There Is A Reason (Week Three)
Soul Tattoo: The fastest way to kill something special is to compare it to something else.
Sometimes God’s preparation comes packaged as pain.
Your purpose is not for you. Your purpose is for God.
You don’t find your purpose. You serve God’s purpose.
If you want to serve God’s purpose, start serving God’s people.
1. You are perfectly created by God to fulfill God’s purpose for you.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. —Ephesians 2:10 NLT
2. You can’t fulfill God’s purpose for you when you are comparing to someone else.
So she [Mary] came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. … Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. … Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside… —John 20:2-4, 6, 8 NIV
Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved… Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” —John 21:20-22 NLT
3. You can’t win running someone else’s race!
…And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith… —Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
Perserverance – persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.