to strengthen us, we can trust in him.

Is 40:31
Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength. They will run and not grow weary they will walk and not faint.

True strength is found in God and in who God is. He gives us strength to make the difficult decisions and to stick by them, and to live his way.

Eph 3:16
I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources, he will empower you with strength through his Spirit.

God is able to bring true strength to our lives. His resources are unlimited, he is there for us to call upon his name and to find our strength in him.

What do you need strength for today?

Trust God for his strength.

Conclusion
As we make good choices, as we learn to transform our thinking and learn to understand and process our emotions, we will develop strength in our lives. Ultimately, our strength comes from God.

Are we willing to trust God, and to draw on his strength for our lives, letting him in to transform us?

Worth

Worth, Strength, Purpose,
Placing value on human life.

I have worth because....
I have strength to....
I have purpose for....

Each of us is incredibly valuable, we are capable of making choices and we have a divine purpose that God has created for us.

What is worth?
Worth - the quality that renders something desirable, that commands esteem and respect.

We think about worth often in the monetary value of things and the benefit of something, either for us or somethimgw e can offer someone else. We tend to think of worth as the value that something has: the top is worth $10;  it wasn't worth the money I paid for it; what is it worth to you? etc
We can value people this way too, by what they do! But this is not God's way.

God's way places value on people because they are and not because they do. God says we have worth because we exist, because we are. Worth is not about material or physical assets, even if the world in general and the media in particular tells you that it is. Worth is an intrinsic quality, given to us at conception, because we are.

We treasure what we value, those things that are of great worth to us - our families, our friends, our relationships that are important to us. Worth is not dictated by the circumstances of life - what we have or haven't done - but by the value that God places on us for who we are, not what we do. In our culture we often derive our value from what we do. We find out what others do and we measure ourselves against this mark - either better than or worse than - (which leads to pride or lack of self-esteem).

Thomas Edison said "Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have". This is partly right, but it's really about what we are in the sense of how God sees us. God says "I value you on the basis of who you are - a much loved and valid person of great worth simply because you exist." What we do does not change our worth or value - e.g. the $10 note - crisp and clean or old and squashed - its still $10. It still has intrinsic worth.

We have incredible value in God's eyes because we are, and he loves us so much that he sent his Son for us. We were created to be children of God. Because God values us highly and places great worth on who we are, we also choose to place value and worth on others.

So who am I? I am a woman of great worth Because:

1. I am known by God
Everything about us is known by God. He knows our greatest desires and our greatest needs. He understands everything we have and do. He knows us intimately.

Psalm 139 :1-2
Lord you have examined my heart and you know everything about me.
You know when I sit down and when I stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.

It goes on, showing how God is there always, he knows us and we can be assured that we are known by him.

Psalm 139:6
Your knowledge of me is deep, it is beyond understanding. GNT
God knows everything about us, and this is a good thing, it is meant to show that he cares for us, and that he knows us.

Jesus said that God knows even the number of hairs on our head. In Luke 12:7 Jesus says that God even cares about the sparrows and knows when one of them falls, and we are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows. We are known by God therefore we do not have to worry about anything.He values us highly and cares for us. God wants us to understand that he knows us, because he values us and wants us to know him in return.

2. I am loved by God
Knowing everything about us, the good the bad and the ugly, God still values us and loves us. We are of great worth to him.

Eph 1:4
Even before the creation of the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
Loved and chosen by God.

God has loved us for a long time. Since before the creation of the world, we were loved by God. He saw us, and loved us even when we had not been born. This is something that shows our great worth. We are loved by God.

John 3:16
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life.

God loves us so much that he was prepared to lay down his life for us.

Romans 5:6-8
For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time God chose. It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us.

What this verse actually means is that while we were "devoted to sin" God proved, established and exhibited his great love. It goes on to say that we were God's enemies, but because he loved us he made us his friends through Christ.

1 John 4:9
And God showed his love for us by sending his Son into the world, so that we might have life through him.

We see God's love in the way he treats us and tells us to treat others. We are loved by God, therefore we can love others in the same way. In John 8:1-12 we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. For many of us, familiar with this story, we see and understand God's grace extended to this woman. But we also see Jesus placing incredible value on this woman.

The teachers of the law wanted to humiliate her and judge her because of what she had done. Jesus treats her differently. Jesus sees her not by what she has done, but by who she really is - a woman who is loved by God and in need of care and restoration. The love of Jesus for this woman elevated her and changed her. She understood that she was valuable because of who she was and her value was not in what she did. Jesus loved her enough to encourage her to change her ways, but his love for her, and God's love for her was based on her intrinsic value as a person and not on what she had done or failed to do.

I am loved by God, not because of what I have done, but because of who I am. Loved by God means that I am valuable and of great worth to him.

3. I am created by God
Each of us is incredibly valuable and we see that in the amazing creation that we are. We are created human beings but we are created in the image of God. We are created individually and specially with different fingerprints, different DNA. The human genome is an incredible thing. Scientists have been able to identify it. We are different to very other animal.

We are not like any one else - we are not a copy. The Mona Lisa is a masterpiece, a one of a kind. We may copy it, but the copy will never be the masterpiece. We are one of a kind, not a copy of someone else. We alone are created in the image of God. God desired human beings to be in relationship with him, and he desired that they be like him.

Genesis 1:26
Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.

Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
Male and female he created them.

Make - to fashion, to accomplish, to produce.
Created - to shape and to form.

We are created by God. His plan for us is good. His plan for us is blessing. God values human beings so much that he makes us in his image, in his likeness.

Ps 139:13-16
You made all the delicate inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mothers womb.
Than you for making me so wonderfully complex. Your workmanship is marvellous - how well I know it.
You watched me as I was formed in utter seclusion as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment laid out before a single day had passed.

God has created us with great care and complexity. He knows us and loves us, created by him, thought of by him before we were born. Jeremiah was a prophet to the nations. He was a young man, called by God and he found it all a bit daunting. God says to him

Jer 1:5
I knew you before I formed you in your mothers womb.
Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you a prophet to the nations.

God knew who Jeremiah would be even before he was born. God knew us even before were born. This is not about us existing before then, but that God already had a plan in mind for us and created us with great care, with great love and valued us for us, even before we were born. Life for Jeremiah was not always easy, and our life isn't either, but that does not negate God's love for us and does not negate how valuable we are to God.

Ephesians says we are God's masterpiece. You may not feel like one right now, but God says we are his masterpiece. We are created anew in Christ, but even before that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and loved by God.We are women of great value and great worth.

4. I am a child of God
Because I am loved by God, because he sent his son for me, I can be a child of God. A daughter of the King. Romans 8:15-17 says that we are his children and his heirs.

Roms 8:15-17
For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory.

An heir is someone who receives his alotted possession by right of sonship. Our alotted possession is heirs of God's glory. Ephesians says he has given us every blessing in spiritual relams. We are truly children of God if we follow him.

When we understand our true value, when we understand that God knows us, loves us and cares for us, that he places value on us: When we understand that he made a great sacrifice for us, to make a way for us to have a relationship with him, then we can also know that we are God's children.

So I am valuable because I am known by God; I am loved by God; I am created by God and I am a child of God. This means I have great worth. Not because of what I do, but because of who I am. My value is intrinsic, because I exist and am valuable to God, created by him, as his masterpiece.

A thought

John 16.

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit and outlines the role of the Spirit in our lives. He is our counsellor and comforter, but he also has a role in reaching the people who need to know Jesus. The role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world in regards to sin, righteousness and judgement. As we seek God, as we lift the name of Jesus high, then God is at work. He is in the business of saving people.

When we are praying for our unsaved friends, we can ask God to save them, and for the Holy Spirit to convict them. The salvation of people is of paramount importance to God. Lost people matter to God and they should matter to us.

We can ask God directly, in the name of Jesus. God knows us, that we are followers of Jesus, wanting to do his will. Jesus says we are known by the Father and therefore we can ask whatever we want, in Jesus name, and God will bring it about, and bless us abundantly.

Notice though that this requires us to be in a relationship with Jesus that is loving and obedient to the will of the Father. This is all in the context of relationship with God, who knows what is best. When Jesus is talking about praying here, he is talking about asking for Kingdom related matters, things that will expand and grow the kingdom, not just things that will make us happy.

When we align our desires with God's we will know that he will answer our prayers. When we think of delighting in the Lord and receiving the desires of our heart, ( Ps 37:4) it is related to kingdom, not selfish ambition or gain. God loves answering prayers that are related to expanding his kingdom and seeing "his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as in heaven".

I like to ask myself: What is the focus of my prayers? Is it personal comfort and success or expansion of the Kingdom?

This helps me to think more carefully about what I'm praying about and make changes where necessary to align my prayer life with the will of God.

Be in it to Win it -Part 2

Last week we looked at Hebrews 12 and running with perseverance and endurance.

Heb 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.  Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

Run with perseverance the race marked before us.

Perseverance and endurance; living life for the long haul are important characteristics of living life well. We have looked at getting rid of the extra baggage, those things that get in the way and cause us to stumble, the things that hold us back; we looked at wearing the right clothes, putting off the old and dressing with love and kindness etc. And we looked at focusing ahead on what is ahead and not what is behind.

This week we will look at making it through the quit zone.

What is the quit zone?

It’s that place we all get to when we have to push forward, push harder, do those last things and not giving up when it gets hard. In a marathon, the runners go through what they call the quit zone, or the wall; that part of the race towards the end where they think they can’t go any further. But when they push through it, they run better and they finish well.

"There's something about quitting that hurts your spirit.  It's demoralizing.  I know we're all tired of the humanist mantra, "Believe in yourself!!!"  But there comes a time when you have to just stop telling yourself you can't do it.  When you give up, when you don't cross the finish line, when you throw in the towel....it's a discouragement that sticks with you.  It'll make it harder to keep going next time.  Lots harder. And life is not supposed to be easy.  Difficulty is part of life.  We're all going to face situations that seem impossible.  But for me, when I have proved to myself in even just one area of my life (running, for instance) that I can do it, that I can push through it even when the hills are steep, when things are hard...it makes me feel stronger to meet whatever else life will send my way. - See more at: http://runforyourlifefitness.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/persevering.html#sthash.y4wC8Ahc.dpuf

Knowing that it will happen marathon runners prepare for it ahead of time. It helps them be mentally prepared and focused.The quit zone will happen. We have all experienced it. We have all had something that has been hard and we've felt like giving up. we've all had those things that seemed great, that we knew were right, and then stuff happens; it gets hard and we get tired, or it seems like the result we expected is not happening.

What do we do when we get to that zone?
What can we draw on that will help us?

1. Understand the quit zone is normal

Finding things tough and hard is normal. That sense of "it’s all too hard" is normal. It’s normal but it doesn't have to overwhelm us or define us. It only becomes too hard if we give up. Tough times happen. When we are prepared for them, when know they will come, we can be ready for them and realise that they are only a point and a time, a season, they are not the be all and end all of our lives.

Jesus had tough times too. Even as he faced the cross he was saying "God this is hard,but I look to you, to do your will". Instead of being defined by "it’s too hard" we can be defined by "this is tough but it will get better". I believe we need to get rid of the phrase “it’s too hard”, and replace it with “all things are possible”

Philippians 4:12-13
I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Giving up never makes anything better.

Gal 6:9-10
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Heb 12:12-13
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Don't give up because we will reap a harvest of righteousness etc. (And others are watching and will follow.) This is talking about persevering in our spiritual lives. When we persevere, when we do good, when we don’t give up, there is a reward. Its normal to get to a point where it is hard and going on seems difficult. But remember: The victory is usually just around the corner. As in the Marathon, the toughest part is usually just before the breakthrough, just before the victory.

2. Build Strength

Knowing that these times will come what can we do to build resilience and strength?

Last week we talked about how an athlete prepares well. When we prepare well we build strength. A marathon runner does not wake up one morning and go “I think I will run a marathon today” without doing many months of deliberate training and preparation. When we are deliberate about reading the Word and seeking God, when we are deliberate about our relationship with him, when we choose to get his word into our hearts, we build strength.

Why do some people bounce back better from adversity than others? Or why do some fail under pressure and others don’t? It’s called resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from the things that happen to us. Sometimes stuff happens in life that reduces resilience but the good news is that we can build resilience by focussing on and building on our strengths. By being deliberate in our approach, by making decisions that choose to look at what we can do, rather than what you can’t, we build resilience.

What areas of strength do we have in our lives?
What can we do, what do we have that helps us?

We have the word of God and the promises of God, we have friends and people, we have our own individual strengths, and we can be ahead of the game by the way we prepare. The bible says that what we sow is what we reap.

Galatians 6:7-8
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.  Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Before we get to the tough times we have to learn to sow well. As we build strength into our lives, we can draw on those strengths. Sow into the Word; get it into your life and build on God's promises for you, his promises in his word. Develop a habit of positive attitudes and thinking that draws on the truth of the Word and on who you really are in Jesus. Jesus always with us, Jesus never leaves or forsakes us, God is the same yesterday today and forever.

Heb 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

As we get this stuff into our hearts we can draw on it when it’s tough. Dr Leaf’s strategies of working on areas of thinking and getting rid of toxic thoughts and building healthy thoughts are helpful here. Know what you want to build into your life and thinking and be deliberate about the change; then make a habit of doing it. (www.drleaf.com)

Be deliberate in relationships so that when it’s tough there are others who can help us. When we have support and encouragement, when we build positive relationships with others, there will be people to help us in tough times. Others will believe in us even when we struggle, but we need to develop strong and positive relationships.

What areas of life will you begin to build strength in?
What areas of thinking will you work on?

3. Refocus and apply faith

What was the original vision you had, the original direction, the word from God that you were given? Ask yourself “Why am I doing this”; What is the goal I’m heading to? Go back to it. Get excited about it again. Refocus on the main thing.

The story of Crystal from the No Quit Zone is a great story and a great example of refocussing to achieve goals. Pregnant at the age of 15, Crystal decided that she would not become a statistic; therefore quitting goals she set out to accomplish was not an option. She refocussed, finished her education and now helps others do the same. Stuff happens, but instead of giving up, we can refocus and move forward.

Refocus on what it is/was that you were working towards, regardless of the actual circumstances. Last week we looked at Phil 3, the apostle Paul, and his determination to push forward to reach the prize. Jesus as we mentioned earlier endured because of the joy before him and the final outcome. As we refocus we can take hold of God's promises, apply faith, step out and keep going.

Hebrews 13:5-6
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
    so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?”

It’s the final outcome that is the key thing here. The immediate situation is never the end. There is always something to look towards. Anything worthwhile takes time and effort. Do a bit of an inventory.

What have we started that we didn’t finish?
What was it that caused us to quit? (a good decision or too hard?)
Is this a pattern or a habit we have developed?

In Nehemiah 4 we see the people of Israel under attack from the enemy. They had set out to build the walls around Jerusalem to strengthen their city and to rebuild their city. It got really hard: there were threats against them and terrible taunts aimed at stopping their work. But what did Nehemiah do? He could have quit, but he knew that was not right. Instead he focussed on the vision, on the goal on what he knew was his God given destiny. He refocused and he helped those with him to refocus. And most importantly, he did not quit. He applied faith to the situation and he kept going. God had called him and God would enable him.

What vision or goal do we need to refocus on?
What habits have we developed that are hindering us?

My Challenge to us all is to refocus and redirect our energies back on to the vision and not the circumstances.

Conclusion

As we run the race set before us, as we understand that the "quit zone" happens and is normal, we can be prepared and develop strategies to push through and to move forward. We can build strength and resilience through looking at the positives and concentrating on those, attacking negative thinking and building healthy thoughts instead. And finally, we can refocus on the original goal and aim, draw on God's promises, apply faith and step into the fulness of what God has for us.