Yesterday, we talked about an all too familiar question: why do we suffer? I gave you my thoughts and then shared that I was going to tell you what helped me to begin activating my purpose though pain.
Here it goes…
What helped to pull me out of the pit isn’t anything crazy elaborate. It’s plain, old fashioned discipline. Without it, activation is impossible.
Believe me; I’ve never considered myself to be overly disciplined about anything. I don’t like to exercise, I’m a huge fan of sleep, and I think it’s rotten that God has allowed carbohydrates to pack on pounds. (Sorry, Lord. I had to confess it.) I’m just not feeling it. Actually, I take that back. My jeans cause me immeasurable amounts of stress these days, so I guess I do feel it.
The point is in order to put any good thing into motion requires some type of discipline. And if you’re going to figure out how to activate purpose in your life, then you will need to discipline yourself to open up His Word. One verse at a time leads to whole chapters, and whole chapters lead to whole books until you’ve covered the ground you need to know in order to build a solid foundation.
In my early 20s while enduring a season of deep, dark grief, I was asked what scripture I was “standing on” to help me through that time. My answer was, “I don’t know. All of them?” The truth was I was praying, but mostly, I was looking for an audible voice to come from the sky to answer my questions. I was depending on the pastoral staff to sow into my life. I was not looking in the Scriptures to give me answers. Sure, every once in a while I would read a verse here or there to give me comfort, but I was making everything in life about me, and God was not the center. That’s a huge mistake. I need to hear what He wants me to hear, not what I want me to hear. Ouch.
It was actually a vacation Bible school jingle that taught me to memorize a scripture which fit perfectly into my life. Will you please turn to Joshua 1:9 with me?
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
-Joshua 1:9
The way my love for the word truly began was by memorizing this scripture and applying in every circumstance of my life. To this day, I still say it when fear hits, uncomfortable confrontation sneaks inside the ordinary, or when I just need the reminder that I’m not alone.
Something else about the Word is that it’s living and powerful. It is active. And, when you have an active force working inside you then that flint and steel we talked about in the beginning of this series will finally produce a small spark capable of changing everything in your entire life.
One small verse a day can begin a renewal in your life. It’s not an overnight process; it’s one that takes discipline. So, today, I want to give you eight tips to help you begin studying the Word in a way that can truly activate your purpose.
- Time blocking: figure out what time of day works for you and how much time is reasonable for you to spend. Don’t set lofty goals! Start out by doing what you can do and that’s all. Even if it’s only five minutes a day. Try to do it at the same time each day. Consider setting a timer. It’s so helpful!
- Choose a starting place: If you don’t know where to begin, consider starting with the book of John. Just wait until you see how many times the word believe is listed! There’s a lot of discourse in this book. It’s different from the other three gospels. It has its own feel and brings you inside the miracles of Jesus in a bit of a different way. I highly recommend it.
- Leave everything else behind: After deciding what you’re going to read. Choose to leave everything you think you know behind. Let the Word speak new and fresh to you.
- Remember that the people you are reading about were real: They were made up of flesh and blood just like you and me. If you relate them as fictional characters then the Word can’t speak. They were real and the events of that time were real. You need to let that speak loudly when doubt tries to steal your spark.
- Mark the spot: I’m a big believer in marking up my Bible. I know there are different schools of thought on this, but my Bible serves as a journal. I want my children and children’s children to know what the Lord was speaking to me through His word. Write notes in the margin, circle and highlight verses, and date everything so you can check your progress overtime for the things God has done in your life!
- Pray: Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you each day as you grow in His word.
- Begin: Just Read! And if it helps, read out loud. It will enable you to better remember what you’re learning about.
- Memorize: When you get to a verse that really speaks to you. Memorize it and recite it in all your circumstances. Print it out and hang it where you can see it daily.
For today’s homework: figure out which one of these pointers might help you most and post it on social media to encourage someone. Maybe you have something that works for you that I haven’t mentioned. I would love to glean from your wisdom! Use the hashtag #ActivatingYourPurpose so that we can find each other.
Love,
Jennifer
To learn more about this series, click here to read the introduction and scroll down to find previous posts and learn what’s ahead.
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